Hello, new to "Troubleshooting Laptops", not a stranger to the forum though. It is the best. Don't know anything about laptop repair and very little about computers, but with the help of budm and others, I have managed to fix quite a few LCD monitors and a couple TVs.
I am asking for help to fix this laptop. I am not interested in swapping the motherboard. It isn't worth much to anyone but me, and if someone can help me, it will make a nice gift for my daughter. I won't give up till you do, so here we go.
The problem I have is with the battery installed, the laptop does absolutely nothing even when the power button is depressed, most likely because the battery is surely dead. Upon plugging in the Dell PA-3E adapter I have, the device status LEDs illuminate as follows as soon as the adapter is attached. The Left power LED turns on solid green and the Right Battery LED turns on solid orange which the manual says the battery charge is critically low. Both these light without ever doing anything except plugging the adapter in. Nothing changes upon depressing the power on/off button. Also holding the power button in for 30 seconds does nothing. No change in anything including the lit LEDs. Sitting for a day also changes nothing.
I read every thread on the 5150 here and read everything on the internet. This model is plagued by 2 common problems so I snooped around using that information. Using the Dell Service manual, I completely disassembled the laptop. One common problem is the DC JACK. Using the attached Schematic (page 36) I measured 19+ DC on pins 1 and 2 of PCN 1 so I think the Jack is OK. Other problem is U56 gets pressed on by the C cover. After peeling off a piece of black plastic, visually U56 and all of its legs looked fine under magnification, but I went ahead and hit them with a little fresh solder. I watched a few YouTube videos, ordered some Artic Silver and cleaner, removed and cleaned the fan, greased the chip and put it all back together. I tried the “hook it up to a monitor thing”, which worked for quite a few. Nothing has improved.
That is about all the wisdom I have on the matter. I do not have another battery. Right now the laptop is all back together, but I anxiously await someone to teach me. I have attached the schematic.
I am asking for help to fix this laptop. I am not interested in swapping the motherboard. It isn't worth much to anyone but me, and if someone can help me, it will make a nice gift for my daughter. I won't give up till you do, so here we go.
The problem I have is with the battery installed, the laptop does absolutely nothing even when the power button is depressed, most likely because the battery is surely dead. Upon plugging in the Dell PA-3E adapter I have, the device status LEDs illuminate as follows as soon as the adapter is attached. The Left power LED turns on solid green and the Right Battery LED turns on solid orange which the manual says the battery charge is critically low. Both these light without ever doing anything except plugging the adapter in. Nothing changes upon depressing the power on/off button. Also holding the power button in for 30 seconds does nothing. No change in anything including the lit LEDs. Sitting for a day also changes nothing.
I read every thread on the 5150 here and read everything on the internet. This model is plagued by 2 common problems so I snooped around using that information. Using the Dell Service manual, I completely disassembled the laptop. One common problem is the DC JACK. Using the attached Schematic (page 36) I measured 19+ DC on pins 1 and 2 of PCN 1 so I think the Jack is OK. Other problem is U56 gets pressed on by the C cover. After peeling off a piece of black plastic, visually U56 and all of its legs looked fine under magnification, but I went ahead and hit them with a little fresh solder. I watched a few YouTube videos, ordered some Artic Silver and cleaner, removed and cleaned the fan, greased the chip and put it all back together. I tried the “hook it up to a monitor thing”, which worked for quite a few. Nothing has improved.
That is about all the wisdom I have on the matter. I do not have another battery. Right now the laptop is all back together, but I anxiously await someone to teach me. I have attached the schematic.
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