Laptop AC Jack Repair

[CoffeeBean]

I'm seeing an increasing number of laptops come through my door with loose or flat out broken off AC jacks. In the past, many shops I've worked with would refer this type of repair.

I had an opportunity to try it myself last year when my mother's laptop suffered the same fate. It wasn't hard, but it took every bit of two hours to accomplish (between the phone calls and having to do other work, of course), but after it was done - it had broken off again in about six weeks.

Do any of you do this type of repair? How long does it take? How much do you charge? Do you warranty your work? Any tips?

 

[NYJimbo]

Did you replace the jack with a new one or reflowed the solder on the old one ?

 

[JosephLeo]

It sounds like to me that your solder wasn't the right temperature, or you failed to clean the contact properly. At any rate that doesn't matter now, but let's see if I can fill in some of those blanks.

I never did a laptop jack repair yet for a customer, however I do practice on broken laptops and I'm almost confident enough to begin doing it for myself. Right now I have a deal with another local computer repair shop. I bring them in broken laptop jacks, they charge me $60- I charge the customer $119. Double up for pick-up and drop-off...it's very easy but that extra $60 would be pretty sweet if I didn't have to bring it to my guy.

Right now it takes me about an hour to do a laptop jack- but then again I'm not exactly skilled with it yet. I believe it can be done easily in a half hour for a tech who is more skillful with this and isn't distracted with anything else- not to mention I make the occasional mistake like...burn the motherboard (whoops). I do in fact offer a 30-Day warranty on laptop jacks- but only because that's what my tech offers. I want to offer a 90-day like the rest of my repair services, but that's just not doable I guess.

Last but not least, I actually do have tips to share, or better yet a video!

Laptop Repair Videos by Podnutz. The free video actually shows you how to repair laptop jacks as well as the brick itself (although I will never. EVER. do repair on the power bricks). I recommend you buy the entire kit as it's an incredibly packed kit with literally HOURS of content all about laptop repairs.

 

[CoffeeBean]

Did you replace the jack with a new one or reflowed the solder on the old one ?

I reflowed on the old one. I did scrub away the old solder and flux with 91% alcohol.

 

[NYJimbo]

I reflowed on the old one. I did scrub away the old solder and flux with 91% alcohol.

Never reflow, its always going to make for a weak jack. Like it or not you should always put in a new jack, prime the pins with flux and then solder each pin, making sure solder goes all the way through the hole, prefereably making a sort of "rivet" on the other side.

See the attached picture of one I did a while ago. Notice the small "ball" of solder on the back "positive pin" just as it passes through the motherboard. Keep in mind you solder from the OTHER side of the board, this little ball is solder that has passed through the hole and formed on the jack side of the board. Essentially it forms a kind of "rivet" with the solder "tent" on the pin side where we do the actual soldering, the hole is totally filled with the solder and the ball on the jack side. The flux makes the solder "fall in love" with all the metal parts as it moves through the hole. This makes for a very strong joint. It does not have to be alot of solder on the jack side, but you should definitly see some and it should look like its helping anchor the jack to the board.

The key factors are the holes and pins must be clean. You should use a tiny amount of paste flux on the pins before inserting them into the holes and you have to heat the pins just long enough to make them and the hole hot so that when the solder starts to flow it does not cool half way through the hole and stop moving.

It takes a little practice to get it right, but its not hard. Regardless of how well you do it the first time, you can always desolder one or more pins and go at it again.

 

[CoffeeBean]

Thanks so much for the video and tips.

I can't tell you what voltage or temp my soldering iron is - it's seventeen years old and has been used seventeen times... and I've been at this seventeen years

You mentioned burning the motherboard on some of your test subjects. Aware that this can happen, I was extremely careful with my test subject - because I hadn't planned on buying mom a new laptop that day. I'm wondering if maybe it's a confidence problem - since I did solder/desolder/repeat several times.

As far as the brick goes - we refer customers with broken bricks to "Batteries Plus" (can't post URLs yet ... can't quote them either!) - they have many locations in our area, and I'm sure they're all over the US - they have replacement bricks and batteries for an average of $75.

 

[usacvlr]

Our business to business price is 74.95 including return shipping.
Our in store price for regular walk in customers is 99.95

I'm seeing an increasing number of laptops come through my door with loose or flat out broken off AC jacks. In the past, many shops I've worked with would refer this type of repair.

I had an opportunity to try it myself last year when my mother's laptop suffered the same fate. It wasn't hard, but it took every bit of two hours to accomplish (between the phone calls and having to do other work, of course), but after it was done - it had broken off again in about six weeks.

Do any of you do this type of repair? How long does it take? How much do you charge? Do you warranty your work? Any tips?

 

[usacvlr]

We charge 39.99 for universal replacement adapters. That's the in store walk in price for a 90 watter. The larger adapters are 49.95

Thanks so much for the video and tips.

I can't tell you what voltage or temp my soldering iron is - it's seventeen years old and has been used seventeen times... and I've been at this seventeen years

You mentioned burning the motherboard on some of your test subjects. Aware that this can happen, I was extremely careful with my test subject - because I hadn't planned on buying mom a new laptop that day. I'm wondering if maybe it's a confidence problem - since I did solder/desolder/repeat several times.

As far as the brick goes - we refer customers with broken bricks to "Batteries Plus" (can't post URLs yet ... can't quote them either!) - they have many locations in our area, and I'm sure they're all over the US - they have replacement bricks and batteries for an average of $75.

 

[CubeTech]

Our business to business price is 74.95 including return shipping.
Our in store price for regular walk in customers is 99.95

Are you still offering this business to business price? I've got a couple customers needing jack repairs ready to go as soon as I find someone to repair them.

Thanks,
Ron