Laptop Power Supply

[grez]

Hi! Having a situation with a laptop. Here are the details:
*I-buddie 928A
*External battery pack
*AC Power Cord

*User noticed that the AC power cord will run VERY hot to the touch, to the point that you can not hold it. The AC plugs into a three prong / upside down triangle connection. The AC Power cord, bottom prong connection has melted.
*External battery pack only clicks now when trying to use it. The laptop will start to boot for a split second then lose all power from the battery pack.

With that, thinking it was the AC cord and battery pack, we ordered new units of both only to find that the new ones ALSO got melted on the bottom prong connection.

My thoughts are this: the top two prongs may be for AC only and the bottom one prong, in the upside down triangle config, is for the battery, and that prong was damaged and will make the AC cord / pack run hot and also not let the external battery work.

Does this make sense? Are there any other theorys?

The laptop itself does work fine, like a champ,when the AC is plugged in. A short maybe? Not sure here.

Looking for all possibilities. Thanks in advance!

 

[G0AOZ]

Cannot find any info on the Buddie, but I assume the "*External battery pack" that you're referring to is actually the AC to DC convertor. This unit would supply DC (15v to 20v maybe?) to run the computer, as well as charging the internal battery pack inside the PC case. I also assume that the lead you're talking about that gets very hot is the one between the computer and the AC/DC unit, NOT the one that connects to the mains wall socket!

This suggests the computer is drawing excessive amounts of current, either because of an internal short or a damaged component. Some computers can run without the internal battery being in place. Is the Buddie one of this type? If yes, then try removing the battery from the computer and see if the lead still gets hot. There is often circuitry within the battery pack which could break down or one of the cells within the battery may have gone short circuit.

This fault could be hazardous! For the safety of the user this computer ought to be taken out of service until the problem is fixed.

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[grez]

Hey Roger! Thanks for the reply! No, Ibuddie does not use an internal battery at all. The other question I just had sent to my client in thinking this through is that I delivered the new set of external battery / AC cord to his house up north and I believe it worked fine. He has a second house further south and all of a sudden it's melted again. Yes, the one between the computer and the AC adapter and battery adapter. I've already suggested that we get it to ECS. Any more thoughts, please let me know. Thanks for your help!!

 

[G0AOZ]

Ok, let's get this straight...

Computer connects by a cable to the unit.
The unit contains a battery and a charger.
The unit connects to the AC mains wall socket etc.

Is that correct?

Assuming that's a "yes", does the battery charge up ok if the computer is NOT actually running? And does the lead between computer and battery/charger unit get hot in this condition? Or only when the computer is started up and running?

If you've bought a new battery and charger unit and the same thing happens, then it points to the computer as being the culprit.

Only close inspection of the plugs and sockets on the lead between the unit and the PC will tell you if it's damaged.

You've mentioned your client with houses in the north and the south. Are you saying the same computer/unit/cord works ok in the north but not in the south? Are the two locations running on different mains voltages?

More questions than answers in that lot!

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[edfair]

Different line voltages or possibly an AC plug miswired so the ground is reversed with one of the others. Since it works at the north location and melts at the south location I would suspect that the unit was OK.
Subject, of course, to modifications as further info develops.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.