Laptop chargers going bust?

[MarkRSi]

Is this just me?

The original laptop charger/brick I got with my Samsung laptop stopped work - the charger LED lights up but would only power/charge the laptop when twisting the connector around a few times. It got gradually worse to the point it wouldn't charge at all.

Annoyingly, the replacement - which despite being the cheapest item I could find on fleabay and thus liable to explode/melt down/electrocute the cat at any moment lasted longer than the original - has started doing the same thing.

I know it's the charger as when I plug in a 12V car charger for the laptop it works straight away,

It's odd since it's not sudden (which would suggest fuse or something else blown) and can work after twiddling the connector, after which it will usually continue to work fine. The connector (on both the original and replacement) don't appear broken. Hopefully not the socket but then the 12V charger works fine.

Just me? Asides from just getting another cheap charger from fleabay is there anything I can do/check?

[TheEnd]

It's often the pins on the plug.
Disconnect it from the mains (and prob wait a few mins as there is some capacitors inside) and have a look at the end.

There will be a hole in the middle, and you should see a contact that touches the middle pin. This might have bent a bit, and getting a needle in to bend it out a bit can work.

If it isn't that, then it's the wires breaking up at the strain relief just outside of the plug. All the bending happens there, and it can eventually break the wires.

[MarkRSi]

Yeah it's the needle in the middle type, it's straight though.

Could be broken wire in the plug though - I checked there was voltage at the end (there was), it later cut out while I moved the laptop, re-checked and no voltage plugged in an gently wiggled around and power is back. For now....

Edited by MarkRSi on Thursday 18th September 20:37

[ZesPak]

Some designs are terrible with the small pin inside, most laptops I've seen these days don't have that anymore, never even seen it on a samsung!

[Who me ?]

Old, old tale- a cable will fail at the end ,and if it's a connector, most times at the plug or at the bend into a plug. You say your 12v charger will work, si it's not the Laptop end. personally in that case, I'd head off to Maplin with the plug ad look for a new plug, and a few bits of heat shrink.Then cut back the lead and find the +ve ,which normally goes to the centre pin and solder on. Use a bit of heat shrink to insulate and do likewise with the negative. Finally heat shrink the end. .It might mean a few dry runs to work out the placemet of the heat hrink,or find a mate who's handy with a soldering iron .

[MarkRSi]

It's the same plug type as the Samsung netbooks (at least the charger from an N110 fits and can charge the laptop). Like one of these;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/90W-4-74A-Laptop-Charger...

Re-wiring and soldering is tempting though, how much are plugs from maplins usually? (can't find anything on their website, I assume I'll need to go in store or look in one of their catalogues)