Laptop Battery. Charges in USA but not UK.
Discussion
We're having a problem with my partners laptop battery not charging. The laptop works perfectly when plugged in, but the battery doesn't charge. If we disconnect the power lead it shuts down/turns off.
The confusing part is when visiting the US, with plug socket adaptor, the battery charged and would power the laptop.
My frst thought was the battery, but it working in the USA has thrown me.
Laptop is a UK spec Acer, about 5/6 years old. Windows 8, Windows power profiles look ok, and I've reseated the battery a few times. The transformer block is inline with the mains lead so I would have thought any differences from the mains power source would have been ruled out.
I have ordered a new battery, due this week, but is there anything else I should be looking at if that doesn't work?
The confusing part is when visiting the US, with plug socket adaptor, the battery charged and would power the laptop.
My frst thought was the battery, but it working in the USA has thrown me.
Laptop is a UK spec Acer, about 5/6 years old. Windows 8, Windows power profiles look ok, and I've reseated the battery a few times. The transformer block is inline with the mains lead so I would have thought any differences from the mains power source would have been ruled out.
I have ordered a new battery, due this week, but is there anything else I should be looking at if that doesn't work?
Xerstead said:
Thanks for the suggestion.
I had considered the power lead/charger but the laptop works, and is stable, running on mains power. I would have thought that a dodgy power supply would present other issues before/as well as the battery not charging
Maybe on 220/240V it’s not providing the correct output to charge the battery?I had considered the power lead/charger but the laptop works, and is stable, running on mains power. I would have thought that a dodgy power supply would present other issues before/as well as the battery not charging
The Moose said:
Maybe on 220/240V it’s not providing the correct output to charge the battery?
But it does provide the correct output to power the laptop (In either country) with no stability issues, which is why I'm unsure.I appreciate the replies have all said it's the transformer/power lead so that's next on the list to try if I can find/borrow one.
its probably an active pfc boost buck type converter in the charger, if the bulk cap, or the cap that powers the boost side pwn controller have went high esr then there will be an output, but an unstable one. When presented with that some motherboards will show plugged in, not charging in the status bar, and it will disable the charging circuit, as lithium battery fires are not fun.
if it is a marginal capacitor in the charger, giving it 60hz mains means it doesnt need to hold a charge as long as it does on 50hz mains. I used to work in the r&d lab at a switchmode psu company, and we would torture test those things in all kinds of failure modes, because they were going into medical devices and telecoms infrastructure.
if it is a marginal capacitor in the charger, giving it 60hz mains means it doesnt need to hold a charge as long as it does on 50hz mains. I used to work in the r&d lab at a switchmode psu company, and we would torture test those things in all kinds of failure modes, because they were going into medical devices and telecoms infrastructure.
OldGermanHeaps said:
its probably an active pfc boost buck type converter in the charger, if the bulk cap, or the cap that powers the boost side pwn controller have went high esr then there will be an output, but an unstable one. When presented with that some motherboards will show plugged in, not charging in the status bar, and it will disable the charging circuit, as lithium battery fires are not fun.
if it is a marginal capacitor in the charger, giving it 60hz mains means it doesnt need to hold a charge as long as it does on 50hz mains. I used to work in the r&d lab at a switchmode psu company, and we would torture test those things in all kinds of failure modes, because they were going into medical devices and telecoms infrastructure.
I'm not sure if you're drunk or I'm drunk, but I'm struggling to understand that!if it is a marginal capacitor in the charger, giving it 60hz mains means it doesnt need to hold a charge as long as it does on 50hz mains. I used to work in the r&d lab at a switchmode psu company, and we would torture test those things in all kinds of failure modes, because they were going into medical devices and telecoms infrastructure.
photos of charger and your american adaptor set up.
Ive seen similar when it works on a lower voltage but not the higher voltage, something to do with the switchmode regulator internally in the charger.
These devices are a bit clever, they take in the mains and automatically select the mode of operation on what voltage they are given, the mains is rectified to dc, fed through a high frequency switcher to a transformer, the output of the transformer rectified to provide the dc to the laptop. at the voltage that it needs.
we trick..... you have a toilet outlet for a razor with 110v ? could you try using that to see if the charger works on that ?
Ive seen similar when it works on a lower voltage but not the higher voltage, something to do with the switchmode regulator internally in the charger.
These devices are a bit clever, they take in the mains and automatically select the mode of operation on what voltage they are given, the mains is rectified to dc, fed through a high frequency switcher to a transformer, the output of the transformer rectified to provide the dc to the laptop. at the voltage that it needs.
we trick..... you have a toilet outlet for a razor with 110v ? could you try using that to see if the charger works on that ?
ruggedscotty said:
photos of charger and your american adaptor set up.
Ive seen similar when it works on a lower voltage but not the higher voltage, something to do with the switchmode regulator internally in the charger.
These devices are a bit clever, they take in the mains and automatically select the mode of operation on what voltage they are given, the mains is rectified to dc, fed through a high frequency switcher to a transformer, the output of the transformer rectified to provide the dc to the laptop. at the voltage that it needs.
we trick..... you have a toilet outlet for a razor with 110v ? could you try using that to see if the charger works on that ?
Shaver socket adapters are often limited to 1.0 AIve seen similar when it works on a lower voltage but not the higher voltage, something to do with the switchmode regulator internally in the charger.
These devices are a bit clever, they take in the mains and automatically select the mode of operation on what voltage they are given, the mains is rectified to dc, fed through a high frequency switcher to a transformer, the output of the transformer rectified to provide the dc to the laptop. at the voltage that it needs.
we trick..... you have a toilet outlet for a razor with 110v ? could you try using that to see if the charger works on that ?
Order something like this (I have this one, but there are others):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Connectors-Notebo...
If it solves the problem then "job jobbed".
If it doesn't send it back.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adapter-Connectors-Notebo...
If it solves the problem then "job jobbed".
If it doesn't send it back.
ruggedscotty said:
photos of charger and your american adaptor set up.
I don't have any photos, but it's the same lead and UK plug with a basic UK/USA plug adaptor added so it could be plugged in.OldGermanHeaps explanation, I think, was the charging circuit can be more sensitive than the power requirements for the laptop so I shouldn't rule it out as being the cause.
At least a new charger lead will be cheaper than a new laptop for her.
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