Ron Schenone

Dell Inspiron Notebook – Adapter Problem Solved With New Motherboard

Posted by on Apr 9, 2008 | 11 Comments

There has been a running thread of comments here, referencing problems with that AC adapter for the Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop computers. Seems there have been many with this issue. But one reader seems to have found a fix which required a motherboard replacement. Reader Keith originally posted the following:

Keith – March 23, 2008 @ 2:45 pm •

I’ve had the same issues with the power adapter, but have worked around by just not moving while the adapter is in place….:-/ sucks, but anyway, I was going to let it go. So last night I reinstalled my system to it’s original state, and after doing so and reinstalling all of the drivers I ran into a seperate issue where the wireless network would not connect. I contacted tech support through online chat and after a quick chat session and allowing the tech to controll access to my laptop and reinstalling drivers and making sure all the settings were appropriate, which I have to say was really interesting to watch while he attacked the problem with a vengeance, we found out the settings in the router were wrong so I had to call the router co for that, but at the same time I had found this site listing the same complaint about the adapter, so I told the tech guy, and he said he will ship a new adapter, and also a box for my lappy in case the adapter does not fix the problem. So all in all, I’m pretty pleased thus far with Dell’s customer service, and will remain a customer. )

 Keith than followed up with this posting today:

Keith – April 9, 2008 @ 12:02 pm •

Ok, here’s is my fantastic update!!! I received the new adapter about a week after my original post here and still it did not correct the falling out issue, so I sent the laptop off finally this past Friday and just received my laptop, with new motherboard installed which DOES hold the adapter in place properly!!! Woohoo!!! Now, first I’d like to say, Dell has done everything in their power to satisfy me without me pitching any kind of a fit. All I did was contact Dell tech support via online chat and they rapidly sent me the new adapter and a box for my laptop just in case the new adapter could not resolve the issue. Then, being paranoid about shipping my lappy off to some strange place, I finally sent it last Friday, and today is now Wednesday so it took a whole 6 days total to have the adapter issue fixed! All of you that have the same problem, take care of it while it’s under warranty. It takes less than a week, and you pay nothing whatsoever, not even shipping via DHL. -) I hope you all the best with your Dell lappy’s and seriously, get it fixed, it really is easy and fast!

I hope that this may help someone else who is having this adapter problem as well.

Comments welcome.

[tags]dell, inspiron, 1501, laptop, adapter, new, motherboard, fix, problem, support, repair, [/tags]

  • Virginia Druhe

    Keith, I think I’ve got the same problem with my Dell laptop that you had. The ac plug inside the laptop is all wiggly. I used to be able to press it into contact and it would connect. No longer. I’ve been told this is a known quirk of Dell laptops.

    So I’m wondering if your happy experience occurred while your laptop was under warrantly? I can’t imagine a new motherboard under any other circumstances.

    Virginia

  • Keith

    Virginia-

    Yes my laptop is under warranty as I just purchased it Dec. 07. The problem is a defective ac adapter port, as it does not hold the adapter as it should. It’s a well known problem as I came to find out. The adapter port being integrated, there is no other solution than to replace the motherboard, and while it’s under warranty, the warranty does state they will fix or replace if something is wrong with the workmanship. So, there ya go. Now the only step is this: Call Dell, or go to Dell’s chat support, which is an awesome feature anyway. Either way, the only step is to contact Tech support, tell them you have the same issue everyone else has with the Inspiron 1501 and you can use my story as an example to them and ask for the same service: new ac adapter (which doesn’t fix the problem, but they have a process to follow) and also a box for your laptop so when the adapter doesn’t fix the issue, you can send your laptop in and it will return in about a week, as tech support told me. As I stated in my first post, I was going to leave it alone because everything else was fine with the laptop. But when I found out that every other Inspiron 1501 owner out there had the same issue, I dealt with it, as should everyone else. If enough people report the problem, it becomes a recall (if i’m right), then warranty or not you’ll get the same fix. Anywho, I hope this helps everyone. Any questions, I’ll check back daily at least and reply as I can.

  • Keith

    I wanted to add one more thing that may be beneficial, may not. The tech support representative that I worked with to fix my issue, his name is Nitin. I doubt if everyone will be able to deal with him directly, as the issue sometimes arises that one tech does one thing and another does another thing, and since I can’t possibly repeat my own problem and work with someone totally new, I can’t tell you that it was definitely protocol or not, but if the person you get doesn’t seem very helpful, Nitin did his job with me, surely he’ll do the same with you :-)

  • gausej

    I purchased an Inspiron 1501 laptop in November 2007. The battery, charger and hard drive have been replaced once, while under warranty. Laptop again went dead. Had to buy another battery and charger for $364.40, and now after paying Dell for tech support, they are telling me that it’s the mother board. For a low $300 I can get it fixed. I’ll have more money in repairs then I originally paid for it. This laptop has been very disappointing, it’s not that old, and I have used it very little. I have a friend with the same laptop and she had to replace the motherboard also. Wonder if others with this model are having problems. I certainly will not purchase a Dell laptop again.

  • Elyssa

    i too, have just come across the same problem with my dell inspiron 1501 just a lovely two weeks after my warranty was up. i’ve been searching for solutions (bought a new battery online for $50 and now a new ac adapter for $20 when i found the battery wasn’t the problem). so i resorted to the internet to search to see if there were known solutions.

    i am also fed up with dell.. almost everyone i know with a dell has had at least one problem. i really don’t know if it’s worth it to put $300 into this laptop when easily something else could go wrong (i’ve had multipleee problems during my warranty {keys came off, printer broke, laptop shut off randomly, charger stopped working, etc.)

    i can’t believe this is happening after one year of use… as a college student, i was hoping it would give me a good 3 or 4 years but that doesn’t look possible without spending hundreds of dollars.

  • Josh M Blytt

    Hi Ron,

    Good blog. Thank you for helping to spread the word about this frustrating expensive problem. My story is similar to what I’ve heard from many other Dell customers.

    I had this same issue with my Dell laptop. Started 6 months after I bought it. Dell customer service gave me a real runaround. They acted like they had never heard of the dell adapter undetermined message everyone was getting. Then the inferior dell adapter caused my battery to be unrecognized by the pc.

    After a new battery the motherboard had to be replaced. My Inspiron was only 10 months old and I had gone through 3 adapters, 2 batteries and 1 motherboard. Now that I’m out of warranty I’m getting the adapter undetermined message again. My battery has no charge left and the laptop doesn’t recognize the battery.

    So my only solution was to buy the expensive Dell extended warranty. = More money for Dell. But if I didn’t I’d be replacing things and searching for fixes and workarounds until I buy a new notebook. I’ve found several class action lawsuits against Dell for sending out adapters they knew were breaking.

    http://www.laptop-junction.com/toast/content/dell-ac-power-adapter-id-chip-died

    http://chaotictech.wordpress.com/2008/06/19/review-dell-refurbished-adapter/

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Thanks Josh.

  • Kumar

    Dell Customer Support SUCKS….I bought my Dell inspiron 1300 laptop before 1 and half year for $800. For one year it ran fine, I had problem with my socket for charger inside the laptop and I called them exactly after 2 days of my warrenty expired. They said that I need to buy a new motherboard which costs $250. I told them regarding my warranty and they said that it got expired before two days…I told them that if they can help me with this as my warrenty just expired and the motherboard is really expensive…But they were not supportive at all and I had to buy a new motherboard.

  • http://www.comptnt.com CompTNT.com

    I have been telling people for years to stay away from Dell. AND BEWARE oF HP TOO!!!! Especially their printers suck. I am currently trying to find a solution to a clients Dell 1501 that does not charge. It started almost from day one says the person, but he just ignored it and kept adjusting the power adapter so that it would charge…He jiggled it regularly. Now PC wil not work at all. I have it in pieces and it looks like a motherboard will have to be ordered. BEWARE of DELL and HP Products!!! If you buy a laptop, buy a Lenovo!

  • Suny Miller

    My Dell 1501 I bought in 2007 and lucky for me??? the adapter port has not had a problem until now…and the warranty has been up for almost a year. I just bought a new battery and adapter thinking that was the problem; however, the new battery won’t charge and the adapter will only get power to the laptop if the cord is wiggled just right. I could just cry. The new semester started two weeks ago and I have a couple of papers due very soon. From the posts on this blog, it is sounding more and more like purchasing a new laptop is going to be less hassle in the long run that getting the motherboard replaced and hope that works. (Josh Blytt’s post)What do you think, new laptop v new motherboard?

  • http://yahoo.com brian

    yo i have had a dell inspiron 1501 laptop since 2006 my dad and family officially dont buy dell products any more for several reasons 1 the 1501′s overheat and the fans dont do crap 2nd my laptop has been fixed by my uncle of course after the warrenty expired he builds his own pcs and knows alot he said my so called replacement hdd i got a month earlier from dell b4 my warrenty was up was faulty and 3rd my sister got one of them lolypops she then bought an external disc drive for them from dells website which didnt install or even read the hardware we called dell and they gave us BS sayin the purchase was final and wouldnt let us return it so we bought a disk drive from best buy and wouldnt u know it worked luckily my gateway laptop even though its 3.5 years old runs better than the 1501