Asus G73SW DC Jack Repair Tutorial

Figured i'd help out the community and post some pictures of a g73sw i recently replaced the dc jack on.

So let's get to it, start by disassembling the laptop.
Link here

Test your adapter first with the new dc jack and then test your old dc jack.


The new jack should show at least 19V from the back pin to the middle pin. If you can't get a reading testing the old dc jack on the laptop then the dc jack is probably the culprit. If you do get a reading then it's more than a dc jack and you should stop now.

You need to buy the correct dc jack for this laptop. I used a pj20 from fox pc parts. The pin was the same size and so was the layout but it looked more reinforced than the stock dc jack.





Now setup your soldering station, i always crank my soldering iron to max when soldering dc jacks and ports on motherboards.



Now you want to destroy the old dc jack and pull it out piece by piece. Remember to leave a little part that you can grab on to with tweezers or pliers.



I kept on wiggling the pieces and they broke off nearly flush. This is more/less what yours should look like, longer parts are easier to grab on to.



Now you want to add new solder to the bottom of the board. Neatness doesn't count, you're just trying to get the flux in the new solder to transfer to the old solder and help spread the heat.



Now that you added new solder you're going to try to push the old pins back through the other side of the board. Heat up the solder and try to barely wiggle the pin while it's all hot. The old pins should push right through to the other side.

The bottom (marked top) should look like this



The top (marked bottom) should look like this



Now you want to heat up the pins on the top and pull them out, you can get them hot and wiggle them or you can grab onto them with pliers or tweezers. If you leave more of the pins then i did you'll have an easier time clearing the holes.

Once you get the pins out you want to use desoldering braid, lay it on top of the solder that is filling the hole and heat it. It should suck the solder up out of the hole. Sometimes you have to flip the board and do it on both sides. Here's what it should look like after the holes are clean.



Line up the new dc jack, it should just push through the board like the old one did. Then solder opposite corners and make sure the jack looks straight and flush on the board.





If your jack is mounted correctly solder the rest of the pins.



Clean up any burnt flux that's sticking to the board using contact cleaner and a qtip.



And that should be it, test the new jack to make sure you're getting 19v to the board and reassemble.

Here are a couple pictures comparing the old stock asus jack to the new jack i used.

Here's the old jack



Here's the new jack



This is part number pj20 from foxpcparts on ebay.

Hopefully the new jack is stronger.

Let me know if this tutorial helps you out.

 

Nice guide!
+1

 

Thanks, i know that people have been asking for something like this for the newer style notebooks. Though the newest ones have a mid mount dc jack. When the jack breaks on my g53sx i'll do another tutorial.

 

Does the G53 series use the same jack? I'd love to do this to my G53 as I'm tired of the dratted thing breaking.

 

Nope the g53 uses a mid mount jack, though a lot of us get a 90 degree adapter to help take the stress off of the dc jack. You can get the 90 degree adapter on ebay.

Here's a link to the adapter
Right Angle 90-Degree Converter for 5.5 x 2.5mm DC Power Connector - LC53 | eBay

Here's a link to a replacement jack
AC DC Motherboard Mount Power Jack Plug Replacement Connector Asus G53JW-3DE | eBay

Like i said i'll do another tutorial on the g53 jack when mine breaks or i get one in my shop.

 

I'm doing the same for my g73 as well, after my sister used the laptop with it on top of pillows. The jack got pushed to awkward position so much that now, in order to charge it, I have to wrap the cable under around the screen.

Good to see someone else has had the problem.

 

I have a same problem in an old hp notebook. I've replaced in several other models but this specific one is a pain in the ***. it's soldered so hard that I can't easily remove it. I was looking for alternative methods to do it and came across this topic. great idea. destroy the dc jack first, then try to remove the solder leftovers. gonna try it and hope it works. anyway if it doesn't I can always try to solder a new dc jack on top of the old contacts.
it is nice that is so hardly soldered because it will last much more time but then it's very hard to replace.

 

Just add new solder to the old solder points and heat it up till you can see it all get molten hot. The flux in the new solder should help spread the heat to the old solder. Also make sure you don't use a low wattage iron, a 25W wouldn't be hot enough to melt the solder for usb's or a dc jack.

 

am I correct in assuming that the same jack is found in all G73 models without having to take my JH-BB apart?

 

You're going to have to take it apart anyway. But i would say it's a safe bet to assume the g73 series all use the same dc jack.

 

Awesome pro guide! +1 too :thumbsup:

 

Did it...

Getting the old plug out with a soldering iron that had an old tip and was too big to fit through any of the holes was A HUGE PAIN. Definitely a 2 man job with these tools. BTW we had to destroy the old plug like you did. HINT... make sure you leave enough of the leg to grab with pliers and pull out from the top after destroying the plug.

Putting the computer back together 3.5 times because I (1. forgot screws, 2. bent a ribbon cable tip and had to straighten it out)

Then the Ecstasy of having done something new, heartbeat finally down to normal levels, and saving lotsa $$

Thanks again for the awesome guide, couldn't have done this without it.

 

Glad it worked for you and saved you some money. It takes some practice to do it perfectly but as long as you don't use any force or lift any pads you won't have a problem. The hardest part is getting the solder to flow through the joint.

 

Does anyone have any idea roughly how much this would cost for a repair shop to do?

 

It really depends on the area you live. I normally only charge $60 for a DC Jack repair. Most places are $100+.

 

I used to charge $95+ part, roughly $100 as well, but i only have a 1 day turn around time.

 

Thanks for the guide. Came in handy this weekend. Now have a fully functional G73SW.

 

Just a note to those who have PCB damage, you can perhaps re-route the pin to a nearby resistor that is supposed to be electrically connected by creating a solder bridge or wiring it.

 

Sorry to resurrect this old topic but I've come across a couple of these at work and they are ALWAYS a pain to remove the solder.

In the most recent one, I replaced the jack with one like you have. If you look at OP's pics, the original jack is more yellowish, looks a little smaller, and sits inside the dc jack deeper, whereas the center pin on the new one is thicker, silver, and sticks out more.

The laptop does work, but if you 'hot' plug the power adapter into the jack, there's a tiny spark at the tip, then it goes away.

I've ordered another jack but I'm afraid it may be something motherboard related (hope not!). I've resoldered it on again, and it has the same problem. Any ideas on how to check and fix this?

 

You could check the PCB is good by measuring a point from the jack to the PCB and seeing if moving it around still causes a break.

 

thanks Meaker, so I measure from a the ground/positive pins on the dc jack to where on the pcb? Sorry, I do the basics but electronics isn't my strong point. I'm ok with a multimeter with a little guidance. Thanks!

 

With ALL power removed from everything go from the live pin around the pcb and find a 0 resistance point.

 

Thanks Meaker.

Once last question. I usually remove all power, including the CMOS battery, but I wanted to know your opinion on this. Is it necessary to remote the CMOS battery when doing this type of work?

 

For measuring the DC jack area with a high resistance multi meter no, just be careful.

 

I mean for soldering the dc jack in, thanks

 

You should still be safe so long as you avoid any contacts around the battery but I would take it out to be safe.

 

thanks!

 

Not a problem, just take your time and have all the equipment you will need ready.

 

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I finally ordered all the replacement parts for a G53SW and I'm going to try doing this myself.

I finally got my multimeter in yesterday but when I try to connect the replacement DC Jack to the AC adapter, I think the adapter is shorting because my power brick green LED shuts off and I can't take any measurements. Otherwise the power brick works fine. How can I test the replacement jack to make sure it's not a dud before I go through all these steps?

Also, I ordered a 30W iron... is that too low? I don't mind being patient, but hotter might be safer, right?

 

The new jack is not yet installed, correct? Disconnect the AC adapter from the jack and try measuring the resistance between the jack terminals. There should be infinite resistance, if not the jack is shorted. I would be surprised if your new jack is actually shorted because it is a very simple device, but I guess anything can happen -- maybe there's a bit of conductive debris stuck in it?

The AC adapter is shutting off because it has a safety feature to prevent overloading, if it isn't otherwise defective it will probably be OK once the short is removed.

I haven't done this type of repair myself, but you could also try a vacuum desoldering pump (aka "solder sucker") to remove the broken jack.

 

That's correct--I haven't even started disassembling yet. Just making sure everything is working now. Ok, I'll try that. Dumb question though... Where exactly should I put the leads?
New AC DC Jack Power Port Motherboard Connector Socket for Asus G53J G53SW G53SX | eBay
That is the part I bought. Should the red lead go to the pin where the AC part goes? And the black to the copper on the other side?

Yeah, I picked up the 90 degree connector piece and it actually fits my 150EM and powers it (they actually perfectly match), so I'm pretty positive the AC adapter still works.

Would desoldering wick work to remove the old jack as well?

 

To measure resistance the polarity of the leads doesn't matter, one lead goes on the center pin (or whatever soldering point the center pin connects to) and the other to the soldering point for the ground contact. Sorry I can't be more specific, I've never done this repair and don't have a jack to refer to.

 

Well it depends on how good your multi meter is, it should not matter but on some cheaper ones it can make a difference.

 

Hey C4RN I have an Asus G53S and I'm really worried about it and couldn't figured out how to pm you or your email. I think the DC jack may be the problem but I turned it on this morning and it started smoking and smelled like burnt plastic. What do I do?!? Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but I'm new and freaking out haha thanks a bunch >.<

 

You can't PM until you have 5 posts. You would take it to be investigated by someone who knew what they are doing but it may be dead.

 

This way will work as i'm still subscribed to my own threads.

What's the history of the laptop? Did you buy it new or second hand? How long have you had it?

Does it still work on battery? Does it only spark when you plug in the power adapter?

If you feel comfortable taking it apart check the continuity between the ground and the power pin, you shouldn't get a result. If it turns out the ground and the power pin are causing a direct short then it's better off replacing the motherboard.

 

I bought it used for $600 and it's worked fine for a few moths. Lately it has had trouble charging as it does only smoke/spark when plugged in. It charges fine when the computer is turned all the way off. I'm not comfortable taking it apart but I used a multimeter on my charger and it's output was 16.5 and should be 19.5 if that matters. Thanks a ton man

 

If it was me I would just replace the psu and see what happens. Since we already know it's not with in specs that would be my first step.

 

I talked to an IT and he said he could replace the charger jack or the motherboard but the charger jack saudering wouldn't be strong enough so e couldn't place a warranty. And that it'd only work if I was gentle. The motherboard is more expensive but he could warranty it. He also has an asus identical to mine. So should I bring up CPU?

 

He would have to take out the motherboard and probe it to see if your dc jack was the issue. Sometimes you will get boards that look fine or boards that somehow burn a hole straight through the motherboard (the asus g71 series is infected with this problem). Sometimes replacing the dc jack doesn't fix the direct short that causes the issue. Though since you said it was sparking you should have him take it down to the board and see what's going on. Sometimes the solder breaks loose from the pad and the pin that has 19+v intermittently makes contact with the pad and causes the sparking.

I would think in this case it's best to replace the dc jack and reinforce it with a little bit of plastic epoxy.

Also you can get the right angle adapter that i recommend from this tutorial.

Here's a link to it.

Right Angle 90 Degree Converter for 5 5 x 2 5mm Power Connector Bixpower LC53 | eBay

I had my g53sx for a couple years and never had any issues with the dc jack because I bought the right angle adapter. Every newer ROG laptop I have bought and sold has been sold with this right angle adapter.

Just make sure he uses a new dc jack.

 

Thanks so much I'll take it to him tomorrow and keep you updated

 

Any update yet?

 

i never got around to thanking you for this tut. i bit the bullet and did it. it took a while but everything worked out. unfortunately about 2 months ago the connection became loose so i had to buy a new jack and re-solder it again. do you have any tips to make it more permanent? its really difficult because my solder iron has the thickness of a sharpee when the solder points are tiny..

the solder collects into a big glob on the iron and its difficult to get precise points..

 

What solder are you using? What iron are you using?

I just recently tried to repair a g71g dc jack with a radio shack iron and it worked for the most part but I don't think it gets hot enough (I didn't achieve the smooth solder joints I'm used to). I"m going to invest in another hot air machine with soldering iron so i can work on these without an issue.

I would suspect you aren't getting the joint hot enough or using bad solder.

If you solder in the new jack you can use a little plastic epoxy and buy the suggested right angle adapter to help take the stress off the dc jack.

 

The problem is how big the lugs are and how large the traces are going to the power plug, it all acts as a heatsink.

 

Yeah, a better soldering iron would fix that issue. In this tutorial I tell you I crank my soldering iron to max temp to solder dc jacks and other ports. Mainly because everything steals heat from the iron especially if you're soldering the ground.

SRA solder is running another good deal for the 968, I think i'm going to pick up another one just for soldering my random projects. Out of 8 soldering irons I've had in the past this one is my absolute favorite. They do also sell the standard 70w soldering iron that will max at 480C, i'll link both for you guys so you can check them out.

Aoyue 469 70 Watt Soldering Station > Soldering Stations > Main Section > SRA Soldering Products
Aoyue 968A+ 4 in 1 Digital Hot Air Rework Station > SMD Rework Stations > Main Section > SRA Soldering Products

The 968 is a little overkill but I love it, the hot air will help you remove stubborn ports. I sold my first one when I sold my store so I've been looking for a reason to get another one.

I would suggest to pick up the 70w iron that's a little over $30 shipped in the US so you know you have a quality iron that can handle these motherboards. Of course technique and skill are always a factor, the most important thing to remember is not to use force. These circuit boards are delicate, treat them as such.

 

Yeah I have just cheated for my larger ones and applied some pre melted solder with a low temp to get it going.