Dell l702x Loose A/C Power Cord Connection

New l702x seems to have an extremely loose A/C cord connection. Battery charges fine with no other computer problems except for the cord constantly falling out every time I move the laptop. Is this normal for the connection to be so loose? Does anyone have a suggestion on how to fix the problem without replacing the jack? Thanks.

 

Mine is kindof loose too. My first one that got returned was a little better. It is rather annoying since I would like to run it off AC without the battery at times, but if I were to bump the connector out, uh-oh...If you find a solution, I would love to know...

 

You are definitely not alone. Mine is a week old and already driving me mad. I think it seems to be down to the use of a very large straight connector rather than the conventional L shaped option used by most laptop brands. This seems to have the effect of allowing the weight of the cable to work itself loose more easily. as the cable sticks out of the laptop a good 2 or more inches just to make up the connector.

It is rather annoying as it means my laptop changes the running profile and depending on the use can mean going from lowest brightness to max instantly which is not fun when its late at night.

 

Happens to me as well when I use it in bed. My XPS M1710 cable was tight for a while, I also get the odd AC adaptor warning when starting my Lappy.

 

Mine was looseish from day one on both systems I got, both were new build systems. Just a poor design with bad QC imo.

 

i have the same problem - its a serious irritation. it'll be a week tomm since bought my laptop, what should i do?

 

Well I plan to phone up and complain about it. If it is this bad at 1 week I worry what it will be like after 1 year. My previous Asus was loose like this after 3 years of hard work so I'd suspect the Dell will be falling apart after 3 years if this is to be used as the benchmark.

 

I have an XPS 15 L502X, and suffer from the same irritation with the loose cord. Don't know if this is supposed to be normal, or if I should contact Dell about it.

 

Hello all. sorry to join this conversation late. I have the same issue and have been going back and forth with Dell since June. I would like to to let you know what is going on and what I think the best thing to do is.

First, Dell told me as recently as of last week, that no one has reported any similar complaints. I would, therefore, highly suggest letting Dell know through 1) their @DellCares twitter account, and 2) their horrible phone service.

The people manning Twitter are far more responsive than the call center, but lodging a complaint with both will at least let the engineers know.

Secondly, I began calling on this a week after I got the machine. Dell sent me anew power cord, obviously, that did nothing. After that they sent a tech out to replace the AC I/O board. The tech had to completely dis-assemble the laptop to replace this small board. While the laptop was taken apart I plugged in the male end of the AC cord to the board as it was not installed in the laptop. It was *SNUG* and connected strongly. I also noticed at that time the distance between the edge of the chassis and where the female end of the AC I/O board starts - its about half a centimeter. I think this is why the cord it loose.

In any event. after the tech replaced the I/O board and the problem was not resolved, Dell had me send in the laptop so the engieers could look at it. At first I thought that was a good idea ... then I got the laptop back. First, all they did was replace the I/O board! HA ARE YOU KIDDING ME! Secondly the keyboard was returned loose and unsecured! Everytime I would strike a key, the keyboard would move. UNACCEPTABLE.

Dell then sent me a replacement laptop. Not only does this machine have the ame loose power cord, but the mouse is borderline unusable as is jumps around like a Mexican jumping bean.

My next step will be to have Dell swap this for a similarly configured Alienware. This is complete Bull that this got through any kind of quality check and the support I received was absolutely appaling.

 

Will be receiving my XPS 17 sometime next week, but at the mean time I ordered this: LC90 - Right Angle 90 Degree Connector Converter for Dell and HP Laptop Power Adapters

 

I had the same problem and had a tech attempt to repair it. After 2 new adapters, they sent out a new motherboard with the AC input riser and it was still loose. They finally sent me a new replacement XPS17 and all is good. Dell has the best tech support going IMHO. The best part is the fact that I did not have to complain. Good Luck

 

^^How old was your original XPS 17 compared to the new one?

 

I purchased in June so it was less than 3 months old when I first reported the problem. I think that after the tech replaced the MB and the problem was still there, they opted for a replacement. I ordered my first one with the 2720QM and they upgrded me to the 2860QM!!! I never had a problem with charging but it would just pull out easily.

 

I have this same annoying problem so I built a desktop app to warn me when the plug gets disconnected. Glad to put my programming skills some use

Message me your email addresses and I will email it to you.

There's no fee but please don't distribute it and if you want to pay a couple of quid to my paypal account that's ok with me Lol

 

Important, Dell represents to me that they have NO complaints of this problem. This has got to be BS.

So after Dell replaced the XPS 17 with a new one, which ironically has a defective trackpad, that has the same loose power cord issue, I asked them to provide me a comparable Alienware setup for the same price I paid for the XPS 17. They said they would look into it.

I heard back from Dell. They rejected my solution - which was a simple DISCOUNT - on a similar product and said they would give me a full refund.

Dell has a top of the line laptop with a powercord that cannot overcome the force of gravity or the vibrations of typing. This is a design problem. I have 7 Dell's in my house and have referred tens of thousands of dollars worth of business. Dell is aware of this and I get no decent resolution.

I want a powerful PC laptop with the backing of its manufacturer. Dell is not providing that.

 

Just received my XPS today and I must say that there's not a whole lot of laptops out there that is built as solid as this, but there are major design flaws which severely marred its functionality; one of which is the ac power jack. With all the excitement while using this on my lap (as usual) the power connector has came out three times, yep, 3!! I bought an angle plug for it but that didn't help much since the overall length of the power cord is about 3 feet less/shorter than all of my other laptops.

About the mouse pad: I've wasted almost three hours playing this cat and mouse game fiddly every way imaginable to try and make it work with Firefox, but no go until I finally decided to google and downloaded a previous version of synaptics from a Dell link, it now works like a charm. Apparently the latest version does more damage than good.

Here is the link:
DELL XPS L702X Windows 7 Drivers | Laptop Software

I'll see how the return policy goes when I talk to dell tomorrow, if the restocking fee is not too hefty or none is involved this baby is going back. I bought it because of the backlit keys, non-plastic body and the JBL sounds, but the overall flaw is too much to outweigh.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, in the last five hours of owning this laptop, I've spent MORE TIME looking, fiddling, checking and paying attention to the back part of the laptop instead sitting comfortably doing my thing, which also took away the fun.

 

@80sGuy

Thanks, fo rhte feedback about the mouse. The replacement laptop that Dell sent me in an attempt to overcome the powercord issue has basiaclly an unusable mouse, I will try this driver tonight to see if it solves the problem.

I have been considering some jerry rigging of rubber bands to keep the power cord plugged in. Ill post here if I can figure it out.

 

80s guy, I tried those drivers, but they were the ones installed. I find it incredible that Dell would send me a replacement laptop with a defective mouse pad.

Specifically, the cursor will frequently jump to the top of the display. there, the up and down motion of the mouse does not funtion. Apparently, you cannot remove permanently the synaptics drivers.

Right now I am using a USB mouse. What a joke. I think I am just going to not ever use the trackpad and keep this replacement laptop. My original laptop was damaged when I sent it in to Dell to try and repair the AC adapter issue.

What a joke.

 

Try this driver directly from Synaptics. I replaced again and it worked even better!
Drivers | Synaptics

 

To those of you who have loose power cords - is it just that it is not a tight fit or is the port inside the computer loose also?

I'm very unimpressed by how wobbly this connector is on my laptop.

Anyway, today I was playing skyrim and itstarted going really slow so I shut closed the game down and that's when I realized the plug was off and the battery was down to 7%. When I plugged the charger back in the laptop didn't respond at all . It was a good 10 minutes before it eventually recogised it.

I'm wondering if I should send the laptop back for refund now before the power problems startup. I recieved it on the 27th of Nov from Dell UK

 

In the states, we have 21 days from the date of invoiced for returns. As I mentioned earlier from a couple of my posts, I was going to returned my XPS 17 due to this particular reason and other small ones, but mainly on the power connector issue. The return label has already been generated and will expire in a few days apart from the 21 day-period.

I called Dell up and spoke to the 'Sales Resolution' department and they've decided to knock off some more discount and made the deal virtually incomparable if I was going to buy another laptop with the same specs (a $400-$450 difference!), at this price I don't know where I'll be able to find something in comparison to the features that was configured on my XPS 17. So I've decided to keep it (and live with it) and take care of the problem myself. As of now, and since I am using an X-Pad 100% of the time, I route the cable underneath it and let it slide out to the side and it seems to be working fine (see pic below), but in a few weeks I will go to the drawing board and do a 'clean' internal/external revamp to the connector.

This is a MAJOR DESIGN FLAW and I have already brought it to the attention of Dell after numerous phone calls. The internal jack itself has no lock and the diameter width from the middle part which the pin is attached to is narrower than the plug chamber itself therefore causing it to slowly 'slide' out within time. Hopefully they will do a recall with a revised DC connector jack.

 

So frustrating when you spend this amount of money on a top of the range laptop only to find basic problem such as this. My old Dell Inspiron 1720 laptop was loose as well though the internal port was not wobbly like on my XPS. Can't understand how it ever passed QC

80's Guy, you got a discount by calling Dell alone? Do you mind me asking what you said to them?

 

I basically explained my situation to them and that I was going to returned the computer due to the power connector issue; which in fact I didn't really wanted to but I had no choice. I then asked them what can they do to help me overcome the situation that I was facing, and at least help motivate and/or entice me to keep it and dropped the hassle of sending it back.

I just PM'd you, check your private message.

 

Thanks, I might give them a ring this week.

Does anyone else have a loose internal power jack? I want to get an idea of what the norm is for when I call Dell.

 

imo, it doesn't matter if loose is normal or not. Loose = sloppy and they should do something about it. I had an outlet xps 15 for ~1 day and had a problem (kept restarting itself), so they were going to replace it with and equal or better, but after 3 weeks of jerkin me around they couldn't find anything to replace it with (I snagged a fully maxed one with a 20% off coupon ). So a third manager finally offered to build me a new one. called me back an hour later and said nvm, here's your Return label, you have to pay a 15% restocking fee because it's past 14 days.. He wasn't too happy when I got done with him lol

 

There are just so many levels of wrong.

I thought laptop gets checked before they are shipped to consumer? I wonder if all these kinds of problems happen because of something going wrong during shipment.

It sucks when they couldn't match your laptop spec for the first time.

It sucks even more when a manager offered you a new one and then called you later to cancel it. (S)He should have checked if he could actually build you a new one first before making that offer to you.

But what really irks me is he/she actually asked you for the restock fee when it's clearly their fault for the delay.

I hope you didn't have to pay a dime, and got a gift card at least for all the jerking around you endured.

 

I agree, they shouldn't have asked for a restocking fee. I can understand if one wants to return it just for kicks, but needing to returned a product based on design issues which hinders its performance is solely the responsibility of the brand/maker/manufacturers'!

 

Loose connection problem solved! I have wanted to do this for a long time but didn't have the nerve to do so. After reading the posts by other board members who were experiencing the same problem, I decided to try and fix the problem myself. Solution: I used a pair of pliers to gently squeeze the male connector into an oval shape. The connector now fits snug and no longer falls out every time I move the computer. If you attempt this fix, please remember you are doing it at your own risk. My suggesting is to squeeze a little at a time and see how the connector fits. I ended up flattening the connector four or five times until I was satisfied with the connection. As for now, the connection is tight and the battery is charging ok. As for a long term fix, I am sure if the connection becomes loose again, I can just repeat the solution. Hope this helps.

 

All posts regarding this subject matter has been deleted due to violation of Dell's policies.

 

Nice fix 80sGuy. Thanks for posting. I may try squeezing my male connector back in to a round shape sometime in the future, but for now, I am just happy to have a better connection.

 

All posts regarding this subject matter has been deleted due to violation of Dell's policies.

 

Won't doing diy on the port void your warranty? I'm def waiting until it runs out before I consider opening mine up.

On another note, my power adapter stopped functioning a couple of times while I was playing skyrim. My guess is it got too hot while playing it on my lap (67c) as it only started working again when the laptop cooled down.

Sigh! Sent dell a email earlier. Really can't be bothered posting it back, plus I have to cover the cost myself! Even microsoft shell out for postage for Xbox repairs and they gets shipped to Germany for repair!

Anyone know where the repair centre is for UK?

 

double post.

 

All posts regarding this subject matter has been deleted due to violation of Dell's policies.

 

I am using that driver and the track pad is no where near as responsive or sensitive as my gf's XPS 15 or my old SXPS 16.

This is my 2nd full system replacement and I have the same loose power connector and poorly responsive trackpad issues.

 

^^I am using this driver since the very first day when I received my laptop. The one from Dell worked fine but not with Firefox. This one works with everything and it is very responsive. As for the power connector issue, there's nothing Dell can do, but as I've outlined from a couple of posts (and a thread) it is a simple fix. I've also made some additional adjustments to the inner center pole (pin) which I will be revising to my previous posts when I get the chance. The revised fix made it a bit more tighter. This is the only solution/fix until Dell makes a recall (if ever) to the connector with an updated version from their respective vendor(s).

 

Can anyone with a loose AC adapter please post the Dell part number that appears on the label of the adapter? It will be on the white sticker and will follow "DP/N." Engineering is aware of the issue, and I will post back updates as they become available.

 

Awesome! Mine is '0JU012'

Thanks.

 

<del>And yours is loose, correct?</del>

Woops. Of course it is. You've posted about it in detail. Sorry. Moving too fast.

You need a different AC adapter. Please let tech support know you need a Dell part # MTMPN. Let me know how that fits. If you have any trouble getting them to send one, point them to this post. If that doesn't work, please send me a private message with your case number, and I'll look into it.

Thanks.

 

Thanks a bunch Bill! I spoke to tech support and explained the issue and they're sending me the parts. Will keep you (and everyone else) updated once it arrives.

Thanks again!

 

Hi Bill,I have a loose fitting AC Adaptor.I had already posted on the Dell Community Forums.Mine is DP/N 0J408P.

 

Bill (or anyone else who can answer), would # MTMPN work correctly on an L502X? I've had an issue with a loose cord connection on my XPS 15, and thinking the culprit was the adapter, I got a replacement adapter delivered to me a few months ago, which has part # 0JU012. It didn't solve the problem, but I've just been tolerating it since, since I haven't wanted to take the time again to reach out for support, unless I know I'm gonna get a solution that solves the problem.

 

I am guessing it will resolve. Please contact tech support and request MTMPN.

 

................................

 

I bought two l702 x laptops (mine and my 14 yr old son). The power adapter is ALWAYS falling out. Simply typing on the keyboard causes it to fall out. The slightest movement does this. It happens the same on both laptops. It is becoming worse, I also just bought a 15r computer a few days ago for my wife and that power adapter is rock solid firm in place. Please direct me on what to do.

Best regards,

James
[email protected]

 

Thank you, Bill. I plan on contacting Dell support either later this week or next week, and will see about getting that part.

 

OK on the phone with dell and they're saying they know about the issue on the l502 and l702. Their solution is to replace the dc plug in ON the laptop and ship a new adapter that will work with that. This will mean someone is going to come out and do the replacement. I'm not sure how comfortable I am with someone tearing up my laptop. I've heard horror stories here about the incompetence of some of the techs and them damaging the notebooks.

Here's the tech support number if you guys want to call Dell: 1-877-293-1197 . Say "tech support" then have your service tag/express service code ready then strap yourself in for the awe inspiring hold music...

 

Dell-Bill B

Thanks for your input in this. I have had the AC Adapter I/O board on the laptop replaced, the AC power adapter replaced, the laptop was sent in and returned with only a new AC adapter.

Dell Support on the phone is horrible. They have no idea how to resole this or even how to troubleshoot. Most recently Dell sent me a replacement laptop (thank you) that has the same issue (Drat!) Dell support wanted to replace a *wire*- (how would that possible create more tension on the AC adapter)?

Dell-Terry B is saying that there may be a new AC adapter for this model here: Re: XPS 17 Loose Power Connector - Laptop General Hardware Forum - Laptop - Dell Community

There are teo major points about this issue:
1) the problem is ubiquitious with L702x owners
2) Dell has no idea how to respond to this

I have 7 Dell laptops and based on the response to this issue I am highly unlikely to ever buy a Dell again. You can track the almost 6 month conversations between me and Dell using this Service Tag: 1QVJQQ1

 

My GF has the same problem on her Dell XPS 15. I feel really bad because I convinced her to buy a Dell when she wanted a Macbook Pro. She asked, "why can't they just make a magnetic power plug like the MBP?"

 

Right a suggestion to all with this problem. I am another one who has had this problem for seven months. To solve this to an degree, all I done was get a pair of pliers to the female connector that enters the laptop and crimp it very slightly. Whilst it is not a perfect solution it does stop the cable falling out quite so easily.