Electric Shock in XPS 1530 (Sensation)

Hi All,
I have just ordered Dell XPS 1530. On very first day of use, I found that while using the adapter, I feel electric sensation on the metallic part of keyboard. But when I use without adapter it works fine. I have 90w AC adapter. and my location is delhi, India.
I wanted to know whether it is normal or risky.
Please suggest me.

 

First Welcome to NBR Bro and then its common issue that everyone faces bro this is mainly due to bad earthing in our homes so check that u have proper earthing then this will disappear

more

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/24/8522.aspx

 

this problem is very common in desktops without good earthing (mainly in using cheap extension adapters for power.). so if u r using such stuff remove them. however how is this possible in a laptop as no earthing comes to the laptop. (atleast for dell). i can see only 2 conductors in the co axial that plugs into the machine. however earthing do come upto the power adapter. so there may be some technology involved in integrating the earth with the neutral or something like that.... well however post ur results

 

i experienced this w/my new 1530. modified
environmental stuff--humidifier, and shifted to a three prong ac adapter and ac cable.

all tingling is gone. love my red 1530!

(snowing terribly here today, so I'll be playing on my 1530--what a gift!)

 

Buy a 3 pin adaptor , as it has an earth. I have had one from the first day and have never felt any static at all.

 

I recall that Dell has announced that they will replace two prong AC adapters with three prong adapters in order to fix this problem. Call Dell.

 

Actually in India we get 3 prong AC Adapter by default bro as its our default Power Socket design

 

I've had mine swapped out by Dell today and the tingling issue is sorted. The adapter which fixes this has 3 connectors (Straight line) in the middle where you plug one half of the power cable into the other.

 

I also got a '3 prong adaptor', but it was not earthed. The 'ground' prong was just a dummy prong, it's there because UK/Irish sockets require a 3rd pin to 'open' the live and neutral sockets.

The actual powerbrick has 2-pin connector, so there was physically no path to external ground from the laptop itself. i.e. the laptop is earthed to its own casing. So any charge building on the machine (or collected via shielding) just resides on the casing until you touch it.

This is the problem you have. It will only be solved by replacing the AC adaptor with one that is genuinely grounded.

 

Ever since landing in India about a ten days ago, my XPS M1530 has started displaying the electric shock problem. I spoke to Dell about this disconcerting new phenomenon and the Tech. Support's response was that I would have to "buy" a 3-pin cable & adapter configuration from them and that they would not supply this as a replacement even though my system is under warranty.

I am wondering if there is anybody on this forum who has been through something similar - having bought the system outside India with a 2-pin unit and then been made by Dell to "buy" the 3-pin unit. I ask because it is my contention that Dell should provide the replacement without my having to pay for it.

Additionally, if the Dell annoucement about the replacement of 2-pin unit with the safer 3-pin unit could be pointed out to me, it will help me take up my case with the Dell Tech. Support folks in India (whose attitude is downright strange, in that they do acknowledge that the XPS M1530 does have a 'shock' problem but refuse to treat it as a flaw that merits free replacement with a safer component).

Will much appreciate your responses. Thanks in advance.

Aprilman
5th Aug 2008

 

You could say that you actually were shocked -not just tingling.

 

Its a three prong, not a three pin. You will want the three prong. Though the the reason why they include the two prong is with laptops that are specced lower. They really have no real obligation to replace it despite the "tingling feeling" since the notebook does work and it is not killing you or anything. Usually Dell is reasonable in the USA about getting the three prong adapter but... keep trying. Some reps are worse than others.

 

http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/04/24/8522.aspx

I dont think they've said they will replace but thet are looking into using 3-pin adapters in the future.

 

FYI: I received a Dell XPS 1530 yesterday. I ordered a spare AC adapter.

The adapter shipped with the XPS was a 3-prong, but the additional spare was a 2 prong. A quick call to Dell got it sorted and I just got the replacement 3 prong.

It helped to mention that it was going to be used by my children in our homeschool..which is true. Yes, my children got an XPS for school (hey 1265 shipped with 4 year accident/onsite..cheaper than multiple cheap laptops).

On a similar note, my wife has a Sony SZ and it had the same exact problem, until I bought a third party AC adapter. You can read about the SZ issue by googling Sony SZ shock. I think they ended up going with 3 prong at Sony as well but I was already out of warranty. And the shock felt much worse on the XPS.

I also noticed on the Sony that the grounding problem caused the battery to go out. I went through three in the first year of warranty, and they all went bad. The fourth, purchased after warranty along with the adapter is still running strong. For those who have XPS's keep an eye on your battery health, because the warranty is only good for the first year on the battery, no matter how long your warranty is.