? for anyone who's had their L702X apart re the AC connector board

After researching the loose AC connector issue and comparing the L702X to my old Inspiron 8600, I'm convinced that the problem is mostly caused by the connector on the L720X being mounted too deep into the case.

Both laptops take the same AC connector and, comparing them side by side, the center post in the female connector is recessed into the laptop about twice as deep on the L702X as it is on the Inspiron.

I have done the "tighten with dental pick" fix which works; the connection is much tighter now, but it makes it more obvious that you need to insert the plug a lot farther into the L702X than you do into the Inspiron before it actually makes physical contact and there's any friction or resistance.

Looking at the connector on the L702X, there do not appear to be any gaps, it's more like the chassis wall is thicker, and that's why the connector is set deeper in the chassis.

I had mine apart when I first got it, but it's been months, and I don't remember looking at this aspect closely. My question for anyone who's had theirs apart lately, does there seem to be a way that the AC board or connector could be moved farther outboard?

I've had a suggestion to shave some of the plastic from the base of the male connector, but I'm reluctant to try that, not knowing how much could be removed without exposing the base of the metal cylinder on the plug.

I'm more envisioning something like this, pulling it completely out of the air based on how things are built: "remove a mm or so from the plastic on the inside of the chassis with a dremel, then elongate the mounting holes on the AC card so it can be mounted slightly closer to the edge of the chassis."

 

If it mounts to the chasis in the same way as the SXPS 16 then you could probably just drill another hole in the chasis to screw it in. The connector will be on a ribbon cable so you should have a little bit of wiggle room.

How far out would you be able to move it before you hit the side of the chasis?

 

There's not really much to budge because of the way the chassis was designed. The Tyco Jack basically 'sit' as far as it can go. If you modify anything in there, the jack would be offline and away from the base mount (held by a screw) therefore it won't have anything solid to hold on to.

 

Thanks, I didn't want to go through a teardown just to discover what you just told me.

 

^^
You might want to adjust your pins again. I have no problems with mine as far as length goes and it is snug tight once it's plugged in. Another thing; try asking DELL for a replacement adapter. There is another (130watt) brick with a smaller gauge cable which seems to be tighter and put less strain on the jack while plugged in due to the lesser weight. I posted pics with the part number on another thread regarding the a/c power issue that you've also subscribed to.

 

Thanks. Mine is very snug too, I can actually move the laptop by gently pulling the connector. I've seen the pix of the supply with the thinner cable, and I might just do that.

The main question when starting this thread was the depth of the connector, which I understand is probably due to a difference in the material width in the chassis housing. It's just that it's so obvious comparing them side by side (identical connectors in the laptop, and identical plugs) that this might not even be an issue if the connector were not so deep in the laptop.

The Inspiron connector is not nearly snug as the L702x now that I've done the fix, but it is just as secure because the plug goes in about half again deeper into the connector.