Fujitsu notebook grounding problem?

Hi guys, I'll try to keep this short.

I own a Fujitsu S6220, bought september 2004. I was using it on my lap one day while wearing shorts, and I felt electric shocks on my knees. So I turned the laptop over, and used a test pen to touch the exposed areas of the underside of the laptop, including the screws. The test pen lighted up positive on all contact with exposed metal parts of the laptop.

So I try to send it in for a warranty claim, but the technician is telling me that this is perfectly normal. He claims that the power plug to the wall socket is 3-pin, but the one at the adaptor where the cable connects from the adaptor to the laptop is only 2-pin, hence resulting in the "leakage" of power.

My question here is: Is this really normal? I have tried using the test pen on other makes of laptop, but none have exhibited this problem.

Please advise as necessary. Thanks in advance.

 

1st of all, sorry for my small english!
I cannot think thats normal when a Notebook-Chase is under power.

So do you bring your NB in a Service-Center (if you have Guarantee) or a friend who has a Volt-Meter for measure the Volt exactly... Then if you became a Ampere-Hit its dangerous for you live (i would say!)!!

 

Hello Arbuckle. I have sent in the problematic notebook to the service center, but they are claiming that it is normal, and that the electric leakage is "within safety specifications" as set by the local authorities here.

However I am still thinking this is just plain nonsense.

Are there any S6220 users around here who can assist me in shedding some light on this issue?

Thanks in advance.

 

You might want to try it on a 3 pin socket, this happens with my PC, but i have never tried the screw driver thing, what i did was i took a copper wire and stick it to a metal part of the casing and the other end stuck it to the ground. Try wearing slippers might help

 

@Comage, if its normal you must dont ask FSC but an independet Institution!

so if you used the Book in Company i think it can be dangerous if you stand the book near at a electrical machine or burning substances???

PS: Shure i think a minimum power-leak we have everywhere, but when you wrote you became a electric-shock its too much Volts!

 

I have received my laptop back from the support centre, with nothing done to rectify the situation.

This problem affects the whole line of S6220s, as claimed by the manager, and despite the electrical discharge, it is within the safety specifications as laid by the local authorities (so I have no chance for anything against that).

The problem is caused by the lack of a grounding wire for the S6220. Despite the plug being a 3-pin plug, the grounding pin is actually a dummy pin, hence causing the chassis of the laptop to become live.

As for the electrical discharge experienced, the manager claims it to "vary according to individuals". Certain folks have lower "resistance", hence they will feel more of the electric shock, whereas others may not even feel anything despite the chassis being "live".

Again, the manager claims that it is not a design flaw as the electrical discharge falls within safety specifications. Also, there "aren't many customers complaining about this electrical discharge issue to warrant the issue as a design flaw".

There are two workarounds (not solutions) to this issue (as suggested by the manager):
1.) Use insulation when operating the S6220, and take note when using it on metal surfaces (metal tables)
2.) Acquire a third-party power adaptor cord that has a real ground pin.

So much for Fujitsu notebooks.

 

Yes, Point 2. with the Power-Adapter with real ground is perhaps the only way to dissolve the Problem.

Good Luck with the Voltage

 

PS: ... .. but then must support the 3rd pin in the Notebook !

 

Hi Arbuckle. The manager has assured me that if the 3rd party adaptor I am to get has a 3rd "real" ground pin, then the machine will be safely grounded.

The S6220 is designed such that all metal parts in the machine is grounded together with the power jack.