The AC adapter is particularly a charger that operates the laptop for an extended period by providing sufficient power to charge a battery. If the charger fails to work, and the battery isn’t fully charged then the laptop cannot power on or operates. Here’s a complete guide on how to check laptop ac adapter, with all possible details to troubleshoot problems on your own.
NOTE: In some cases, your AC adapter will operate the laptop but due to aging it’ll not be strong enough to charge completely. So, replace this defective charger as early as possible.
TESTING AC ADAPTER:
First of all, test your charger to make sure that it is working properly or not. Follow these steps to perform a test with your charger:
STEP # 1:
Plug the charger in switch and be sure that it is getting power.
STEP # 2:
To operate the laptop from the AC adapter, connect it with your laptop. If the laptop isn’t working then the charger is defective.
STEP # 3:
Also, try to charge your laptop when it is powered off. This test is carried out because sometimes there is a case when the charger is able to charge when the device is turned off, but not when the laptop is switched off.
TESTING AC ADAPTER BY USING MULTIMETER/VOLTMETER:
Now, use a Multimeter to test your charger with authenticity. Plugin the AC adapter and touch one probe to the negative part of the plugin the outer casing. After that, touch other probe to the positive end of plug with a pin inside the outer casing.
Now, on the Multimeter look for a match of voltage and amperage and set it accordingly. Carefully observe the reading. If you see voltage-amperage arrow jumping from high to low then the situation is not good and your ac adapter is faulty. Replace that adapter immediately because it can cause severe damages.
HINT: Don’t worry about touching a positive probe to negative end and vice versa because it’ll not affect anything. The readings will remain the same.
Also, to check laptop AC adapter, a Voltmeter can be used. First, set the voltmeter to 25VAC and make probe connections. Now, look for reading. If there is no reading on the screen the charger is faulty.
BONUS TIP: If you are not interested to invest your money in Multimeter or Voltmeter then test this AC adapter on some other laptop. It needs to have a correct wattage. If the other laptop is charging properly it means ac adapter is fine. If it is not the case you can also perform a jack test to check your charger.
TESTING JACK OF AC ADAPTER:
A Multimeter can also be used to test the jack of a charger. Carefully flip the laptop in such a way that the bottom is facing up. Now, gently pull out the battery. Now plug it and touch negative probe to VGA port or any other metal port that is enwrapped in a plastic casing. Now one by one start touching the positive probe to each of the pins on the battery terminal. Some pins will carry current or some will not (at least two). These contacts carry current out of the battery.
Here the internal amperage and voltage will be different from that of adapter and these readings vary from laptop to laptop. Here, just keep in mind that numbers will be lower than that of a charger.
If you see readings jumping up drastically then there is some fault in the adapter. In case no reading is appearing on the screen than the jack is defective because it is not supplying power to the battery terminal.
Also, if there is dust or other residual material in jack, it’ll not be able to make a smooth connection to charge a battery. Clean out your jack with a toothpick and plug it again.
NOTE: If you think that your AC adapter isn’t faulty, check your laptop’s battery for leakage or corrosion. If you see such signs, replace it immediately.
REMOVING BATTERY TO CHECK AC ADAPTER:
If your laptop has a removable battery, take it out. After that, press the power button for almost 15 seconds to drain out any residual power from the laptop. Now, plug in the AC adapter to a power switch and plug in the power cable to the laptop. Turn it on and check if the laptop power on easily that means your AC adapter isn’t faulty. Your battery is the area of concern now.
HINT: Sometimes the battery is just poorly seated. Remove and reinstall it. Then again perform the battery test to check laptop AC adapter.
TESTING POWER CABLE OF AC ADAPTER:
If you have performed all above mentioned tests and still you are unable to figure out the problem then test your power cable. Touch and feel along the length of the power cable to check any breaks or kinks. Also, look at the ends properly for broken connections. i.e. plugs pulling loose or wire chewed and cracked.
CONCLUSION:
All the tests and tricks work really well to check laptop AC adapter with ease. These tricks are tested out by our team also. If the above-mentioned tricks are not helping you to test AC adapter then probably you’ll have to buy a new battery or charger.