Hello AAC,

I'm looking to fix my laptops power jack as it has burned out. This would be my first mini-project, but I do not want to attempt it if it is a loss cause. The copper piece around the burnt part is missing about a quarter of it. I'm being hopeful that it will still be repairable and looking for any help!

 

I could make that work, but the soldering on the left picture is really miserable. You need some skills!
Get somebody that is good at this to help you.

 

I could make that work, but the soldering on the left picture is really miserable. You need some skills!
Get somebody that is good at this to help you.

Thank you, I will seek out help with this!

 

#12 has better skills than I do. I tried to replace a jack just like that one in a Compaq laptop and failed miserably. As I recall, I couldn't get the old one out because the multiple copper planes on the board sucked up all the heat I could apply. And I was worried that there were multiple layers I was probably destroying by applying more heat.

I may have gotten there eventually if I had to but thankfully in that particular laptop, the power jack is on a small PCB assembly off the main board, and only cost something silly like $5 to replace. Barely more than the cost of the new jack. I gave up on trying a repair the second I saw that.

 

I couldn't get the old one out because the multiple copper planes on the board sucked up all the heat I could apply.

No problem. I have heaters that range from a 35 watt soldering iron, through a Weller 140, a Weller 250, a propane powered soldering tip, to an oxy-acetylene torch. That puppy is coming off if I have to nuke it.

But seriously, I would crumble the old connector and take out one leg at a time. Then I would bridge the damaged section of copper trace with strands of #30 wire in order to make a matrix of solder and copper like applying resin to fiberglass mat.

In the left photo, it seems the part has been replaced, but the soldering job is really weak.