Question Laptop not turning on - battery light flashes once when pressing power button

[jaahil_baadshah]

Laptop model: Dell Inspiron 3543, i7 with Nvidia dGPU Laptop age: 7 years (2014-15 model)

This beast has been through it all. A quarter of a litre of olive oil spilled all over it months after we got it. It carried on. 2 batteries replaced. It carried on. Toddler used it like a trampoline. It carried on.

The current battery is dead since three years+ and I have been using the laptop with the charger plugged in ever since. Right now I face this problem.

Battery in, not plugged in: pressing power button makes battery LED flash once and then nothing happens.

Battery out, plugged in: battery LED doesn't turn on like it normally used to when plugged in; pressing power button makes battery LED flash once and then nothing happens.

Battery in, plugged in: same as above.

I've done these so far:

-cleaned RAM stick with eraser and isopropyl alcohol

-cleaned heatsink fan and all vents with isopropyl alcohol and brush

-changed heatsink thermal paste

-drained flea power by holding down power button for 30 seconds all the way up to 2 minutes (of course, while battery out, not plugged in)

-checked for loose cable connections. It can't be that anyway because the laptop worked 4 times after the last disassembly.

-tried turning it on after unplugging keyboard and touchpad cables and unseating RAM as well

I guess I can narrow it down to four issues now:

1- corrupted BIOS settings; I'll try taking out the CMOS battery and maybe even replacing it

2- bad adapter; the green LED on the brick is perfectly on when the end is plugged in the laptop and otherwise too. It might be the voltage, which will need a multimeter to test.

3- bad power jack; again, I'll need a multimeter to test.

4- God for forbid.... Bad motherboard....

I don't know if the single blink of the battery LED is a sign for a good mobo or not, but I sure hope so.

Let me end by saying I am tech savvy. I just need you to direct me in the troubleshooting part, so I don't waste time on unimportant issues.

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

4- God for forbid.... Bad motherboard....

In my extended experience with Dell laptops, the motherboard is toasted and there isn't much you can do. Most Dell laptops have sturdy power jacks, I haven't encountered one yet that had a bad jack (I've handled 1000s of laptops in my life).

Given that it's such an old laptop, a new motherboard isn't that expensive. Hell I am seeing the whole machine for $150 shipped on ebay.

And honestly, at that point in time, it's not even worth repairing unless you get a really good deal on parts.

The only reason you'd actually need to repair this one is if you've encrypted the HDD with bitlocker and can't get your data off - otherwise it's as simple as getting a $20 USB3 to SATA adapter off eBay and moving stuff over to a new machine that way.

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

In my extended experience with Dell laptops, the motherboard is toasted and there isn't much you can do. Most Dell laptops have sturdy power jacks, I haven't encountered one yet that had a bad jack (I've handled 1000s of laptops in my life).

Given that it's such an old laptop, a new motherboard isn't that expensive. Hell I am seeing the whole machine for $150 shipped on ebay.

And honestly, at that point in time, it's not even worth repairing unless you get a really good deal on parts.

The only reason you'd actually need to repair this one is if you've encrypted the HDD with bitlocker and can't get your data off - otherwise it's as simple as getting a $20 USB3 to SATA adapter off eBay and moving stuff over to a new machine that way.

Could it be something to do with undervolting my CPU? I have been doing since some time so I don't know if that would count?

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

Could it be something to do with undervolting my CPU? I have been doing since some time so I don't know if that would count?

Nah. I undervolt my i7 4810QM in my HP. Undervolting isn't going to cause damage, only overvolting can do that. The worst that UV will do is cause a crash.

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

Nah. I undervolt my i7 4810QM in my HP. Undervolting isn't going to cause damage, only overvolting can do that. The worst that UV will do is cause a crash.

Exactly my thoughts. Should I strip the thing down to only motherboard and see if any signs of life? Like take out CD drive, RAM, display cable, touchpad and keyboard etc.

That single blink of the LED bothers me. I love this system from the bottom of my heart and don't want to believe it's really done.

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

Exactly my thoughts. Should I strip the thing down to only motherboard and see if any signs of life? Like take out CD drive, RAM, display cable, touchpad and keyboard etc.

Eh, not even worth the headache at this point, plus you'll be dealing with ribbon cables and a friend of mine ripped his touchpad cable on his M6800 just taking it apart.

Dell laptops are also notorious for throwing a fit when things aren't connected, so it might not even boot or POST if you strip it.

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

Eh, not even worth the headache at this point, plus you'll be dealing with ribbon cables and a friend of mine ripped his touchpad cable on his M6800 just taking it apart.

Dell laptops are also notorious for throwing a fit when things aren't connected, so it might not even boot or POST if you strip it.

I've stripped it three times. Nothing happened. It booted up just fine 4 times after the last disassembly. I can't understand why it doesn't start charging. Remember the battery is toast anyway so it's really the charger that matters. If the charger can't power up the thing, nothing will.

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

If the charger can't power up the thing, nothing will.

It's the Dell 7.5mm barrel plug right?

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

It's the Dell 7.5mm barrel plug right?

Umm. I'm not sure. You'll find a picture of it's charger if you search I guess.

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

Umm. I'm not sure. You'll find a picture of it's charger if you search I guess.

Do you have any other chargers to test it with or any other Dell laptops that take the same charger?

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

Do you have any other chargers to test it with or any other Dell laptops that take the same charger?

Sadly no. I thought to buy a multimeter to test this one.

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

Sadly no. I thought to buy a multimeter to test this one.

A spare charger is going to cost the same. Can you not afford a replacement laptop?

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

A spare charger is going to cost the same. Can you not afford a replacement laptop?

You're right. But suppose it's not the charger. At least I can know where the problem is by the multimeter. What do you suggest?

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

What do you suggest?

A replacement laptop.

 

[jaahil_baadshah]

A replacement laptop.

I appreciate your advice but I'm kinda... broke. So unless I absolutely can't get this to boot up, I think I'll try everything. Even replace the cheaper parts. Motherboard is a whole different ball game though.... What's you're explanation for the blinking LED? If that lights up upon pressing the power button.... Sorry if this is dumb but when it comes to the circuitry level, I surrender as noob.

 

[Etrius vanRandr]

What's you're explanation for the blinking LED? If that lights up upon pressing the power button....

What are the exact blinking patterns that you're seeing?