My laptop won't charge with a power inverter?

[iijakex]

I have a Lenovo G70 laptop that used to charge with my power inverter but now won't charge while using it. The laptop charges fine when plugged into an actual outlet but when using the power inverter my laptop doesn't even say anything is plugged in, no "plugged in but not charging message." At first I thought it was the power inverter but all my other devices charge just fine with it. Just to be safe I bought another one that was powerful enough to charge my laptop but it still wont charge. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks.

 

[weberdarren97]

What is the DC source that you are plugging the inverter into?

 

[Ubrales]

The input to the laptop (output of the inverter) should be 19.4 Volts, no lower, and 4 to 5 Amps output at this voltage. Check this using a voltmeter.

 

[iijakex]

What is the DC source that you are plugging the inverter into?

I'm not 100% sure what that means but I have it plugged into the cigarette lighter which is around 12 volts i think and the inverter says it will convert it into 120 volts or up to 100 watts.

 

[timeconsumer]

Sounds to me like not enough juice. 100w is a pretty weak inverter, and these are very often overstated numbers anyway.

 

[weberdarren97]

Sounds to me like not enough juice. 100w is a pretty weak inverter, and these are very often overstated numbers anyway.

I agree, a 100 watt inverter may actually produce closer to 85 watts.

Nearly 20 volts at nearly 5 amps... 20*5=100. Your inverter may not be supplying enough power.

 

[iijakex]

Sounds to me like not enough juice. 100w is a pretty weak inverter, and these are very often overstated numbers anyway.

The part that confuses me the most is that it charged my laptop fine not even a month ago and now it won't work at all.

 

[timeconsumer]

Well, if it worked in the past it could still be a problem caused by a cheap inverter, it worked for a little and now it cannot provide enough juice. It could be from poor capacitors, etc.

Another possibility is that you blew the fuse for the 12v port in the car. I did that once at a music festival with 5 or 6 people having their phones plugged into a 250w inverter I had brought. Test to see if you can get any power out of it at all, if not you probably have to get a new fuse.

 

[weberdarren97]

As your laptop ages, the amount of power required to charge increases. The amount of power the laptop draws from the charger increases as it is used, and the efficiency of the charger decreases with use. Both of these changes are small, but may be enough to cause an issue like this. Please try with an inverter rated for at least 125 watts and have the laptop be the only thing that's plugged into it.

 

[iijakex]

Sounds to me like not enough juice. 100w is a pretty weak inverter, and these are very often overstated numbers anyway.

I agree, a 100 watt inverter may actually produce closer to 85 watts.

Nearly 20 volts at nearly 5 amps... 20*5=100. Your inverter may not be supplying enough power.

Well that's unfortunate. Oh well, thank you for the information, I appreciate it

 

[weberdarren97]

Sounds to me like not enough juice. 100w is a pretty weak inverter, and these are very often overstated numbers anyway.

I agree, a 100 watt inverter may actually produce closer to 85 watts.

Nearly 20 volts at nearly 5 amps... 20*5=100. Your inverter may not be supplying enough power.

Well that's unfortunate. Oh well, thank you for the information, I appreciate it

Some manufacturers of inverters post the amount of power they consume, not the amount of available AC power. I know, the system is rather broken.

Sorry about your wasted money on a replacement inverter... Unless you can return it

 

[menaxiao]

Theoretically speaking, the electric consumption won't increase, but in practical use, the original elements a laptop or other devices have will need cost extra electricity after used for a long time, for example, the leakage current will increase with the increasing of filter capacitor. So, for the sake of your device, you should get another power inverter, maybe 200w~300w.

 

[paulbrokaw]

Having same problem had a 200 watt inverter so bought a 400 same problem brand new high quality 400 w inverter should be sufficient and is not

 

[Rx86]

Same problem, but, I have a 1000 watt cat inverter that is connected directly to the truck batteries with 4 gauge cables. It runs my microwave just fine. Laptop will not charge.. I'm almost convinced it is a sine wave issue or under voltage.. Need to do more testing. I have thought about trying a small ups to see if that would charge my laptop using a "cleaner" sine wave/power. With inverters there are two types your standard inverter, which outputs a modified sine wave; and the pure sine wave inverters. Pure sine wave inverters cost about double but are made to run electronics and other sensitive equipment. Modified sine wave inverters run motors, some chargers, some appliances, but may not work for all electronics.

 

[katejreiss]

I have a similar problem - also Lenovo laptop - it wouldn't charge from the inverter installed on my boat (but other things worked e.g. lamp, sewing machine, blender). I brought a small bestek inverter that plugs into the 12 volt system (300 watts, input DC 11-15v, output AD 220-240v). It worked for about a month but today has stopped working - though as with the other inverter still works on my lamp and other items. Could that be related to the sine wave issue? But how would that fit with the work then doesn't work situation? I live on my boat and work from home so need to find a way around this and not sure what to try next!

 

[kyle_guldager]

Make sure the inverter is a pure sine wave. Check the fuse for the cigarette lighter adapter in the fuse box. If its blown, replace it. Also make sure it is rated for 15A dc. This will allow powering up to 180 Watt -most common in vehicles. I purchase a samlex inverter that has work fantastic. Buy once, cry once. Here's a link if you're interested:

https/www.donrowe.com/Samlex-PST-300-12-p/pst-300-12.htm