R52 turns off when plugged in

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mikesbiken · #1 Post by **mikesbiken** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:47 pm

I have an R52 that shuts off when plugged in. Here are my symptoms:

- Boots up and runs fine on battery only
- Shows no signs of life when plugged in. When plugged in it will not start and none of the status indicators light up.
- When its running on battery then I plug it in the thinkpad shuts off. It doesn't shut down, it just cuts out and goes dead. It will allow me to plug the adapter into the back of the Thinkpad when as long as its not also plugged into an outlet, but as soon as I plug it into an outlet the Thinkpad dies.
- After having it plugged in I have to remove and reinsert the battery in order to get it to run on the battery again
- When plugged in and turned off the battey does not charge

Here is what I've tried:
- I tried another identical power adapter at work with the same results
- Tried resetting the Thinkpad by unplugging it, removing the battery, and pressing the power button for 30 seconds
- Removed the keyboard and checked the power inlet connections

Can anyone help me rescue my Thinkpad?

#2 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 4:31 pm

Welcome to our Forum.
You may want to download the Hardware Maintenance Manual for your R52.
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-54932

Then take another look at your yellow DC connector. The wiring may be shorting, loose or otherwise damaged, and not immediately visible.

Were the adapters original IBM or on-OEM?

mikesbiken · #3 Post by **mikesbiken** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:49 pm

Thanks for the response RealBlackStuff.

Both adapters are original IBM equipment.

I just tested my AC adapter with a multimeter and it is providing 16V.

The DC end of the adapter does seem a little loose when I plug it into the yellow DC port in the Thinkpad. I checked an R51 at work and it had the same amount of wiggle in the connection as mine.

That's why I tested plugging the adapter into the Thinkpad while it was not also plugged into the wall. I wanted to see if it was juat a physical problem. The Thinkpad ran fine until I plugged the adapter into the wall outlet. Then the it shut off again.

Is there any kind of a fuse that could be blown? Maybe the Thinkpad senses the adapter but when it switches over to it the connction just isn't there.

#4 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 10:00 am

See if this helps, the R52 and T43 are essentially the same (you could even swap motherboards between them).
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=70832

mikesbiken · #5 Post by **mikesbiken** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:36 pm

The oldest fix in the world worked. I took it apart and put it back together! Now it works!

Actually, I took it apart to see if I could find a bad fuse. I realized once I had it all apart I really have no idea what the fuse on a motherboard looks like. I did see a little corrosion on the board by the terminals where the battery connects, which I washed off with alcohol.

I reassembled the whole thing fired it up on the battery then plugged it in. It kept running! And, I only have two #4 screws left over. Victory is mine!

Thanks again for your help RealBlackStuff. Your last reply mentioned fuses which is why I decided t take it apart.

#6 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun Dec 14, 2008 9:13 pm

Good stuff!

Maybe read the HMM, and find out where those left-over screws belong?

R52 turns off when plugged in

R52 turns off when plugged in

Fixed!

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