If your charger is defective, charging your smartphone could be difficult. The charging cable is the part of the charger that is most prone to breakage out of all the parts. However, the charging adaptor is also prone to sustaining harm. One of the most common ways people break their chargers is by tugging and twisting it improperly. A unexpected power surge might occasionally harm the parts of the charging adaptor as well. If you’re concerned about how to replace your damaged charger, you can do it yourself.
How can I repair a damaged charger?
Fixing a faulty charger is a difficult challenge. However, if you can identify the problematic component of the charger, it is not a major issue. You will be led step-by-step through the diagnostic and repair process in this article.
Areas of Your Charger That Could Be Damaged
A USB cable, a charging adaptor, and two USB ports on either side of the cable make up your phone charger. The cable is the one that suffers damage most frequently. Either the middle of the cable or the area next to the connection are potential fraying points. A short circuit or a damaged wire between the main board of the adapter and the charger’s pin can also happen. Alternately, the adaptor pin may break.
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Things to Take into Account Before Repairing the Charger
Before you begin repairing your damaged charger, it would be beneficial if you took care of a few things. Other issues might stop your smartphone from charging. Therefore, if the charger is not charging your gadget, it is not enough to assume that it is broken. The power outlet to which the charger is connected should be checked thoroughly and perhaps replaced first. Make that the charger is properly put into the wall socket as well.
When your charging adaptor charges the smartphone, any inbuilt LED lights will illuminate. Please check to see whether it is glowing if you have one. If not, the charging adaptor has to be repaired since it is damaged. Here are a few quick methods you may use to fix the malfunctioning charger. If none of these changes work, see the advanced section below for instructions on fixing every part of your charger.
Change the cable and charger
You might try charging another device with your charger to see whether it functions. If it’s charging, your gadget has a problem. Otherwise, the charger is broken. Additionally, you can test if your gadget charges by connecting the charger’s USB wire to your PC.
Whether you know how to use a USB cable, you may just swap out your old cable for the new one to see if it still functions. Sometimes, all that has to be replaced is the cable and not the charger itself. To check if the cable is damaged, you may also remove your chord and try it with another charger.
Sanities the USB ports
Make sure there is no dust or other debris in the USB port of the adapter and the charging port on your device. To clean the ports, use a toothpick or paintbrush. To avoid hurting your charger and the device, avoid using any liquid to clean the ports.
Check the Battery Life of Your Device
The charging procedure could take longer if your phone’s battery is at a dangerously low level, like 0%. You must then turn off and charge your smartphone in this situation. If your battery drains too quickly, it can be defective, and you should get a new one.
The gadget cannot charge while using incompatible batteries and chargers. Use the original charger that was included with the package at all times. In certain circumstances, phones from brands like Samsung display a notice informing the user that the charger is unsuitable. If you recently changed the battery in your device, the original charger might not function. A suitable charger must be purchased.
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Tools Required to Repair a Damaged Charger
The tools needed to repair the charger may vary depending on which area is harmed. Everything you will need to fix a damaged charger is listed below. You can fix practically every component of the charger with these tools.
- Electronic tape
- Compact Tube Lighter
- Knife or paper cutter
- spring under compression
- Sticky gun
- Scissors
- Sharp-nosed pliers
- iron for soldering
- Screwdriver
- Metal crowbar or a plastic pry bar
- Extension wires pair
- A two-pin AC plug
Beginning the repair procedure
You must have understood if your charger requires repair after reading the Before You Begin section. Replacement USB cables are less expensive than the original charger if you discover a problem with the charging cable. We’ll go through how to fix the charging cable, the USB connectors on either end of the cable, and the charging adapter in this section. Before beginning the repair, make sure the charger is disconnected from the power source because doing so puts you at risk of electrocution. Being calm and patient is necessary before you can successfully fix a broken charger because it is a difficult and time-consuming process.
Making the Charging Cable Repairs
Here, the charging cord is the first part that needs repair. There is a good chance that the charger will sustain damage as a result of the insulation on the cable peeling off. A step-by-step tutorial for fixing the charging cord is provided below.
- Disconnect the USB cord from the power adapter.
- Find the cable’s frayed-out section.
- You may patch up a cable that has frayed in the middle with electrical tape or a piece of shrink tubing.
- Apply some electrical tape directly to the damaged area.
- We advise using a shrink tube instead of these tapes because they are not a long-term fix and can tear off over time.
- Bring the shrink tube to the area where the cable is worn and insert it from the side with the micro USB connection.
- When the shrink tube is connected to the cable, take a lighter and move it back and forth.
- But you must add a compression spring if the cable is worn close to the connection edge.
- Make it straight by stretching it out. After that, gently sew it into the ripped area.
- Apply glue to the spring using a glue gun next. Once it has dried, the charger is ready for regular usage.
The USB connector’s repair
We’ve already spoken about how to fix the damaged charging wire. But what if the cable near the USB connection were to break? The Type A USB connector on the adapter side and the Type B or Type C USB connector on the device side may both be repaired in a similar manner. The connection might be far more difficult to fix than the cord. However, we have simplified it with a few simple instructions.
Cut the cable with scissors so that the USB connection is isolated from the damaged portion. Make sure you don’t unnecessarily cut the cord. If you don’t, you’ll wind up cutting the cable shorter.
- Peel around 1 inch of the cable insulation with a paper cutter.
The connection must now be freed from the plastic housing. Use a paper cutter to pry out the USB connector’s outer plastic container. - Using needle-nose pliers, unlock the metal case.
- Using needle nose pliers, remove the connection from the metal shell. Four wires will be visible connecting to the connector’s pins.
- Remove the wire segments from the container.
- Now, arrange the cable’s wires to be separated in a proper manner. Red (5V), White (D-), Green (D+), and Black make up the order (GND).
- Peel those four wires until just the inner centimetre of the metallic wire is visible. To peel them, use a lighter or a paper cutter.
- Soldering time has come. Take a piece of soldering wire, heat it, and drop it into the four wire tips using a soldering rod.
- Drop the molten solder into the connector’s four pins as well.
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The charging adapter’s repair
You can find it challenging to repair charging adapters since they frequently sustain damage from a power surge or short circuit. In this situation, you must seek expert assistance or find a new one. You can, however, get the charger fixed if one of its pins is damaged.
Take off the charger’s top cover. Depending on the sort of charger you have, there may be a different way to open the cover. With the use of a metal crowbar or a plastic pry tool, you can open the majority of chargers. If you don’t have one, you can make do with a screwdriver, hammer, and knife. Please use caution. Self-harm might result from the process.
It’s time to remove the main board from the charger once you’ve opened the cover. On the main board, you can see that a pair of probes connects to the power supply pin. You can use an additional set of wires and attach them to the charger if it is damaged.
- Bring those extra wires and attach them to the charger’s main board’s two connecting pins.
- To secure the connecting node, use glue.
- To allow the extension wires to exit the adapter, you must create a tiny slit in the lid of the adapter.
- Replace the adapter’s lid and use adhesive to retighten it.
