I have a 2 yr old alienware sentia 3450 laptop, has seen VERY little use under 50 hrs total, still looks brand new even, ok after I first got it i was charging it up using it on battery power and then recharging while off, never noticed a heat issue till oneday i used it while it was charging, if I charge it and use laptop where the power cord plugs in gets SUPER hot!

I wrote alienware about it and they did a swap out on my power brick saying that would fix it, got the new powerbrick but been so busy (new baby & 2 jobs) i honestly didn't even use it till recently.

Plugged in charged up fine no heat, but again tried using it while plugged in and sure enough same heat issues right at the dc jack plug in area, (not the power adaptor brick) it actually distorted the jack a bit (melted) it will still go in and charge it fine if i leave it off.

The exhaust fans are all clear and clean, the computer runs ok and is on a cooler pad 100% of the time while in use, just that jack area gets scorching hot if used while plugged in.

If I charge up the unit while off no heat anywhere and it does charge, if I use on battery power again no heat no issues, but if I do both (plugged in and use) right where the dc jack is on the laptop that whole area gets HOT as heck and does it quick within 5-10 mins i have to unplug or shut down!

Searching around the net I found many talking about dc jack replacement fixing charging issues, loose connector issues, bad solder joints etc but haven't found anyone with exactly my same situation.

Alienware wont help i am now out of warranty, I just wanted to know if I get the dc jack replaced would that fix my issue?

Is there a way to test my powercord (maybe their replacement was bad and my orig was bad too - doubt this but who knows...

Any help or input appreciated, just wish I had used it more in that first year so i could have seen the issue arise before my 1 yr warranty ran out.


Bill

I just wanted to know if I get the dc jack replaced would that fix my issue?

You should get it checked anyway. A qualified technician could spot a bad solder joint and just be able to touch it up with a hot iron. But if the jack it self is damaged it should be replaced, and soon - like now.

But note a discharged battery is very demanding on a battery. An old battery, even if rarely used, ages and older batteries demand more power. And I don't know of any Alienware that "sips" power when running. So this is placing the notebook's charging/regulator circuits in a worst case scenario in terms of power demands. Still, it should NEVER get so hot as to burn your fingers or melt the plug. There is too much current flowing through that connector. Is there a fault (short) in the circuit drawing too much current? Is the connector broken, worn, poorly soldered causing too much resistance? Is the connector underrated; the wrong part? Or is there a bad cell in the battery causing a drain on the whole circuit?

I assume you are the same Bill as here, with no answer. At least you know you are not alone. I recommend you immediately stop using it while the battery is charging. And take it to a shop and have them check it out - don't risk a fire.