DC jack on Proteus VI

[Doodles]

I own a Proteus VI (Quanta NL5E) and since a month or so the charging port has been acting up. PCspecialist can't help because they're no longer affiliated with Quanta, so I'm SOL on that front. Next two options are either doing the swap myself, or finding a repair shop.

So far I have figured out it's a Dell-style jack with an external diameter of 8.4mm and an internal diameter of 5mm. But before I dive into the components and start taking things apart, does anyone know the specifics of the DC jack for this model? Is it soldered down or plugged in? And what specific model of Dell/Quanta DC jack am I looking for?

 

[steaky360]

Did PCS say they aren't even able to answer these questions too? That's disappointing if so!

Its not something I've got any detail of myself but I find it odd they can't tell you if the DC jack is soldered or not (I'd have guessed it would be, but maybe plugged jacks are common enough?).

Could also maybe search for the replacement jack on eBay or similar to see what appears?

 

[jaybeecee]

It should be a plug-in, not soldered.

I'd recommend unplugging it and taking some photos of it and sending them through to PCS, the images may help them locate the part.

 

[Doodles]

Thank you both, it looks like there are replacement jacks available online, both a used OEM one and some third party ones.

While I'm at it I'm tempted to swap the keyboard out, but I remember PCS telling me a few years ago that the keyboard replacement required swapping the entire top plate, which is consistent with the used OEM plate+kb online.
However, I've found some 3rd party keyboards that are available without the top plate.

Has anyone ever tried replacing it? From the photos it looks like it could either be screwed or riveted in. If not, I'll probably take mine apart some time this week to have a look.

 

[Doodles]

First off, I want to apologize for reviving an old thread and double posting at the same time. But I feel that, on the off chance someone else runs into similar issues with their Quanta Nl5 /A/C/E model, it's worth updating just so this does not end up being another loose end that does not answer any questions.

I ended up finding both a used DC jack and a keyboard/top deck assembly online. Managed to take apart the entire laptop to replace those two components, did all the long overdue maintenance (dusting out, thermal paste) and ended up with a like-new laptop. Documentation on this machine is practically non-existent, with the best info available online being a couple photos with the bottom cover off. Instead I had to slowly make my way through the machine one module, cable and screw at a time, and made sure to take notes along the way so I could put it back together again afterwards.

The DC-jack is indeed plugged in via a connector, so no soldering required. It's in there tight, though, and I had to pry at two little connector tabs with the smallest flathead screwdriver I could find to free the connector from it's socket.
The keyboard is most definitely riveted. While I imagine it's possible to remove all 50 or so rivets and replace the keyboard with some jank solution afterwards, I recommend finding a keyboard/top deck assembly if at all available. I ended up paying 3 times the value of a 3rd party keyboard for the assembly, but it was well worth it.

Now, I still have my notes with (dis)assembly instructions. If there is any interest in a 3rd party maintenance guide for a 5 year old laptop almost no one owns, I'm happy to turn it into an unofficial repair guide. If there is no interest, and you're reading this a couple months or years from now after a desperate google search the way I did, shoot me a DM (those exist, right?). Can't guarantee I'll respond quickly, but if I end up seeing your message I'm happy to share my notes.