Dell Inspiron 510m Battery

Stirling

Probably a really stupid question but have the laptop for a few years and the battery is now very poor. Looking to replace it and want the maximum capacity - the original is rated at 2200mAH, 14.8v and have found replacement with 4400mAH but at 11.1v.

Would like to use this as it would give me a longer capacity but is it possible to replace a battery such as this with one of lower voltage rating?

bushykangaroo

I'd like to know the same thing as the Op, ive a 510M too and need a new battery.

ttm

afaik the standard battery for the D series 505 510 (also D600) is a 11.V 4700mAh - I have three I use with my D505 - the best gives well over 2hrs when using a wireless connection.

If you want a genuine battery try BLACKCATPC on eBay, I've used him serveral times and he's very helpful if you email him. Not the cheapest but the batteries are genuine and not cheap chinese ones.

The one you want is probably this one but obviously check yoursleves.

Note also if you have a celron processor you won't have speed step technology and the battery won't last anything like as long, when I put in a Pentium M chip mine battery time of use went from 1 and a half hours to well over 2 hours.

bushykangaroo

Thanks for the link, i searched ebay and didnt see that link you put up, just found 3 hong kong yokes for £40 each. I think ill buy that 1 you linked. Mines not a celeron Its a M1500mhz whatever that is, but least its not a celeron, i think/hope

Another problem i have is the mains socket on my laptop is broken, its loose and the lead keeps falling out and ive to hold the elad with my hand the entire time. Can this be fixed easily, what way is the socket attached to the board, can i just get a new socket part? Its definitely socket and not the lead at fault by the way.

ttm

Its not a bad laptop to work on (opens up quite easliy) so soldering on a new power socket shouldn't be to difficult. You can get them on eBay for about a fiver often you buy a bit of old mobo with the s/h part still soldered to it. Then you need to find someone to solder it for you that actually knows what they are doing as its a delicate job.

Externally a large lump of bluetack might solve the problem . Internally I've used a bit of non conductive foam to help press that conector onto the motherboard to save a soldering job but that was a bit of a bodged quick job.

Check the Dell website as you can download a very good step by step guide for opening up the laptop.

bushykangaroo

ttm wrote: »

Its not a bad laptop to work on (opens up quite easliy) so soldering on a new power socket shouldn't be to difficult. You can get them on eBay for about a fiver often you buy a bit of old mobo with the s/h part still soldered to it. Then you need to find someone to solder it for you that actually knows what they are doing as its a delicate job.

Externally a large lump of bluetack might solve the problem . Internally I've used a bit of non conductive foam to help press that conector onto the motherboard to save a soldering job but that was a bit of a bodged quick job.

Check the Dell website as you can download a very good step by step guide for opening up the laptop.

Only seeing that last post now, can you tell me of any places you know that can solder it for me? The entire mains socket has broken off my mainboard now altogether. I brought it into TheLaptopShop with the back all opened up and they told me it couldnt be fixed due to the tiny soldering carried out by robots.

Seems stupid to have to scrap an entire laptop because of a mains socket. I cant go to dell casue its out of warranty and the laptop has been opened.

Am i snookered?

ttm

If I couldn't solder it myself but had the correct parts I would try and find someone who could. Locally I know the Nokia repair shop will do soldering jobs, you just have to ask around, traditional TV repair places might also be worth a try, check price first as some places will try and rip you off. If you can dismantle the laptop yourself and just take the part and the board to a decent repair shop then that would be the cheapest.

Last place to go would be anybody that says they do laptop repairs as they probabaly don't know which end of the soldering iron gets hot :P

bushykangaroo

ttm wrote: »

Last place to go would be anybody that says they do laptop repairs as they probabaly don't know which end of the soldering iron gets hot :P

Lol
Yeah, i know of 1 local tv repair place, maybe ill try a few of them type places, i'd say a lot wont want to know about it though.

ttm

bushykangaroo wrote: »

Lol
Yeah, i know of 1 local tv repair place, maybe ill try a few of them type places, i'd say a lot wont want to know about it though.

Point I was trying to make was if you make it as simple as possible - here can you solder this component onto this board - then you shouldn't have too much problem. No point making it more difficult for them by having them dismantle the PC and put it back together and no point paying someone to do that for you.

bushykangaroo

Yeah i get your point, but i'd say even walking into a tv place with the board and socket thing some will still pass it off as something they dont do. I remember getting trying to get an alram fob button for my car resoldered and it was some hassle.

ttm

You have to do the fellow tradesman bit and be the professional in your area - laptops;) - and need the skills of another professional to help you out :cool:.

Last time I needed similar work doing I bought myself a solder station about 80euro, laptop was free, so total cost of a D505 was 80euro but I used to make up circuit boards on piece work years back so did have the basic skills.

bushykangaroo

I see Marx-computers offer a laptop repair service, i rang them anyway and they're quoting me €130 to 150 to fix the socket. They said its a common thing they come across to fix and with it being a dell they should be able to fix it no bother. Its just the price, theres no way im paying that sort of cash.

Its hardly worth me paying that much though, it needs a new battery aswell so thats another €50/60 for an ebay job,,,, probably makes more sense to buy a new laptop.

Im going to try a local tv repair place though, i only really know of 1 that might be able to help me.

Hal1

Have you tried the Dell battery replacement site? your laptop is listed there as a faulty battery Inspiron 510m.

bushykangaroo

Hal1 wrote: »

Have you tried the Dell battery replacement site? your laptop is listed there as a faulty battery Inspiron 510m.

Yeah, i got a replacement battery under that faulty thing about 2yrs ago, i had no problems with the original battery by the way

ttm

The laptops worth no more than 150 euro even if its well specked. D505's have been selling for 100euro on ebay recently (120inc delivery) so if its not a cheap job then its not worth it. As I've said its a job I've done and takes less then 10 minutes once you have the mother board out. In fact for less than 100 euro you can get a replacement motherboard.

bushykangaroo

I rang Dell for the craic, they said its integrated into the motherboard which i know as ive the thing apart and for a new mainboard it will be €290.

Another laptop place called clickcomputers said they can generally get thme fixed, but they dont deal with dell laptops or acers and even if they did he said it'd be like €100 to get it sent off and checked just to see if it can be fixed let alone the actual cost of the component/labour then. This lad told me its not just a case of soldering back on the component that fell off, he said doing that could cause serious electrical harm to the entire mainboard.

Not sure what to do now, looks like no one wants to fix it and anyone that might wants a fortune.

@ ttm - Its an Inspiron 510M,,,, are they the same boards as D505's? Could i maybe buy cheap 2nd hand model on ebay and swap the board over? Do you want to have a go at fixing it?

Just browsing ebay and came across the power socket component for 2.25, how are the places i rang justifying such stupid quotes for a bit of soldering?
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dell-Inspiron-DC-Power-Socket-Jack-300m-500m-510m-600m_W0QQitemZ320377627148QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_LaptopAccess_RL?hash=item4a97fea20c&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1683%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Or heres a complete motherboard for £90.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DELL-INSPIRON-510M-MOTHERBOARD-F1792-D1718_W0QQitemZ120430600959QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_LaptopMotherboards_CPUs_CA?hash=item1c0a3922ff&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1683%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Would it all transfer over fairly handy?

ttm

Never actually touched a 510M but it takes same battery as many of the D series, but the mobo won't be the same. When I was looking for someone else a while back I think I found a 510M mobo for as low as 60 dollars in the US. Currently about 110pound inc delivery from UK http://cgi.ebay.ie/DELL-INSPIRON-510M-MOTHERBOARD-F1792-D1718_W0QQitemZ120430600959

bushykangaroo

ttm wrote: »

Never actually touched a 510M but it takes same battery as many of the D series, but the mobo won't be the same. When I was looking for someone else a while back I think I found a 510M mobo for as low as 60 dollars in the US. Currently about 110pound inc delivery from UK http://cgi.ebay.ie/DELL-INSPIRON-510M-MOTHERBOARD-F1792-D1718_W0QQitemZ120430600959

Will i chance buying that motherboard and swap everything over, could i damage stuff when reseating the processor and fan or anything, once i earth myself it should swap fairly handy, yeah, be a right kick in the teeth if i shell out €110 and it doesnt work. Hmmmm, not sure whether its worth the chance or not.

ttm

Only the best example I could find but as you can buy a similar laptop complete and working for around 100 euro then I think that board is too expensive.

bushykangaroo

Just to update ye, I bought that motherboard in the link above for €110 delivered, installed it there this evening and everything is working fine. I didnt think there'd be so much stuff to swap over, i thought i had everything already off the old motherboard but sure i hadntt half it off, haha

Just wanted to say Cheers to you "ttm", only for your links and advice I wouldnt have even bothered because i didnt even think to look on ebay as i just assumed i wouldnt be able to buy an exact original motherboard for this laptop at this stage.

All i had to do when starting it for the first time there was set the time and date, was crapping myself i'd have all sorts of errors, etc..... Just saved myself splashing out €500 and having to re-save all my favourites,passwords etc,,, which is the main reason i wanted to ressurect this lappy.

ttm

And many thanks to you bushykangaroo for posting your resolution, its always good to hear how things turn out both the good and the bad.

I have to say I'd have thought twice about paying that much for a mobo for an older laptop but if the laptop does all that you require and you have saved youself all the hassle of reinstalling everything and setting up a new system the way you want it then it makes the price sound a bit better.