Inappropriately pulling and bending the charger is one of the main reasons most people break their charger. Sometimes, a sudden power surge can also damage the components in the charging adapter. If you are worried about how you can fix your broken charger, it is possible with some DIY methods.
How to Fix a Broken Charger?
Fixing a broken charger is a head-scratching problem. But, if you can correctly diagnose which part of the charger is the culprit, it is not a massive problem. This article will guide you through a step-by-step diagnostic and repair process.
Possible Damage Areas on Your Charger
Your phone charger comprises parts like a USB cable, a charging adapter, and two USB connectors on either side of the cable. The cable is the one which gets damaged often. It can get frayed out either on the midway of the cable or near the connector. Also, the adapter can get short-circuited, or the wire that connects the adapter’s main board and the charger’s pin can get broken. Or, the pin of the adapter can get broken.
Things to Consider Before You Begin Repairing the Charger
It would help if you looked after a few things before you start fixing your broken charger. Several other factors might prevent your device from charging. So, you can’t just interpret the charger as damaged if it is not charging your device. You should first inspect the power outlet you are connecting the charger to and try changing it. Also, ensure that you have correctly inserted the charger into the wall socket. If your charging adapter has an LED light embedded, it glows when it charges the device. If you have one, please inspect if it is glowing. If it’s not, the charging adapter is damaged and needs repair. Here we have provided some preliminary fixes you can apply to fix the broken charger. If these fixes do not work, we have an advanced section below for repairing every component of your charger.
Swap the Charger and Cable
You can use your charger to charge another device and see if it works. If it’s charging, there is an issue with your device. Else, the charger is faulty. You can also connect the charger’s USB cable to your PC and see if it charges your device. If you can manage a USB cable, you can simply replace your old cable with the new one and check if it works. Sometimes, only the cable is faulty, and you don’t need to replace the entire charger. Likewise, you can take your cord only and use it with another charger to verify if the cable is faulty.
Clean the USB Ports
Verify if the USB port on the adapter and charging port of your device is dust and debris free. You can use a toothpick or a paintbrush to clean the ports. Do not use any liquid to clean the ports, or you may end up damaging your charger and the device.
Check Your Device’s Battery Health
If the battery level on your phone is too low or, say, 0%, the charging process can be slower. In such a case, you need to power off your device and put it in charge. If your battery drains too fast, the battery may be problematic, and you need a replacement. Meanwhile, using incompatible batteries and chargers also prevents the device from charging. So always use the original charger that came with the box. In such cases, phones from manufacturers like Samsung pop up a message mentioning the charger is incompatible. If you have recently replaced your device’s battery, it may not work with the original charger. You need to purchase a compatible charger.
Tools Needed to Fix a Broken Charger
Starting the Repair Process
Now that you have gone through Before You Begin section, you must have realized if your charger needs to be repaired. If you find a problem with the charging cable, you can purchase a replacement USB cable that is cheaper than buying the genuine charger. Here, we will discuss the repair process for the charging cable, the USB connector on either side of the cable, and the charging adapter. Ensure you have unplugged the charger from the power supply before starting the repair, as you can get electrocuted during the repair. Repairing a broken charger is somehow a time-consuming and sophisticated task, so you need to be calm and patient before you can get it back to a working state.
Repairing the Charging Cable
The first component that we will be repairing here is the charging cable. The cable’s insulation gets peeled off, and there is a high probability that the charger gets damaged from the peeled-off section. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to repair the charging cable.
Repairing the USB Connector
We already discussed how you could repair the worn charging cable. But what if you broke the wire near the USB connector? The repairing process for the USB connector (Type A) on the adapter side and the device side (Type B or Type C) is similar. Repairing the connector can get quite more complex than repairing the cable. But we have made it easier with some easy-to-follow steps.
Repairing the Charging Adapter
Charging adapters often get damaged due to a power surge or short circuit, so you may have a hard time repairing them. You must take professional help or get a new one in such a case. However, if you have broken the charger’s one of the pins, you can get it repaired. After performing the above actions, it is better to perform a continuity test just to be sure that the connection is proper.
