Symptoms

Note: XPS 13 Plus 9320 laptops purchased after April 2022, may have Dark Mode AC Adapters with LEDs that turn off after the AC adapter is connected to AC power or connected to the computer. This feature was added to reduce light pollution in low light environments. When connected to the wall outlet, the LED will illuminate for 10 seconds then turn off. When the USB Type-C connecter is plugged into the computer, the Adapter LED will flash six times in twelve seconds then turn off. This is normal behavior for XPS 13 Plus 9320 Dark Mode AC adapters for computers made after April 2022. The Dark mode AC adapter was discontinued in early 2023.

Cause

Table of Contents: Are you having issues with your PC, and the AC Adapter LED is off or flickering?Troubleshoot the AC AdapterTroubleshoot the BIOSTroubleshoot the Software

Resolution

Are you having issues with your PC, and the AC Adapter LED is off or flickering? If you are experiencing issues with your Dell laptop, such as the battery not charging or the system randomly shutting down on you and the AC Adapter LED is either off, or flickering then this article will help you resolve your issue. Follow the step-by-step guide below. Back to Top Troubleshoot the AC Adapter Physically check the AC adapter, the power cable and the port on the back of your personal computer for any damage. Can you see any bared wires, missing plastics or bent or broken pins? If the answer is yes, then contact your technical support. Unless you have a valid complete care warranty, this results in a quote for an out of warranty repair. If the answer is no, then go to the next step. Physically move the personal computer, the AC adapter and the power cable in turn and confirm if moving a particular part causes the AC Adapter LED to go off or flicker or the machine to shut down. If it does, swap out the faulty part if possible with a known good working part from a similar system. If this resolves the issue, then contact your technical support to report the fault part you have identified. If this is not possible, then go to the next step. If it does not, then the issue is not with a loose or broken connection, proceed with the next step. If possible, swap the AC adapter and power cable with known good working parts from a similar system. Does the fault follow your AC adapter and cord to the known good machine? If it does, then the issue is with the AC adapter or cord and you want to swap the cord with the other adapter to see which part you must report to your technical support. If there are no swap parts available, then, go to the next step. Does the fault stay with your personal computer with the known good AC adapter and cord plugged up? If the fault does, then the issue is with your system, and you will want to go to the next section. If there are no swap parts available, then, go to the next step. Verify that the AC power cable is correctly installed. Plug the power cable into the adapter by using the following steps. Unplug the adapter DC cable from the laptop. Unplug the adapter AC power cable from the wall outlet. Remove the AC power cable from the adapter. Use two hands for attaching the power cable to the AC adapter. Hold the adapter in one hand, and place the power cable in position over the two or three-prong connector on the adapter itself. Using the palm of your hand, push the power cable in fully, until it clicks. Reconnect the AC adapter to the wall outlet. Verify the LED on the AC adapter turns on and stays on, with no flicker. If it does, the problem is resolved. If it does not, then go to the next section. Back to Top Troubleshoot the BIOS BIOS stands for (Basic Input/Output System). This is the part of your personal computer that connects and controls all the various parts in your system. Tap rapidly on the <F2> key on your keyboard, when the Dell Splash screen appears during startup. This takes you into the BIOS screens. Note: The BIOS on all Dell E-Series Latitude's is a Graphical User Interface (GUI). There are differences in style between models of this series, but at the heart, they are the same. GUI means that you can use your touchpad or Mouse in the BIOS and can click options to change them. This guide is a general guide, so be aware what you see on screen may differ slightly. The pages in a Dell Bios run down the left-hand side in the tree style. Selecting one opens up further options on the right-hand side of the screen. Click System or General and select Battery Information. This gives you access to the AC adapter status, the Battery status and the Battery's charging status. Is the AC adapter detected and if so, is it detected at the correct Wattage? If it is, then proceed with the next step. If it is not, then disconnect the battery and check again. If it still is not correct, then contact your technical support to take this further. If it shows correctly, then try a known good battery if possible. If it is ok with a known good battery, then contact your technical support about the battery. If it is not possible to test with a known good battery or the fault returns, then contact your technical support to take this further. You can also try reseating your battery to ensure that it was not a connection issue. Is the battery detected correctly and if so does it show as charging or discharging with the AC adapter connected and what is the health status recorded? Try reseating the battery and see if the information about the screen changes? If the fault goes away, it was a battery fit issue causing the problem. If the battery is not detected, then try a known good battery if possible. If the fault persists with a known good part fitted or a known good part is not available then contact your technical support to take this further. If the battery is discharging even though the AC adapter is plugged then again try a known good battery if one is available. Contact your technical support to take this further if there is no swap part available or with the results of the swap. If the battery is reporting degraded health, then again try a known good battery and contact your technical support if you do not have a swap part or with the results of the swap. Note: Batteries are a consumable item. This means they are only covered under warranty for the first 12 months since the point of purchase. This can be extended if you have an additional battery warranty or have purchased a specific battery with a longer warranty. We can advise this from the serial number off of the battery itself and from your order details attached to your particular service tag. If everything checks out ok, both physically and in the BIOS then go to the next Section to rule out software mimicking the issues you have seen. Back to Top Troubleshoot the Software The easiest way to troubleshoot the software on a Dell computer is to rule out the Operating System (OS) and drivers. There are two easy ways to do this and then there is a third way, which would take more time. I take you through each. The easiest way is to swap your Hard Drive (HDD/SSD) with one from a similar working system. If the fault stays with the system, then there is a hardware fault and you would need to contact your technical support to take this further. If the fault follows the HDD to the working system, then you are looking at reimaging the system or following step 3. You can download and burn to a bootable USB or CD, the Ubuntu Live Install Media. This enables you to boot to the USB or CD and run a version of Ubuntu without installing it to your HDD. You tap rapidly on the <F12> key at the Dell Splash screen and choose the appropriate boot option from the menu that appears. If the fault stays with the system, then there is a hardware fault and you would need to contact your technical support to take this further. If the fault is not seen, then you are looking at reimaging the system or following step 3. You can download it at the Ubuntu site . The hardest way is to back your system up and reinstalls the HDD from the media you received with the system. You can find a Guide to your particular OS on the page linked below. If the fault stays with the system, then there is a hardware fault and you would need to contact your technical support to take this further. If the fault is not seen, then you must reinstall your programs and recover your backed-up information. OS Install Guide Jump Page If this has not resolved your issue or you still have questions then you can contact us by Online Chat, Email, Twitter, or Phone. You can get the latest contact information by going to our Contact Us page and make sure it is set to your Country. Back to Top

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