Another "HP Spectre 13t-4000 x360 will not turn on" post

[RichCNJ]

Similar to this post, my Spectre x360 (13t-4000) will not turn on. The laptop powered off while using the machine on a desk without any unusual activity. I've gone through the hard reset troubleshooting which didn't resolve the issue. That's not surprising since the LED next to power jack does not illuminate. i've verified that the correct voltage is being supplied by the AC adapter so it is the laptop itself. i have not opened the cover to check if there are any obvious signs of power issues as shown in the pictures in the referenced post although there seemed to be a burned odor from the vent next to the power jack.

I've purchased previous HP laptops and generally had good luck. I've liked the solid feel of the Spectre x360 which I purchased directly from HP. It has been well cared for in a home setting and not subjected to any dirty or harsh conditions. I've had the machine for a little over 2 years and it's really disappointing that the machine would die like this.

Should I go ahead and open the case to inspect for any obvious problems? Will the data on the SSD be salvageable?  Any suggestions on the best way to proceed would be appreciated. 

[A4Apollo]

Hey there! @RichCNJ, Thanks for stopping by the HP Support Forums!

I understand you have issues powering on your laptop.

Don't worry I'd like to help you out.

Did you make any hardware or software changes on your PC?

Have you tried checking with a different battery or adapter?

I appreciate your efforts for trying out the steps before reaching out to us.

As you mentioned you don't see a charging led next to the DC port on your laptop.

Try plugging the adapter into a different wall outlet and check if it helps.

It certainly looks to be an issue with an AC adapter or the DC port on your laptop which could have gone faulty.

Also, I was unable to find any service advisory related to the issue you mentioned with the Spectre laptops.

However, refer this article to further troubleshoot no power issues with your laptop.

If the issue still persists after trying out the steps. It is a hardware issue with your laptop.

Please contact HP support for service options.

Link to contact HP.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Have a great day! 🙂

Please click "Accept as Solution" if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

Click the "Kudos, Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say "Thanks" for helping!

[RichCNJ]

Thanks for the reply although I think I'd proactively answered most of the  ideas in your message:

Q: Did you make any hardware or software changes on your PC?

A: No changes were made. It just powered down while in a browser.

Q: Have you tried checking with a different battery or adapter?

A: This laptop is sealed so the battery is not replaceable. I mentioned that I verified the adapter is working and supplying the correct power.

Q: As you mentioned you don't see a charging led next to the DC port on your laptop. Try plugging the adapter into a different wall outlet and check if it helps.

A: As above, I mentioned that I verified the adapter is working and supplying the correct power.

Q: It certainly looks to be an issue with an AC adapter or the DC port on your laptop which could have gone faulty.

A: As above, I mentioned that I verified the adapter is working and supplying the correct power. I guess that leaves the laptop, 🙂

Q: Also, I was unable to find any service advisory related to the issue you mentioned with the Spectre laptops.

A: Interesting since there are other forum posts including the one I referenced that show similar power issues.

[RichCNJ]

Also, as I mentioned, I had gone through the power troubleshooting and had performed a hard reset.

[A4Apollo]

@RichCNJ, It's great to hear from you again.

I appreciate your efforts for getting back to us.

As you mentioned even after trying out the steps the issue still persists.

Since it is a hardware issue with your laptop. There is nothing much I can do here, but you can contact HP support and get the PC serviced.

 Link to contact HP.

Hope you have a great day ahead! 

Take Care! 🙂

[RichCNJ]

To the community (in case someone else has a similar experience and finds this thread):

I did contect HP Support. I was told that the repair would be $659.99. Since I paid $989.74 direct to the HP Store two years ago, paying 67% of the original cost for a repair is excessive. 

I decided to pull the SSD card. When I opened the case, I found the same pattern of burned parts as noted in this post that I originally referenced. Here is what it looked like in my laptop.

As I was writing this up, I found anther post, "HP Spectre X360 motherboard burned, literally" with 7 pages of similar posts and nearly identical pictures. this doesn't seem to be a random problem. If you have this laptop, just make sure you have current backups.

As I mentioned above, I've had several HP laptops starting all the way back with a ZU1175. It is disappointing that with all of these reports of a problem, I'm expected to pay more than half of what I originally paid HP directly for the laptop to repair a known issue. Time to move on I guess.

[RichCNJ]

I'd posted a message, "Another "HP Spectre 13t-4000 x360 will not turn on" post" and gotten the typical "Call Support" result only to then find out the repair cost would be 67% of what I originally paid for a top of the line laptop I bought directly from HP. As I've looked further into the forums, I'm obviously not alone. We all have the same burned part under the label next to the SSD.

In case it is useful to anyone, here is a partial cross-reference to similar posts. I used the search "spectre x360 power motherboard" and got 8 pages of results (at least 60 individual posts). A search of "spectre x360 burn motherboard" gives 100 threads. Does anyone see a pattern:

• SPECTRE X360 NOT CHARGING NOT POWERING ON
• HP Spectre X360 motherboard burned, literally
• HP Spectre x360 will not charge nor boot
• Spectre x360 Convertible 13-4002dx Motherboard Failure
• Re: Spectre x360 Convertible 13-4002dx Motherboard Failure
• Spectre x360 13-4003dx Motherboard Failure
• Amazon customer review
• HP Spectre x360 Motherboard
• Spectre x360 will not power on; motherboard failure
• Spectre x360 Motherboard burned up
• HP Spectre 13t-4000 x360 will not turn on
• Spectre X360 Potential Motherboard Issue
• HP Spectre x360 - motherboard burned
• Spectre 4101dx motherboard burned
• Spectre x360 13 Dead Without Warning - Won't Power On
• Motherboard Fried

[RichCNJ · Accepted solution]

To anyone finding this post because of a similar problem: I had posted another thread describing my problem. An HP representative responded and escalated my problem.  I was then contacted by an HP representative via private message and we were able to resolve the issue I was having. It's unfortunate that it took as much time as it did to resolve but I appreciate the follow-up by the HP team.