Acer Google Chromebook (Model: ZHN) never charges

Does this (AC Adapter by Superer (Model: SPD190342) ) come with the machine?

Either way, are you able to measure the voltage output of the AC Adapter?

The Chromebook may say on the bottom or in its manual the expected DC Voltage input.

This is how you start as you do need to know the voltages to make progress. Hopefully the AC adapter is the correct voltage for the Chromebook.

Hello John,

            The AD Adapter did not originally come with the Chromebook.  It was ordered a few weeks ago upon recommendation from a fellow EE advisor when we were experiencing the inability of the battery to charge.  The power connector which interfaces with the Chromebook has a tiny hold which I can not probe directly with my digital multimeter.

            George

The power connector which interfaces with the Chromebook has a tiny hole which I can not probe directly

I think you can solve this.  Find a piece of tiny wire that will fit in the hole.  Wrap the wire around the DVM probe so that the wire will go in the hole. That will allow you to connect the DVM.

we were experiencing the inability of the battery to charge

It may not be the adapter (need to check) but the charging circuit in the Chromebook or possibly the Chromebook input jack (bad connection inside).

So the purpose of the steps is to find out if the AC Adapter is putting out voltage. Probably (a few weeks old) it does.
Then once you know that, you need to determine what you can do with the Chromebook.

It may need servicing by a local computer store.

Good luck.

note that it can also be due to bad battery, or motherboard
here is how to test the health :  https://www.howtogeek.com/309971/how-to-check-your-chromebooks-battery-health/

for HP :  https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c04355990

Hello and Good Morning Everyone,

          Thank you, John, for your excellent follow-up illustration.   I certainly have a much clearer understanding now with respect to the logistics of determining the output voltage of the AC adaptor.  At this point, I need to take this to the next level by inquiring about the steps needed to determine the amperage output.  That said, how can I determine the amperage output of the AC adaptor using my digital multi-meter?  

           Moving to Nobus' enlightening suggestion to use Chromebook's integrated tool to determine the battery charge and battery health of the Chromebook, I do have a few areas which will need clarification.  First, what is the difference between battery charge left and battery health?  For instance,  if there is very little battery charge left, will the battery health also be very low or is battery health measuring something completely different?  Secondly, how is battery health being empirically defined?  In other words, what percentage indicates poor battery health versus what percentage indicates good battery health?  And, finally, if the battery needs replacement, what are the procedures for carrying out this task?

           George

how can I determine the amperage output of the AC adaptor using my digital multi-meter?

Hard because you either need to open the Chromebook and break the circuit internally or build an adapter between the AC Adapter plug and the Chromebook socket to insert an ammeter.

On the second point, you / user should have known if the battery was failing. However, to test it, you do need to charge it first.

if you want to know the amperage, you should put the Chromebook in series with the multimeter, set to DC Amps
in the following drawing, the meter is connected to the + side of the AC adapter, which further connects to the CB
Measurement-of-amperage-Chromebook.docx

Hi George.  Any luck with the tests above?   Were you able to open the Chromebook?  Or is it dead?

Thank you and I hope you were able to make progress with the information.

Hello and Good Afternoon Everyone,

          First and foremost, I want to apologize for my lengthy delay in responding back to this question.  I had some personal things come up which sidetracked me.  At any rate, I sincerely thank you, John and Nobus, for your shared input to my question.  While I have not resumed my troubleshooting efforts, I am confident I can determine if the power charger is the issue or not using John's easy to understand and follow illustration.  Personally, I doubt seriously that the power charger is the culprit because it does stay powered on.  The only issue is that the battery never charges.   Before moving forward, I need to consider whether it is worth the effort to continue trying to narrow this down further or simply buy an exact one like it on Ebay.  The prices I have seen does not look that bad and the Chromebooks are fully working.  

           If I should have any question, I will open up a new question.  For now, I think I will take a brief break from this before resuming any further troubleshooting exercises.

          George

Thanks for the update. Maybe replacing it is a good idea