Tip of charger stuck inside the charger hole

Hi there:

This issue is a re-occurring one, but not necessarily with the same people
or the same computer; so one has to be careful with them but not paranoid
on the likelihood of a failure more than once.

I posted on this issue a few times over a few years; one such link to
some ideas (found elsewhere on the web) starts here in Apple Discussions:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5559874

Hopefully you can use one of the methods and not have to spring for a repair
of the DC-in port (this board is a replacement part) as well as a power supply.

I'm careful to lightly twist the cord end while plugging in and/or gently pulling out
these cord ends; since they have a history (probably a rare) of breaking off.
And I have a spare/new AC power adapter for my iBook; still in the wrapper.

Best of luck and happy computing! 🙂

Hey Lisab and Welcome to Apple Discussions,
Well I just posted this in the G3 forum:
"Try a pin with a spiral bent into the end of it. Must be very tiny. Or a tiny hook.
Depends on what part is still in there that you can grab onto.
Be very gentle with that jack it's easily damaged.
Actually it might already be damaged beyond repair when that tip broke off.
As to the take apart, once the top case is off you can see into the back of the power jack.
Here's some more notes:
"What if we tell people not to remove the power connector as the worst case scenario is ripping the connector off the board or the wires out of the plug body. It's also deep in that hole and hard to get at. The speaker not so much and should probably be removed since it will get in the way. (you won't need to do that to see the power jack )
The wires for the power button are held to the upper case with tape. Couldn't people just remove/move the last pieces of tape to loosen the wire so the top case could be swung up out of the way and taped securely to the display with blue to prevent dropping the top case and ripping out the connector. Exactly what we're trying to prevent. The top shield would also have to be taped out of the way.
What do you think? (Shawn just did this and it worked beautifully)

Use a plastic tool (spudge) so as not to leave marks.
Here I have to put in a plug for my G/V 3 Series Master Airscrew. A black nylon propeller I got from the hobby shop ( $2.25 ). I cut it in half to get 2 spudgers (called a black stick in later service manuals)."

Richard

I had the exact same problem and managed to make it worse.

My iBook fell off the edge of my couch, breaking off the tip of the charger. I was in the middle of something important and stupidly forgot that I could just use my wife's adapter, so, desperate, I put the tip of the charger pin back into place and reinserted it in DC-In socket. While it worked to successfully power my iBook that afternoon, when I later removed the charger the tip remained in the hole.

Here's where I really screwed up. I thought I could see the tip of the charger in the hole, so I used a paper clip, a tiny screw driver and finally a tiny pair of tweezers to try to pull it out. Unfortunately, I think what I thought was the tip was actually part of the socket. Yikes. I spent several days scraping it and pulling at it with tweezers wondering how it could be so firmly stuck. Now I know 😉

Anyway, I finally broke down and removed the lower casing of my iBook, which, if you happen to have the right size tools (one of those 20-something-piece sets you can buy at Sears had everything I needed), is not as hard as it looks. There are step by step directions on ifixit.com

Anyway, I was able to pull out the DC-In socket and use a bent paper clip to gently push the tip of the charger back out through the hole.

The downside is, I think I broke the DC-In socket. Whether it's a result of my sticking a screwdriver into the front of it or sticking a paper clip into the back of it, I don't know.

The only thing that takes the sting off this sad turn of events is that my iBook had already been failing on me, so I was pretty sure it needed a new logic board. I had already purchased a new MacBook to replace it, so now instead of an emergency backup laptop I have an Apple designed paperweight...

Message was edited by: wtobiasjr

Message was edited by: wtobiasjr

Hey lisab,
I've posted pics here of a a DC in board from a 500 G3. The 1.33 is identical as far as I can see:
http://www.photolava.com/view/ex69.html
As you can see in the rear view it's pretty open and you can poke the part out. Here again I would use a toothpick so as not to damage something.

The piece was still inside the computer somewhere.

Maybe but hard to see from the front as the post by wtobias shows.

I really want to get this piece out, it is the only thing wrong with my Mac. As a last resort can the mac be opened and the piece pushed out?

Yes but it must be said that the breaking off of the tip might have already damaged the jack beyond repair. That's what's wrong with the jack in the picture.
The good news is that there are DC in boards for sale for decent prices, eBay et al.
If you need instructions email me.

Richard