Recently I have been experiencing a flickering screen when using the AC adaptor on my Z1-RSP. The flickering caused by the power profiles changing between AC and DC supply.
I had considered that the problem was caused internally (loose connection where the cable plugs into the laptop). So, I stripped the laptop out and found nothing.
I then considered the AC/DC supply and checked the cables through.
In the end, I found that the cable between the adaptor and the laptop was HOT near the adaptor. This led me to beleive that the cable was breaking internally.
Stripping the cable, I found that the shielding of the co-ax cable was nearly broken.
Reparing the cable basically meant cutting a few centimetres off and re-soldering to the circuit board in the AC adaptor. On this laptop, the adaptop is rather compact and its assembly means the case is rather reluctant to open.
But, 30 minutes of work later, the adaptor was back together and the flicker problem was solved.
So, a tip to anyone. If they have a flicker problem when connected to AC supply, inspect the power cable for any hot spots. This would point to a cable breakdown and a repair is required sooner rather than later.
