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Power cable fraying

wynand32 said:
I had support call me back (there was a long queue for chat), and the guy didn't hesitate to send me a new one. Didn't have to verify with pics. It'll take 6-8 days for delivery, apparently, which would be a problem if the adapter weren't actually powering the SP3 (which happened with my first one).

I went ahead and put some electrical tape around mine. I didn't like the idea of the exposed metal touching the magnesium case.
Click to expand...

Awesome! Yeah I have a sneaky feeling this is a design flaw that Microsoft will have to remedy.
 
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I just noticed the same in my adaptor and exactly in the same area. I called Microsoft and was requested to send picture of the fraying portion. MS will send a replacement adaptor.

Definitely, this is a manufacturing defect as my Surface Pro 3 stays on my desk most of the time and just plugged it.

If not for the excellent customer service, I would have been totally pissed off already with this SP3. Started with the WIFI limited and now this crappy adaptor.
 
Mine looks like new still but I can see that over time the stress will do what is had done to several of yours. If I get to where I use my doc whenever it needs to be charged, it won't be a problem.

I wonder if you could put some kind of sealant that never gets really hard to where the cable enters the connector. I would hate to have to go through the bother of getting a replacement every few months if I could avoid it with a dab of sealant. I'm thinking of a black window glazing material might work. Of course I've only seen it in white.
 
wynand32 said:
So, just to prove I'm not a complete SP3 fanboy, here's a complaint: I'm now on my second power adapter, the first one being replaced due to fraying where the cable attaches to the part that connects to the machine. Now, my replacement is also starting to fray.

Anybody else experiencing this? I swear I'm being very careful with mine, and don't use it in any way that would put undue pressure on the cable or connector. So, it's exceedingly strange that this would be happening.

I'm going to request another exchange from Microsoft, hopefully it won't be an issue. But I'd love to know at the same time if I'm alone here.

Edit: As I look at it a little more closely, it does seem like the cable is pulled out at an unfortunate angle where it connects to the machine. I can't figure out how you'd position the machine to avoid stressing that point--the cable should come out perpendicular to the connector, I think.
Click to expand...
 
Hi wynand32, I had my power cord replaced 3wks post use of SP3 thru Surface Support warranty. I agree it's design +material issue. Anticipate it will continue to be problem until MS gets enough SP3 customer's complaint. This forum is a good way to track issue. This is a safety issue. Without warranty, power cord replacement is $80. 4 yrs ago, I had non MS device that was more than 2yrs old, past warranty period. Plastic coating to power cord to non MS device began to crack off cord, like old dry paint. Fortunately, I checked internet and discovered that other customers of this device had exact issue. I reported to customer service of device regarding safety hazard of electrical power cord. Company provided free of charge a new power cord with brand new material, different from original. . This company corrected problem + issued different cord material. I am concerned that SP3 power cord will have similar problem in future due to material and design. Power cord should be safe and last for lifetime of product with normal daily use as any electrical device at home. It is important to keep reporting your power cord problem for safety issue. I am very careful with positioning to reduce stress to interval btw cord and connector. Good Luck to you. Haratora.
 
Haratora said:
Hi wynand32, I had my power cord replaced 3wks post use of SP3 thru Surface Support warranty. I agree it's design +material issue. Anticipate it will continue to be problem until MS gets enough SP3 customer's complaint. This forum is a good way to track issue. This is a safety issue. Without warranty, power cord replacement is $80. 4 yrs ago, I had non MS device that was more than 2yrs old, past warranty period. Plastic coating to power cord to non MS device began to crack off cord, like old dry paint. Fortunately, I checked internet and discovered that other customers of this device had exact issue. I reported to customer service of device regarding safety hazard of electrical power cord. Company provided free of charge a new power cord with brand new material, different from original. . This company corrected problem + issued different cord material. I am concerned that SP3 power cord will have similar problem in future due to material and design. Power cord should be safe and last for lifetime of product with normal daily use as any electrical device at home. It is important to keep reporting your power cord problem for safety issue. I am very careful with positioning to reduce stress to interval btw cord and connector. Good Luck to you. Haratora.
Click to expand...

Yep, agreed. I'll go through as many adapters as it takes.
 
Checked mine after reading this thread. It is separating, too.

(And I got mocked the other day for starting a thread about the new adapters being less nice than the new ones!)

David
 
drzeller said:
Checked mine after reading this thread. It is separating, too.

(And I got mocked the other day for starting a thread about the new adapters being less nice than the new ones!)

David
Click to expand...

I think the design of the connector is good (not too strong, not too weak, much better than my MacBook Air's, which disconnects if you think something negative about Apple). However, the decision to mate the connector with the cable at the bottom (or top, depending on orientation, of course) creates an unavoidable stress point, and the materials used to connect are obviously too weak to manage it.

Microsoft just needs to move the cable to be perpendicular to the connector. That would significantly decrease the stress on the cable connection in pretty much all use cases.
 
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