Asus Transformer Prime power adapter doesn’t like the heatwave

This heatwave (here in the US) sucks.  Not only do we (humans) hate it, but apparently some of our electronics don’t like it either, and occasionally need to go back to the cold.

I’ve been trying to figure out why my Asus Transformer Prime charger was no longer working.  I have a charger at work, and the tablet charges fine there, so I know that it’s not a problem with the tablet.  I first checked the USB cable for any kind of damage.  I didn’t find any, and in fact the cable has been working great as a debug cable for ADB to my Prime.  I then thought there was something wrong with the power outlet on the power strip.  Plugging in other things showed me that it was working completely fine.  

I continued on, investigating and experimenting, all in the hopes of getting my tablet to start charging.  At some point, I gave up and started browsing Amazon for a replacement.  While reading the reviews for this one, someone had posted a note in their review about needing to place the charger in the freezer to reset some kind of temperature sensor.  Being that my upstairs office is currently in the 90’s without the window unit AC, and that the power adapter heats up under use, I guessed that I was probably susceptible to this issue as well.  The ambient temperature in my office was not dropping down low enough to reset the sensor.

So I popped it in the freezer, and 30 minutes later, I had a working charger.  I couldn’t believe that worked.  If you’re having this problem, avoid paying $30 for a replacement, and throw yours in the freezer for a few minutes.  You may find it works just fine after a brief cool-down.

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