I purchased an ASUS Transformer TF101 a few months ago and I have been very happy with it. That was until recently. When I plugged it in it would no longer charge. I read on multiple forums that this was a common issue for Transformer owners and some fixes included putting the transformer plug into the freezer to cool it down and also to bend the pins slightly to try to make a connection. Neither of these worked for me so I decided to open the plug up to see what the problem was.

For those of you that have the TF101 you will know that the plug part of the charger comes in two parts. One part is where you plug the USB cable into and the other part is a plastic connection that corresponds with your country’s plug type.

Removing the casing

I removed the three pin plug from the “power brick” and then removed the small screw (you should use a T5 torx screwdriver but if you don’t have one of these you can also use a very small allen key) that held the plastic piece to the plug. Once I removed the screw I needed to prise the plastic panel from the plug by inserting a small flathead screwdriver into the slots where the metal prongs usually go and gently prise the panel off. This panel can be stubborn and some force is needed, I caused a small crack to this panel when removing it.

Once the panel was removed I was able to see two small springs. It seems as though these springs had recessed back into the plug preventing a connecting between the “power brick” and the plug. Using a screwdriver I pushed these springs downwards (towards the slit openings) and replaced the plastic panel. I plugged the Transformer in and BINGO we had power again.

Taking apart the plug will most probably invalidate your warranty but I was too impatient to wait to ship my charger off and get a replacement so I fixed it myself. Hopefully this will be useful to some others out there that have the same problem.