laptop surges mains

does it occur when you plug just the psu and not the computer in ?

Sounds more likely to be an earth leakage trip.

Sylvia.

But it's only started happening now. The hot car is the only thing I can think of.

did any of the power supply or lead or computer get wet?

Nope

1. It's a Core Balance Relay or "Earth Leakage Detector" which is tripping - not a surge protector.
2. Sylvia is correct in her suggestion; there's a definite path between Active and Earth in your cable or device, which is tripping the CBR.
3. Plug the power cord in _without_ the power supply attached. If the CBR trips again, it's your power cord; if it doesn't, it's your power supply.
4. Replacement cloverleaf power cables are at Jaycar. Replacement aftermarket power supplies are - including postage through eBay. Replacement "genuine" power supplies are around from the manufacturer, 0 from Dick Smith or 0 from Harvey Norman.

That?s true of all faults.

Its possible, but unlikely.

The power supply "line-lump" is probably faulty. Leave it, or just the 'cord' in you hot car is unlikey to be the cause. More often than not they get roasting hot just by themselves, especially when powering a running laptop with the battery demanding charging.

geoff

Yes.

None of mine do.

Ditto.

Do as previous posters have already suggested.

Section isolate:

Plug the cord in. Does it trip? Plug the cord and power supply in. Does it trip?

If yes, then you have isolated your problem.

Don...

"Chris Read"

If so, the earth ad neutral conductors have come into contact inside.

That with trip the ELCB instantly, every time you plug the cord into an AC outlet.

.... Phil

The next day now everything is fine. What does that indicate? Some water has dried up, or something yesterday was using a lot of power in the house such as the air con?

That its an intermittent fault.

Unlikely if you are accurate in you claim that it never got wet.

Much more likely its just an intermittent fault.

Time will tell.

I've had 4 that do, and none that don't. HP/Compaq and Toshiba Not all the time, just when running on power when battery is low.

geoff

geoff wrote

Don?t believe it given that none of those of mine get anything like that hot.

Still complete and utter drivel.

You can't even manage a consistent line in mindless bullshit on that last.

Apart from what other causes have been mentioned, that could also be the case. When you plugged in the laptop it caused the current in the power circuit to exceed 10amps, due to other appliances in use, causing the circuit breaker to trip

That's 2400Watts, so not very likely..

He mentioned aircon running, so it's possible. Used to happen here with the heater going, and then turning on the jug or microwave, until I got the another feed for one of the powerpoints.