I find that unplugging from one wall socket and plugging into another will sometimes "cure" the problem.  I have noted that the transformer unit end of the 110v adapter/plug is the place where the thing can sometimes get jiggled loose.   The "male prongs" exist in two places on my adapter, inside the transformer box, and where the adapter plugs into the wall.  I would really like to find a transformer unit that has an "***** light" on it so I can know if it is functioning.  I'm leery of putting any torque on the pins that go into the female end of the 110v dongle.


My eyesight is a little weak, and I have a light weight plastic protective cover on my portable, so I can't reliably see the power lights on the bottom of the keyboard side of the case.  There are pinholes over them in the case cover, which is nice, but most of the time when I'm using it I have no idea that power has gone off!

I hope this discussion continues even though I'm coping based on a battery drain incident awareness that it was going on.

Thanks for the advice, folks... I was hoping someone would be able to tell me more precisely what the "standards" for voltage and amperage the charging circuits in the Acer E5's expect.  The "universal" charging transformer that came with my system will probably not last as long as the rest of the system.  Frankly, that set of numbers I got from the label on the transformer indicates quite a bit of "slop" in what the engineers deem tolerable voltage and amperage ratings, but then, I have no idea what they do between the adapter plug on the side of the system and the battery, or how much variation in line voltage/amperage is tolerable.

Thanks for that explanation JackE!  I did not realize there was a functional difference between the charging units I was used to from "back in the day" and a modern Li-ion battery system.  It could be that part of my "not charging" is being caused by the battery protection logic as well.  My portable is relatively new, and most of the extended use I give it has been "plugged in."  Maybe the logic says, don't charge me when I have not been exhausted enough to take a complete charge?  The other possibility I'm still working on, of course, is that my unit is just a bit "flaky" and I need to be more aware of the two tiny "***** lights" on the bottom left of the keyboard side of the case.  I was not seeing them because I had installed a protective plastic cover over the unit which has tiny spots where the little indicator lights are visible.  I was depending on the "on screen" battery indicator which shows a "lightning" symbol over the battery icon and it was not always indicating "charging" when I thought the unit was plugged in.