Community: we just recently purchased a brand new Thinkpad X1 Extreme laptop and Thunderbolt 3 Workstation Dock.

The Laptop is awesome but unfortunately we're on our second dicking station and wondering what we're doing wrong--or if we have a defect. 

 

The docking station came with a 230W and 65W AC power cord, and the dock has both a 230W/170W port and 135W/65W power port. 

When the 230W cord is plugged into the 230W port, the dock doesn't turn on (nothing plugged in). 

When the 65W cord is plugged into the 135W/65W port, it lights up but no network when a laptop is plugged in or charge.

 

The only way I get a light on the station is to plug the 230W cord into the 135W/65W port, and then when a laptop is plugged in I get network and charge.

 

We contacted Lenovo and they sent a replacement as they admitted it was not working as it should. The second one also exhibits the exact same behavior and we are at a loss and ready to return for a refund.  I also don't want to plug a 230W power brick into a 135W/65W port for fear of overheating.

 

Anyone else experience this or have any ideas, we'd like to hear them.  Thanks.

Look here: https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/PD500252

I think you want the 230W 40AN dock. There appear to be 2 different "40AN" docks

 

We definitely have the 230W dock, it came with the 230W adapter but will not power on when plugged into the proper power port. Lenovo thought the first one to be defective so sent us this replacement but has same behavior.

I have the 170W dock. It also only works when plugged into the 135W/65W power port.

Hello machine_74,

both cables need to be inserted at the same time. The 65W cable powers the docking station itself, while the 230W cable charges your laptop.
Do not put the 230W cable into the 135/65W port.

Regards,
TSXF84

By the way: Lenovo released a few firmware updates, which should be installed after you successfully connected your laptop. See the link provided by Wendel in this thread.

I hope your problem is solved by now but 

I have recently bought extreme gen2 and thunderbolt dock gen 2. Computer works fine on its own, But when connected to the dock everything goes haywire. I have realized that this dock is not compatible with x1 extreme. Nowhere on Lenovo’s website they say these two work together. But I took the sales person's word for it when he/she said they should work. I guess it’s on me for not doing my homework before spending $2500. I am about to return my dock or maybe the computer too.

I used this for a while: you need plug in both power adapter: 230w at 230w port for power laptop, 65w at 135/65w port for power the dock itself.