Difference between revisions of "Problem with ThinkPad 600 batteries"

From ThinkWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(Solutions)
Line 21: Line 21:
 
*See this page: http://www.levien.com/tp600-battery.html
 
*See this page: http://www.levien.com/tp600-battery.html
  
*That page notes that a BIOS update marked as "optimizing battery recharging" might help avoid the problem in the first place, theorizing that that update disables charging when the battery is fully charged and the laptop is using mains power. With any luck that BIOS update is on most Thinkpads by now.
+
*That page notes that a firmware update whose changelog entry mentions "optimizing battery recharging" might help to correct the problem, on the theory that this update disables charging when the battery is fully charged and the laptop is using mains power. With any luck the firmware update is on most Thinkpads by now.
  
*According to a [http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/01/30/1744214 front page Slashdot.org article], if one discharges their {{600X}} battery nearly fully at least once a week, the batteries will be fine.
+
*According to a [http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/01/30/1744214 front page Slashdot.org article], if one discharges the battery nearly fully at least once per week then the batteries will be fine.
  
*[[User:Samiam|Samiam]]: I did not have problems with the battery until it was plugged in all of the time; both of my batteries went from being able to hold a charge from one hour to being able to only hold a charge for about five minutes.
+
*[[User:Samiam|Samiam]]: I did not have problems with the battery until I left it in a laptop which was plugged in all of the time; both of my batteries went from being able to hold a charge from one hour to being able to only hold a charge for about five minutes.
  
*It has been the experience of some users, that the batteries perform far better if you <u>never</u> charge the battery while the computer is on. The area around the battery gets quite hot while using the laptop. Charging the battery at that temperature seems to be a bad idea.
+
*It is the impression of some users that the batteries perform better if they are never charged while the computer is on. The area around the battery gets quite hot while using the laptop. Charging the battery at that temperature seems to be a bad idea.
  
 
*More a way of circumvention than an actual solution is to buy an external battery pack.
 
*More a way of circumvention than an actual solution is to buy an external battery pack.

Revision as of 11:14, 22 August 2005

Information about the problem of early dying batteries on ThinkPads of the 600 series.

Problem description

The charge indicator falls from some still quite high (between 50% and 95%) charge state to 5%. This happens only on batteries which have gone through some recharging cycles already.

Affected Models

Affected Operating Systems

  • all

Status

Solutions

  • That page notes that a firmware update whose changelog entry mentions "optimizing battery recharging" might help to correct the problem, on the theory that this update disables charging when the battery is fully charged and the laptop is using mains power. With any luck the firmware update is on most Thinkpads by now.
  • Samiam: I did not have problems with the battery until I left it in a laptop which was plugged in all of the time; both of my batteries went from being able to hold a charge from one hour to being able to only hold a charge for about five minutes.
  • It is the impression of some users that the batteries perform better if they are never charged while the computer is on. The area around the battery gets quite hot while using the laptop. Charging the battery at that temperature seems to be a bad idea.
  • More a way of circumvention than an actual solution is to buy an external battery pack.
  • I have had excellent success with a refurbished battery from batteryrefill.com (which I only recharge while the laptop is off).

Related Links