Battery DO's and DON'TS
Do not short-circuit a battery. A short-circuit may cause damage to the battery.
Do not drop, hit or otherwise abuse the battery as this may result in the exposure of the cell contents, which are corrosive.
Do not expose the battery to moisture or rain. Keep battery away from fire or other sources of extreme heat or extreme cold. Do not freeze your battery.
Do not leave your laptop on overnight all the time while charging. The laptop should be turned off occasionally.
Do consider removing the battery from a laptop when running on fixed power. (Some laptop manufacturers are concerned about dust and moisture accumulating inside the battery casing.)
Do use the Suspend or Hibernate feature when taking a break.
Do minimize the number of programs and/or applications running at the same time. Quit any of the programs/applications that are not in use.
Do not throw away or dispose of your battery with household waste. Please recycle all batteries, as they contain chemicals which are harmful to the environment.
Do set the Windows Power Management settings to maximum savings.
Do lower the brightness setting on the screen backlight
Do not carry loose batteries in a pocket or purse with metal objects like coins, paper clips and hair pins, etc. This may short circuit the battery, generating high heat.
Do disconnect any unused devices such as modems, wireless cards, bluetooth and USB devices.
Do not buy old batteries, even if sold at clearance prices.
Do store battery in a dry, cool place at 40-50% charge level.
Some reserve charge is needed to keep the battery and its protection circuit operational during prolonged storage.
Do make sure that the laptop's power management features in the BIOS and Operating System are optimized, turning off the screen, using speed step.
Do not incinerate. Exposure of batteries to extreme heat may result in an explosion.
Why Is My Battery Not Charging?
New batteries are shipped in a discharged condition and must be charged before use. We generally recommend an overnight charge (approximately twelve hours). Refer to your user's manual for charging instruction. Rechargeable batteries should be cycled – fully charged and then fully discharged – 2 to 4 times initially to allow them to reach their full capacity. (Note: It is perfectly normal for a battery to become warm to the touch during charging and discharging).
How Long Will My Battery Last?
The life of a rechargeable battery operating under normal conditions is generally between 500 to 800 charge-discharge cycles. This translates into one and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As your rechargeable battery begins to die, you will notice a decline in the run time of the battery.
How Does Power Management Works?
Battery power is automatically conserved each time an AC power source is used to run the computer. The battery's life expectancy is largely determined by the number of charges it receives, so use an AC power source to run the computer if one is available.
Reasons to use Power Management: 1) Prolongs battery life for portable and embedded systems. 2) Reduces cooling requirements. 3) Reduces noise. 4) Reduces operating costs for energy and cooling. 5) Lower power consumption also means lower heat dissipation, which increases system stability, and less energy use, which saves money and reduces the impact on the environment.
To maximize power savings, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends setting computers to enter hibernate mode after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity. To save even more, set monitors to enter sleep mode after 5 to 20 minutes of inactivity. The lower the setting, the more energy you save.
What is Sleep, Stand By or Suspend Mode?
Sleep mode can go by many different names, including Stand By (Microsoft Windows 95-Server 2003), Sleep (Mac OS 8)-(Mac OS X) / (Windows Vista,Windows Server 2008), and Suspend (Linux). When placed in this Sleep mode, aside from the RAM which is required to restore the machine's state, the computer attempts to cut power to all unneeded parts of the machine. Because of the large power savings, most laptops automatically enter this mode when the computer is running on batteries and the lid is closed.
Use standby mode when you leave the computer unattended for a few minutes. If your computer loses AC and battery power while in standby mode, it may lose data. Resume normal computer activity by moving the cursor or pressing any key on the keyboard (the computer takes a couple of seconds to return to normal operation).
What is Hibernate Mode?
Hibernate mode conserves power by copying system data to a reserved area on the hard drive and then completely turning off the computer. When the computer exits hibernate mode, it returns to the same operating state it was in before entering hibernate mode. To exit hibernate mode, press the power button. The computer may take a short time to exit hibernate mode. You cannot make the computer exit hibernate mode by pressing a key or touching the touch pad or track stick.
Will Dimming The Display Conserve Battery Power?
You can slowly dim the display to conserve battery power when you are working with the computer intermittently or when the computer is performing a task that does not require your input. It is recommended that you always set this option to the lowest setting that affords comfortable viewing. You can conserve up to 5% of battery power by using the minimum brightness.
Breaking In New Batteries
New batteries come in a discharged condition and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended that you fully charge and discharge your new battery two to four times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity. These are all brand new battery cells and don't always "wake up" and work to their full capacity until they've been used a bit.
What is a "full cycle"?
A cycle is when the total battery power is less then 50% before it is recharged. The battery electronics monitor the status of the cells during use, and not cycling the battery at least once a week may cause the electronics to get false recordings.
Why doesn’t the battery charge overnight in my laptop?
Make sure the notebook computer is receiving power (Is the AC Adapter plugged in correctly?). With the battery installed in the computer and the AC adapter connected check whether the battery ‘fuel gauge’ and laptop are displaying a charge light. If not the battery, the power system in the notebook, or the AC Adapter may be defective. A laptop repair shop can test the relevant components.
What should I do if the battery gets hot in my laptop?
It is normal for the battery to become very warm to the touch during use. If it becomes too hot, then 1) Disconnect the AC Adapter/Charger or 2) Remove the battery so it can cool down. If the problem persists once the battery or AC Adapter/Charger is inserted back into laptop then the battery or AC Adapter/Charger could be defective and may need to be replaced.
Why won’t my new battery charge to 100%?
Sometimes your device's charger will stop charging a new battery before it is fully charged. If this happens, simply remove the battery from your device and then re-insert it. The charge cycle should start again. This may happen several times during your first battery charge. Don't worry; it's perfectly normal.
My battery used to charge to 100%, why won't it anymore?
If your battery used to charge to 100% but now it won't it then it could be a problem with your AC Adapter, laptop battery or even the motherboard.
- The AC Adapter may be bad. The simple test for this is to try running the laptop solely from the laptop power adapter. If the laptop doesn't run off the laptop power adapter then you have a dead adapter on your hands. In some cases the laptop charger itself is faulty and may run the laptop but not have enough power to charge the battery. In this case try charging the laptop battery with the laptop turned off. If the notebook battery charges while the computer is off then the laptop power adapter is faulty and you will need to replace it.
- Your laptop battery may be bad. Although defective rates are less than 1% it is still a possibility that the laptop battery is bad. A simple way to test this is to see if another laptop battery will charge in your laptop, if so, then the battery you have is defective. If the laptop battery is being charged, but not all the way, then the problem is likely with the computer BIOS and an update will be required for the laptop to recognize and fully charge the laptop battery.
- The computer motherboard may be bad If your new and your old laptop battery won't charge and the laptop charger is working properly. Also, if your laptop battery will charge in another laptop then that could be a sign that you have a bad motherboard.
Why won’t my computer start up (wake) with the battery inserted?
Make sure that the battery is properly inserted and has sufficient charge. If this does not work, consult your computer manual.
Can I store batteries in the refrigerator?
Yes, but the battery must be protected from moisture which will cause internal corrosion. It must be kept in an airtight container. This method of storage is only suitable when the battery needs to be stored for long periods without use. The low temperature slows down the rate of discharge. Once removed from the refrigerator, the battery must be allowed to warm up to room temperature before use. Storing the laptop battery in the freezer is not recommended.
How long will my laptop stay ‘powered’ with the battery?
A ‘realistic’ average run-time for a standard battery is 1.5 to 3 hours. However, Run time will vary between individual laptops as well as the following:
- The type of applications being run, i.e. power hungry applications such as games, graphical shoftware or wireless networking will dramatically reduce run time
- The number of times a file is saved or retrieved from hard drives, external drives or CD/DVD drives
- The RAM size of a laptop
- The chemistry, capacity and age of the battery
The laptop shuts down automatically, What could be wrong?
Plug in the AC adapter/Charger into the laptop and turn the machine on. Check the bios Power Management settings, they may be set to turn the laptop off when the battery reaches a certain level. In this case you should make sure the battery has sufficient charge by leaving the laptop (with battery installed) connected to the mains for at least one hour. If these steps do not help solve the problem consult your laptop manual.
Keep Your Batteries Clean
It is a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and your laptop.
Remove the battery, and AC power. If you have access to the battery contacts inside of the battery compartment (in some laptops it's very accessible, others its almost impossible) try cleaning the connection terminals with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip. It may not be getting the proper connection necessary to charge, recharge, and report battery information to the laptop.
Exercise Your Battery
Do not leave your battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every two to three weeks. If a battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above.
Battery Storage
If you do not plan on using the battery for a month or more, we recommend storing in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects at 40-50% charge level.
Update Your Laptop's BIOS
Check your laptop manufacturer's website for possible system BIOS software upgrades. Some laptops have been prone to reject 3rd party batteries if they have an old BIOS software version installed on the laptop. BIOS upgrades are designed to fix a wide array of problems including Hard Drive capacity limitations, Battery compatibility and usage, Power management features, and performance modifications after the laptops were made and shipped. It's like getting a tune-up for your automobile.
What if I have tried all of the troubleshooting?
Please make sure that you have ruled out your AC Adapter or laptop as a problem. A new battery will not solve a hardware or motherboard issue. If you have tried all of the above and the battery still will not charge to full capacity or you have another problem with the battery then we suggest you get an exchange.
