Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

Unda · 2015-08-09 15:26:34

Hello,

I purchased a laptop at the very beginning of the year. I recently noticed when I unplugged it and plugged it in again later that the battery level was not increasing anymore, even though my i3status bar says it is "charging".
I did some digging and found that there was sometime a lock button under the laptop and if this button was on the "unlocked" position, it could prevent the battery from charging. I thought it was the problem because the button was in this unlocked position but after I switched it, nothing happened.
I also tried to remove and put the battery back in several times, nothing happened.

Here is what acpi and upower say :

% acpi
Battery 0: Charging, 59%, charging at zero rate - will never fully charge.

% upower -d
Device: /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/line_power_AC
  native-path:          AC
  power supply:         yes
  updated:              Sun 09 Aug 2015 04:59:50 PM CEST (639 seconds ago)
  has history:          no
  has statistics:       no
  line-power
    warning-level:       none
    online:              yes
    icon-name:          'ac-adapter-symbolic'

Device: /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/battery_BAT0
  native-path:          BAT0
  vendor:               Notebook
  model:                BAT
  serial:               0001
  power supply:         yes
  updated:              Sun 09 Aug 2015 05:09:50 PM CEST (39 seconds ago)
  has history:          yes
  has statistics:       yes
  battery
    present:             yes
    rechargeable:        yes
    state:               charging
    warning-level:       none
    energy:              43.7932 Wh
    energy-empty:        0 Wh
    energy-full:         73.2748 Wh
    energy-full-design:  76.96 Wh
    energy-rate:         0 W
    voltage:             15.057 V
    percentage:          59%
    capacity:            95.2115%
    technology:          lithium-ion
    icon-name:          'battery-good-charging-symbolic'

Device: /org/freedesktop/UPower/devices/DisplayDevice
  power supply:         yes
  updated:              Sun 09 Aug 2015 04:59:50 PM CEST (639 seconds ago)
  has history:          no
  has statistics:       no
  battery
    present:             yes
    state:               charging
    warning-level:       none
    energy:              43.7932 Wh
    energy-full:         73.2748 Wh
    energy-rate:         0 W
    percentage:          59%
    icon-name:          'battery-good-charging-symbolic'

Daemon:
  daemon-version:  0.99.3
  on-battery:      no
  lid-is-closed:   no
  lid-is-present:  yes
  critical-action: PowerOff

I have the same issue on Windows installed in dual boot. It says "plugged in, charging", but stays stuck at 60%, so it could be a hardware problem (which I would find suprising since the laptop is 8 months old).

Is there something I can do to find out what the problem is and solve it (if it can) ?
I can add that the battery is normally discharging when not plugged in. Also here is my laptop if it can help (purchased on a French website, sorry).

Thanks for your help.

Last edited by Unda (2015-08-09 15:26:52)

ewaller · 2015-08-09 16:29:55

Is this a removable battery? Batteries that are compliant with the smart battery specification (pdf) have two mechanisms that control charging. First, there is a digital link in which data are exchanged over an SMBus interface. These include information such as design capacity, state of charge, temperature, etc... I am a bit skeptical that that link is working. I don't believe you have battery serial number 1, with a model name BAT, and a vendor "Notebook". On the other hand, your system does seem to know about the state of charge of the battery.

There is a second safety mechanism that uses a thermistor that detects the temperature of the battery and will provide a failsafe lockout that will prevent charging if the battery temperature, as measured by that analog sensor, regardless of what the digital link says.

I would suggest dropping the battery out and ensuring that the contacts on the laptop and the battery are all clean. Do not short the contacts while cleaning them.

Unda · 2015-08-09 18:30:20

Yes, it's a removable battery. I don't know if it's compliant with the smart battery specification you mentioned though ...
I removed the battery and checked the contacts, et they seem clean to me (on the laptop and on the battery).

For the weird serial number, model name and vendor, maybe it's because my laptop is assembled by the website I mentioned, it doesn't "really" have a make. Would that be possible ?

ewaller · 2015-08-09 18:54:19

Yes, it is possible. It is also possible that those are the default values of the chipset in the battery and that the vendor just did not bother to set them.
I fear this may be a hardware issue as it also happens in Windows. Does your BIOS have any kind of battery calibration function?

You might try fully discharging the battery and then try charging it. Of course, this could leave you with a fully discharged battery that will not charge.
Do you know anyone with a similar machine you could try swapping batteries with?

Unda · 2015-08-09 19:25:56

I checked the BIOS, there are not so many options, so no, I don't see any battery calibration function.

I'll wait for the battery to discharge, but I won't do it expressly in case I need it in the near future. I know someone with the same machine, I could try it.
I can't do it now but when I won't need my laptop as much as now (and if I don't find any solution), I'll send it back to the after-sales service.

So I'll keep the topic up to date, but it might be in a long time ...

Thanks for you suggestions anyway

ricardoscar · 2015-08-10 18:45:32

I'm posting here for 2 reasons.
1. I have the same issue on my laptop, and want to know the news when you have them.

2. To give more information: I got this problem randomly when I first tried to install Debian on my Dell Vostro 3460. Since that time, it doenst charge more than 6x% (sometimes it goes to 63, sometimes just till 56, its not everytime the same number, but its always betwen 55% and 65%. It happens on Windows too, and on Debian, of course.
I tried a lot of things, discharge till it doesnt turn on, and charge again, didnt fix. Discharged till it doesnt turn on anymore and let the power button pressed for something like 40 seconds and power on, didnt fix. Tried let it charge on the SETUP screen, no effect. Tried blamming the battery's mother, and said I'd burn it on mordor, yet didnt work.

So I really want to know news about your battery, because I thinks you got the same problem I have with mine.

R00KIE · 2015-08-11 15:31:00

Make sure you install all the drivers on windows, then if it still happens contact the store where you bought it. It should just work but you never know, if I'm not wrong there are some laptops where you can configure how much you will let the battery charge/discharge, it is along shot but this could be something like that.

elsherif · 2015-08-14 05:39:49

If it's a Lenovo laptop ... you will find an option for this in the lenovo power management software installed on windows.
You will find two options there "battery health" and "maximum runtime" (not sure of the names).
You will have to choose the runtime option as the battery health option does exactly what you are describing.
And yes, when you choose this from windows it affects all other OSs you have ... apparently it is a HW thing.

Unda · 2015-08-17 20:08:37

So I have some news.
Yesterday, I unplugged my laptop so it discharged a little. The level went below 30% (something like 27.21%), when I plugged in again, nothing happened, just as I told you before.
But eventually, I turn off my laptop to sleep, and when I woke up today, my battery was fully charged again. I did nothing to make this happen ...

Is it possible that this behaviour is automatic ? I mean I read somewhere that Li-ion batteries should be fully discharged from time to time, so would it be possible that the laptop takes care of something like that on its own ?

EDIT : Ok so bad news actually, I unpugged it to see if it would discharge normally, and the battery level instantly got to 24%.

Last edited by Unda (2015-08-17 22:27:58)

lervag · 2015-08-27 20:24:23

I have a similar problem with my Lenovo Yoga 2. I've had the laptop since last year, and it's worked well until about a week ago after I did a system update. I notice in my `pacman.log` that both `acpi_call` and `acpid` was updated, and I'm currently trying a downgrade. I will report back after a reboot and testing.

lervag · 2015-08-27 20:29:12

Downgrading `acpid` and `acpi_call` did nothing.

lervag wrote:

I have a similar problem with my Lenovo Yoga 2. I've had the laptop since last year, and it's worked well until about a week ago after I did a system update. I notice in my `pacman.log` that both `acpi_call` and `acpid` was updated, and I'm currently trying a downgrade. I will report back after a reboot and testing.

Arch Linux

#1 2015-08-09 15:26:34

Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#2 2015-08-09 16:29:55

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#3 2015-08-09 18:30:20

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#4 2015-08-09 18:54:19

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#5 2015-08-09 19:25:56

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#6 2015-08-10 18:45:32

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#7 2015-08-11 15:31:00

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#8 2015-08-14 05:39:49

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#9 2015-08-17 20:08:37

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#10 2015-08-27 20:24:23

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

#11 2015-08-27 20:29:12

Re: Battery charging but percentage not increasing (charging at zero rate)

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