Why my battery die so soon?

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-11 21:20:33

Both linux and vista agree, my laptop battery is dying. This is a dell laptop, about 1.5 years old.
My runtime is now about 1h, 55min. I forget what is was before.

New batteries are about $140.
Any ideas why this happened so soon? I don't want a new battery to suffer the same fate.

Here are the warning messages:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Raccoon1400 … yWarnings#

Here is a thread about an issue with my power adapter, which may or may not be relavent.
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=55144

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-11 22:38:33

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/glob … s=dhs#faq1

this site tells me that at the age of this battery, I can expect it to noticably reduce in runtime.
This seems early.

creslin · 2008-10-12 00:55:08

This is from ThinkWiki, but it applies to li-ion batteries in general. This may or may not help you, but just in case:

Lithium Ion General
* avoid deep discharges except when resetting fuel gauge or reconditioning a battery; partial dis-/recharges are better for the battery lifetime (note: fuel gauge will slowly get inaccurate over time)
* remove battery when on AC (due to heat)
* avoid exposing the battery (or notebook) to excessive heat

Lithium Ion Charging
* avoid charging if battery is nearly full, unless you will need its full capacity soon; keep it on the 30%-85% charged range
* keep notebook off while charging due to heat
* fully discharge, then fully charge battery when needed to recalibrate fuel gauge; newer battery pack models require this less often, old ones might need it as often as every 30 cycles

Lithium Ion Storage
* never fully charged or discharged, ideally at about 40%
* cool and dry, but do not freeze them: 10-15C is recommended

Battery health
Batteries, especially of the modern Li-Ion type, wear out quicker when they hold a large charge or are subject to higher temperatures (see above).
If you use your laptop at a desk, reduce battery wear by maintaining an appropriate charge level. When possible, remove Li-ion batteries while operating from AC as the notebook gets hot enough inside for that to damage the battery in the long run, even if charging is stopped.
On recent ThinkPads, charging thresholds can be configured in the bundled software. Under Linux, this is supported on recent models by the tp_smapi driver (and even without tp_smapi, if you have a dual-boot setup, you can set the thresholds under Windows and they will be remembered as long as you don't power off your machine with AC disconnected; suspend to RAM is OK). Have a look at How to use UltraBay batteries.
If you have spare Li-ion battery packs, store them at 40% charge in a cool place (15C being a recommended temperature, do not let the batteries freeze). If storing inside a refrigerator, beware of humidity, and be careful with cold spots that can easily freeze the battery if anything goes wrong.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-12 01:49:55

this info could be useful. I think I'll buy a new battery, and get as much more out of this one as I can.
Does anyone know how to set the computer to not charge the battery completely, to only charge to a certain point and only fully if I tell it?

Also, this info said to avoid deep discharges. That sounds like it may be hard to do.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-12 03:27:20

Capacity gone down to 42% from 46% after a complete discharge.

Gullible Jones · 2008-10-12 04:19:59

Yeah, Li-ion batterys *really* do not like deep discharges. My laptop is about the same age as yours, and the battery is almost dead (~7%) due to discharging a few times.

Last edited by Gullible Jones (2008-10-12 04:20:20)

molom · 2008-10-12 05:14:13

It really depends how much you use it, and if possible, let the battery go to 0-10% and then charge it, which will give it a longer life.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-12 15:51:21

I can try not to kill it completely. Sometimes I like to take it downstairs and use it on the sofa until the battery dies.

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-12 16:32:42

Can I conclude that if the battery is discharged completely, it looses a bit of it's capacity?

Raccoon1400 · 2008-10-13 01:34:56

molom wrote:

It really depends how much you use it, and if possible, let the battery go to 0-10% and then charge it, which will give it a longer life.

Not with lithium ion batteries. Above, it was stated that this is the opposite of what should be done.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-10-11 21:20:33

Why my battery die so soon?

#2 2008-10-11 22:38:33

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#3 2008-10-12 00:55:08

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#4 2008-10-12 01:49:55

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#5 2008-10-12 03:27:20

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#6 2008-10-12 04:19:59

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#7 2008-10-12 05:14:13

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#8 2008-10-12 15:51:21

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#9 2008-10-12 16:32:42

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

#10 2008-10-13 01:34:56

Re: Why my battery die so soon?

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