[LAPTOP] battery possibly damaged after laptop went flying

[dbaker]

not even a kubuntu question, but I don't know where else to post..

This morning I dropped my laptop, or rather, it flew out of my hands and bounced off the wall (don't ask...)
Amazingly it seems unscathed apart from a tiny crack in the casing, but I've taken the battery out after noticing something odd.

My laptop has an indicator light that shows if the battery is charging. Normally when the power is plugged in, if the battery isn't fully charged the indicator will be red. Once it's charged it goes off.
If it's charging and the battery level is critically low the indicator flashes. I've only noticed this when I've let the battery run right down and then plugged in the power with 0% charge remaining. The flashing stops once it gets past a certain critical charge level, I guess.

The first thing I noticed when I turned the computer on again after it fell was the battery indicator flashing constantly. The battery level was 93%, but the battery monitor in the system tray said 'not charging'. I left it for a while and came back and it was still at 93% and refusing to charge.

I was worried the battery might have been damaged internally from the fall (even though it looked fine) so I took it out. I just don't feel comfortable using the computer with the battery in after the impact it took.

but...new batteries are expensive, and I don't want to buy a new one unless I'm sure there actually is something wrong. I'm scared to try putting the battery back in now. Thoughts? anyone else had something like this happen?

[NickStone]

It may not be the battery that is damaged. It may be the circuits inside the laptop that have become damaged. I would suggest that if you know someone with an identical laptop to ask them if you can borrow their battery and insert it in to your laptop to see if the same thing happens. If it does not then it is the battery that is faulty.

I personally would not recommend you buying a replacement compatible battery from a third party but to get a genuine battery. I bought two compatible batteries for my Dell laptop - the first would not charge passed 35% of the capicityand the second does fully charge but only gives me about 2 hours usage before it needs re-charging. Other people may have better experiences with compatible batteries but I would suggest if you do need to get a new batery is to buy a genuine battery from the manufacturer.

[GreyGeek]

.... I personally would not recommend you buying a replacement compatible battery from a third party but to get a genuine battery. ...

I second that opinion.

I suspect that your problem is a mechanical break in the circuit board. If you have the technical ability it is time to expose the circuit board(s), pull out your magnifying glass, and thoroughly inspect all the mounting points of the circuit board (places where screws hold it to the frame), and place where wiring connects the circuit board to components attached to the frame. If you find any breaks you can use crazy glue to bond them together, and 20 gauge enamelled Copper wire to bridge the gaps created by the breaks.

Otherwise, just leave the battery out and keep it plugged in, as if it were a desktop.

[dbaker]

thanks for your input. I forgot to mention the place I bought it from supplies spare batteries specifically for their various models of laptop, so that's not an issue. Unfortunately I don't know anyone with the same laptop to try out the battery - that's the problem with buying custom Linux machines from tiny obscure companies!

god I hope it isn't a circuit board issue, although I suspect you may be right (seems more likely than the battery being damaged).
I wish I had the skill to look at it myself - I'm mighty tempted, as I'd have a hard time entrusting it to anyone else to fix and I came across a great service manual that explains in detail how to take everything apart...but nope, I'd definitely break something.

[GreyGeek]

... I wish I had the skill to look at it myself - I'm mighty tempted, as I'd have a hard time entrusting it to anyone else to fix and I came across a great service manual that explains in detail how to take everything apart...but nope, I'd definitely break something.

It's not as hard as it seems IF you have the technical manual explaining how to disassembly and re-assemble it. You'll need a 25 watt soldering gun and a spool of solder, plus the necessary screwdrivers to remove the screws. A small needle nose pliers is always helpful. Keep track of the screws and parts by putting them in small ketchup cups as you remove them. Don't simply lay them down on the workbench/table. They'll grow legs and walk away without your noticing it. ALSO, you can get a grounding map and another tool which is a flexible electric write with a grounding wrist strap on one end and an alligator clamp on the other. This will prevent static electric shock from damaging the components in your laptop. Amazon has all the stuff you might need:

http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-Piece...W1DZP725K5EKWE

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Anti-St.../dp/B00004Z5D1

http://www.amazon.com/Rosewill-RTK-A...T04D9D29SQ7XMA


And, a good loupe set to be able to see the thin hairline cracks in the Copper tracings.

http://www.amazon.com/SE-Loupe-Set-D...PM8FNN0WB3YSY0

[dbaker]

very tempting...I have a heap of equipment in my amazon wishlist now :P
I don't suppose there's any harm in at least opening it up and having a look, at least. there's something I'd like to test first though...do you think it's safe to try putting the battery back in temporarily? I want to see if it will draw charge from the battery without the charger plugged in.

[GreyGeek]

Personally, I would not put the battery back in IF, as you wrote previously, the battery circuits failed to enter the recharge mode. If you drain a Li-ion battery below 10% charge you can permanently damage it.

If you decide to go exploring inside your laptop at least wear a anti-static bracelet connected to the metal frame (not plastic) of the case.

[dbaker]

does that mean all the times I've let laptop batteries run right down have been damaging them? o_o
I was wondering about that and what impact it had on the battery health.

The battery was almost fully charged when it stopped working, surely it wouldn't have dropped below 10% already?

[GreyGeek]

does that mean all the times I've let laptop batteries run right down have been damaging them? o_o
I was wondering about that and what impact it had on the battery health.

The battery was almost fully charged when it stopped working, surely it wouldn't have dropped below 10% already?

No, the laptop battery circuitry automatically controls the charge to between 10% actual charge (which is reported as 0%) and 90% actual charge (which is reported as 100%). However, with the circuitry possibly damaged you cannot trust that built in safety. Hence, I advise against putting the battery into your laptop until you resolve your problem. BTW, many higher quality batteries have a button and series of lights on their side which, when the button is held down for a few seconds, displays lights which related to the actual charge. One light = 10%, 5 lights = 100%. At least that is how the battery in my Sony VAIO laptop worked. It's called Battery Management Systems (BMS), which will help regulate the health of a battery and keep it safe. As Li-Ion batteries are highly-volatile and prone to fires when under- or over-charged, the development of BMS and other intelligent microprocessing chips prevent unstable states of charge. A BMS will keep the battery within the realm of safe operation, attempting to prevent over-voltage, over-charge, excessive heat or cold damage, or other detrimental states. http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/89...2i8CuToM25l.99

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a..._ion_batteries

[dbaker]

that's interesting. My old macbook battery had those indicator lights, unfortunately this one doesn't.

[SteveRiley]

This morning I dropped my laptop, or rather, it flew out of my hands and bounced off the wall (don't ask...)

No, I really wanna ask. How does a laptop suddenly fly out of one's hands, hmmm? I didn't think those new-fangled winged models were due to hit the streets until later in the summer.

[dbaker]

haha, it was the kind of very silly clumsy accident that frequently befalls me...

I was carrying the laptop from one room to the other, walking kind of quickly, and the cord of my dressing gown got caught on a door handle. My laptop kept moving, I didn't. (If you've never experienced something like that it's hard to descibe the force of it...suffice to say that of the two of us, my laptop definitely came out of it better off.)

[SteveRiley]

Yah, something similar happened to me once.

I was in 10th grade, and my parents had just bought me a brand new Conn 8-D double French horn. I was playing it at dress rehearsal for the school orchestra. The brass section was placed on some risers, with the horns and trumpets on the top back row. I kept inching my chair back without realizing it -- and there was no raised bar to prevent the chair from falling off. Sure enough, eventually one of the legs slid a bit too far off the riser! The guy next to me threw his arm out and grabbed my horn, allowing me to crash into a heap on the floor. I was eternally grateful for that!

[Feathers McGraw]

The guy next to me threw his arm out and grabbed my horn...

He did WHAT?!

I was eternally grateful for that!

I bet you were! Hehe. Too easy...

[SteveRiley]

He did WHAT?!

Fastest arm in the midwest, that kid had...