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    Proper Charging of a "New" Battery

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by Old Bob, Feb 24, 2005.

  1. Old Bob

    Old Bob Notebook Enthusiast

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    I bought what the salesperson called a "new" Lithium-ion battery for my T21 Thinkpad at a local computer show.

    When I installed it, it had about a 12% charge. I plug in the power supply and it charged up to about 55% and just about stopped.

    I read the Thinkpad's "Battery Tips" and it mentioned "running the battery down to 3% about once a month". I didn't think Lithium-ion batteries needed "deep charging" but I ran the battery down anyway.

    It ran at about 6% "forever" so I plugged in the power supply. It charged up to about 57-58% and stopped again.

    NOTE: The "reconditioned" battery I got with my "refurbished" Thinkpad has no problem charging to 100%.

    Assuming I bought a "new" battery, what is the correct procedure to initially charge the battery to 100% ???
     
  2. Andrew Baxter

    Andrew Baxter -

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    well, a battery that's old even if it hasn't been used before will have lost some of its life, but the laptop "fuel gauge" should still indicate it is 100% when fully charged to its capacity. You need to discharge the battery all the way until the laptop shuts down and then recharge to see if that helps

    check out this article for more info

    http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

    DigitalCameraReview.com | BargainPDA.com | TabletPCReviewSpot.com
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 2, 2015
  3. Old Bob

    Old Bob Notebook Enthusiast

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    abaxter,

    Thanks for response. When I bought my refurbished Thinkpad, for $20 more they included a "reconditioned" battery which they guarantied for "one hour PLUS" operation. Which turned out to be "true" I have run almost two hours and the battery was still going strong.

    At the local computer show, a "new" T21 battery for $40 was too good to pass up. I had "priced" batteries at $100+. I now suspect the "T21 market" is disappearing and he was glad to find a buyer.

    Also, thanks for battery "URL link". I got "no documentation" with my Thinkpad and I have printed out a loose leaf manual about ¾ of an inch thick.

    FYI: I ran "new" battery down to 3% and it has FINALLY recharged to 100%. It charges [and hopefully discharges] at a much slower rate then the "reconditioned" battery. I will now reinstall the original battery and save the new one until I really need it.