T400 Battery

I just received my T400 laptop that I order at the end of August. Anyway I was very excited in getting it up and running, but I noticed something right away.

With the 9 Cell battery in, it seems to be a little loose. My guess is that it can move a mm or two back and forth once locked in. It makes the laptop seem fragile and I am worried about damaging either the connections, or the battery during travel. The only reason I went with the T400 was the great battery life, but this new battery is extremely frustrating for me.

Is my case unique? or have other noticed the wiggle room.

Anyone know lenovo's return policy via the cpp site?

 

I also have a little wiggle—even with the six cell. I just attribute it to a little design flaw and have moved on—being a little more careful when holding the laptop near/from that area. If this design flaw causes an issue, hopefully it’ll be before the warranty expires.

 

My 9-cell has a bit of wiggle. Has never caused a problem for me in the ~3 1/2 years I've had it, and I'm not particularly careful with it.

 

My T400 9-cell has some wiggle just like the rest.... but the extra 4-cell I got has none.

Then again, whenever I use the 4-cell, I miss my 9 hours of battery.

 

This is pretty common, my T40 with a 6 cell has a little wiggle. It's no big deal and will be fine

 

If the battery fits tight as a glove at room temp, isn't there a chance that on a hot day when a little thermal expansion comes into play you'd end up with an even bigger problem?

 

I want to know how the hell you're getting 9 hours of battery.

 

Agreed. "Battery Wiggle" on Thinkpads is very common with the larger capacities. It always freaks people out, but I've never read a thread where it has caused problems or loose connections. I just think of it as too much junk-in-the-trunk, so you gotta let it wiggle-a-lil.

 

Simple explanation for you.

Most notebook manufacturers, Lenovo included, anticipate a bit of flex in the plastic with larger cell batteries. Because the larger cells are heavier in weight by nature, they pull on the chassis more than a 4 cell for example. Thus, they design them to have a bit of leeway to help reduce likely hood of damage to the very connector you are worried about. Now, if the battery was loose to the point that it "wiggled" a centimeter or two, then you may have a problem/concern with the retaining latch system in the notebook, but 1 to 2 mm is hardly worth the worry you are experiencing.

Some have mentioned thermal properties, but it is important to note that because of the nature of Lithium Ion/Polymer style batteries, most manufacturers now have to use a resin based poly urethane plastic for the battery exterior. This makes it durable to both outside and inside affects. While it protects the battery cells from bumps and bruises externally, it also protects the consumer from the battery fluids on the inside. Part of this design and product assembly includes heat created and expelled from traditional use. So, yes, they are anticipating and designed for possible heat issues, but I do not believe that is the reasoning for the small amount of "wiggle" room as a 4 cell would produce just as much heat as a 9 cell albeit in a slightly smaller, but concentrated, amount in comparison. This also explains why they clearly put labels on batteries stating to not expose them to temperature extremes because of possible failure.

So, to more simply respond to your original worries and concerns, take a page for the folks in the North East and just "Fugetaboudit" .

BBGus