T430s Defective 6 cell T81+ Panasonic Battery Alert

Just a heads up: T430s owners should check the status of their 6 cell T81+ battery.

Issue: Lenovo T430s systems shipped a with Panasonic T81+ 6 cell battery (FRU 45N1039) may contain a defect that causes a major discrepancy between the battery's Design Capacity and Full Charge Capacity resulting in abrupt system shutdowns.

Detail: Modern batteries have 2 main critical reporting parameters, Design Capacity and Full Charge Capacity. These reporting parameters keep the system apprised on remaining battery charge and regulate the charging system accordingly. A healthy non-defective battery should report nearly the same value (+/- 0.50Wh) for both of these parameters. The T430's 6 cell T81+ battery capacity spec is 44Wh.

Cause: The defective Panasonic T81+ batteries have a significantly lower Design Capacity of ~38.85Wh, while still reporting a ~43Wh Full Charge Capacity. This causes the system to shutdown abruptly while on battery because the T430s believes that the battery still has remaining power, and doesn't execute power management of the critical battery action to sleep or hibernate, while in reality the battery is completely depleted. Due to the lower 38Wh Design Capacity on these defective batteries, run time is approximately 10-15% less than a normal healthy 44Wh battery.

Resolution: Check your system's battery using Lenovo's Power Manager Utility. If your Panasonic (FRU 45N1039) battery reports a Design Capacity that's significantly lower than its Full Charge Capacity, Contact Lenovo Warranty Support and request a SANYO 6 cell T81+ battery (FRU 45N1037).

Lenovo issued battery firmware update 0002-0063-1001-a300 for the defective Panasonic batteries, but this doesn't actually resolve the issue. Instead, it gimps the battery's Full Charge Capacity to match the lower ~38Wh Design Capacity and modifies the battery's FRU to 45N1143.

Affected Panasonic T81+ 6 Cell Battery - BEFORE firmware update


Lenovo Battery Firmware Update


Panasonic Battery - AFTER firmware update



SANYO T81+ Battery FRU 45N1037

 

Thanks for the information. My T430s is being delivered tomorrow.

 

Generally cells from panasonic last a lot long than sanyo cells in terms of degradation. However, lenovo should man up and fix this issue regarding 38wh capacity when it should be 44wh.

 

I have this issue too... hadn't noticed. Thanks!

 

You're very welcome guys.

Sorry for the not so good news. I hope your T430s is absolutely perfect.

Amen brother.

Sorry to hear that. If it's any consolation, we have over 60 T430s with Panasonic batteries and all of them are affected. I'm quite certain the issue is widespread.

 

Yeah, appears your plight will be a bit more of an inconvenience... Mine is just a nuisance... The unit I have wasn't configured right and the replacement is already being prepped for drop shipping. I may rid my self of the issue without intending... I am glad to know that the issue exists... Information is power.

 

i guess i was lucky for ordering the 4 cells quick charge battery with my T430s.

 

The Panasonic battery and Power Manager in my just received machine report 43.29 for design and full charge capacity.

 

Run the new firmware update and see if it remains to be 43.29.

 

So, I have this type of battery and ran the firmware update as part of the general "update and drivers" cycle in the ThinkVantage tools before I was aware of any issues. Later I was wondering about the IMO pretty rapid discharge when running on battery however and am actually a little miffed that I am cheated out of over 6 Wh of capacity on a new system.

Do you think I should still be able to get a new battery from Lenovo, even without the unexpected sutdown issue?

 

Lenovo's own spec for the T81+ 6 cell battery is 44Wh.

"Overview
Stay unplugged longer with these genuine ThinkPad batteries. These rechargeable batteries use Lithium-Ion technology and can be used as replacement for aging system batteries or as a convenient spare battery.• Lithium-Polymer (Li-Polymer) technology • 6 cell system battery • Battery energy (Watt-hours): 44 Wh •"

Tech specs

Battery Voltage + Units	11.1V
	Power	44
	Power Units	Watts/Hr
	Battery Power + Units	44Watts/Hr

If the battery reports only a 38Wh capacity after applying their "firmware update fix", it's a defective battery and should be replaced with new full capacity 44Wh battery according to their spec. Be polite, but firm with tech support and request that they send you an FRU 45N1037 Sanyo T81+.

 

Hey, I missed this earlier. Glad to hear your new T430s arrived without battery issues.
What's your impression of the machine overall?

 

We like it. I got it on Thursday and we have been using it this weekend on the trip we are on, but so far it's working very nicely. The screen doesn't have the screen door effect my previous T420 and T420 had so that is a plus. Color and contrast are typical for 14" ThinkPads.

I like the new keyboard. I wish I had this board on my Samsung Series 9.

I'll be doing a few battery tests and other stuff later this week. I barely had time to rebuild it Thursday before traveling Friday.

 

LOL after running through a battery gauge reset cycle, my FCC is now 35.43Wh whereas DC is still 43.29Wh. Cycle count is 7. I haven't had that much degradation in my older Thinkpad after two years of use, and this machine is only a few weeks old!

Thanks for the advice.

 

Hi. Would you mind telling us the part number and the manufacturer of the screen on your t430s? Many users have reported that Lenovo use the same screens on t420(s) and t430(s). I wonder if they have made any recent updates on the screen. Thank you.

 

Just a quick update, I called Lenovo (Canada) and after the lengthy contact and warranty confirmation process could describe the problem. The support person then logged into the machine (using their remote assistance tool) where I had the power manager battery tab already open and could show him the lacking FCC vs. DC, so this part was very quick. I tried to request the FRU 45N1037 but he said he couldn't request a specific one but only what they had in stock and it was one type only anyway but no he couldn't tell me which one. Strange.

Today I got the replacement and - lo and behold - it is the Sanyo! Now looking fascinated at 44.40Wh FCC and 44.00Wh DC while it is charging...

 

I also got a Sanyo replacement and it said 44 Wh....now it says 39Wh! ???

Battery life on this laptop is horrible...2-3 hours max.