T520 started on fire?

Hi all,

I've searched the web and this forum but haven't found anything related, as there's too much chatter about laptop batteries starting on fire. Last night while working on my t520 the power abruptly cut out complemented by a BZZZTHPTHAPTHAP sound. I figured my power cord had come loose and my battery died without my paying attention, so I checked the cord. It was fully inserted so I flipped the laptop over to check the battery connection. When I did this I found flames shooting out of the air vents at the bottom/center of the laptop. I tore the power cord and battery out of the laptop and the flames ceased. I'm curious though, if anyone's seen this happen? I assume one or more cap's blew in the power supply. My warranty expired in May but this was a pretty serious (dangerous) failure. Do you think there's any chance Lenovo would consider warranty replacement considering?

 

You've certainly have a good story to tell. I think it's unlikely Lenovo would replace the notebook, but you won't know unless you ask.

 

Yeah, I'm going to give them a call tomorrow... I mean, they could have burned my boys!

::edit:: They transferred me around a few times before denying anything. I offered to send it to them so they could at least figure out why such a potentially terrible thing might happen. I mean, imagine if it happened while my laptop was running on my table and I was away... Would have burned my house down.

I think I'm done with Lenovo. My T420 died of power supply failure, my T61p's graphics card failed, and now my T520's power supply tried to scorch my babymakers. What good is an indestructible machine when it just destroys itself from the inside? My Compaq X1000 is still going strong after 11 years, getting dropped on concrete, stepped on... And it has a higher resolution screen! They just don't make them like they used to....

/rant

 

If they would have been able to discern anything, they may have attributed it to an electrical problem on your end. It's difficult to say whether the servicing tech(s) have the technical knowledge and capacity to trace the source of the flames, really.

But on a positive note, it's good to know that you're okay!

 

Yeah, at least I'm ok!

The fire is actually repeatable... I plugged the battery in again and more flames resulted. I did it a third time in the IT office where I work and filmed it... Not as spectacular as the first occurrence, but still flamey. Considering it's not plugged into the wall and it's clearly coming from within the laptop I think it's safe to say this is a catastrophic failure of the laptop itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Sqr82jFf8

 

Didnt Lenovo have a mass battery recall this year because of potential fire hazard?

 

It is rare for such problems to occur. It is most likely an electrical problem. Most laptops with electrical problems just die but your seems to turn into a fire breathing dragon. Are you using an OEM battery?

 

Yikes! Have you showed this to anyone at Lenovo?

 

That was the question I first asked myself. Lenovo gives warnings about after market batteries being a fire hazard. If it is OEM, then a mass recall would make sense. You just don't hear about this kind of thing happening all that often.

That video doesn't make it look like a battery problem. :\

 

The battery could be operating at an unsafe voltage level. It is hard to tell though.

 

Yes, they did.

 

Have you posted about this campfire of yours on Lenovo Forums? If you haven't, you most certainly should in my opinion...