TP43 - Battery question

Dear Forum,

Could somebody please advise what steps I should take to fix my battery?

The problem is that my battery does not appear to be charging.

I would be very grateful if somebody could kindly help me!

Thank you so much!

Harry

Here are some details which might help diagnose the problem:

- I purchased my T43 in 2006 and the battery was changed over in July 2006 as part of IBM's battery recall

- I have never had any problems with my battery before (or after the recalled battery)

- I use my computer very regularly

- I run my computer with both the battery and AC power supply plugged in (not the smartest option I know!)

- From yesterday, the battery light blinks constantly with an orange colour

- The battery does not appear to be charging - yet the computer runs fine with the AC plugged in

- I have two power cords - so I changed them around and there was no change

- I unplugged the battery and ran the computer purely from AC - power was being supplied and there was no problem

- I turned my computer off and tried to let it charge without the main unit being on - no change

- I then tired the other battery I have (the one supposed to be recalled) and it charged fine

- The Thinkpad power manager shows for the problem battery:

- Battery information: '1 - main battery' - condition: good (This battery is in good condition)

'Status: No activity - Remaining percentage: 4% - Remaining time: - Remaining capacity: 1.41Wh Full charge capacity: 36.29Wh.'

I am running Windows XP SP3 on my computer.

 

I honestly wouldn't use the power manager as a gauge of how well your battery's been doing. Frankly, after four years of usage I'm surprised your battery did that well, and you're most likely going to need a replacement.

I'm not sure if you can do this on your model, but on newer ThinkPads you can do a battery gauge reset. That'll run your battery completely down then completely recharge it, and in the process will gauge how heavily your battery's been depleted.

That said, a few years ago I picked up a T41 with several bad batteries. I was able to run a couple of those for nearly an hour past what the Power Manager gauge indicated was 0%. If you don't have the battery gauge reset option, you could try this option(just turn off all your idle timers and let it run down).

Out of curiosity, how many cycles are on your battery?

 

It's four plus years old. Get a new one.

 

This means the battery is damaged or in some way non-operational, as others have suggested the age and chemical break down is likely the cause. Batteries generally last a year or two and it seems like in the rare case such as yours up to 4!

 

Dear Forum,

Thank you all for the detailed replies. It is clear that I require a new battery.

I am unsure how to determine the number of cycles left on the battery. If you can kindly advise how to obtain this information, I would be more than happy to tell you.

After searching Lenovo's and IBM's website, I was unable to find any specific replacement battery product.

- Is anybody able to locate the replacement battery on the Lenovo / IBM website? I would be grateful for a link!

- What is your recommendation for purchasing a battery online from an alternative website (eg. Amazon)?

Thanks in advance!

Harry

 

Open Power Manager. On the battery tab it will tell you the number of cycles and the remaining charge capacity.

Do you want the six or nine cell battery? You can find the part numbers in the Hardware Maintenance Manual. There's link in the sticky. I'd buy one on eBay.