CF-29 odd battery/charger module behavior

So, i have tried to check thru the FAQs and the threads - and have found some similar but not exact issues.

I have a 2.5yo CF-29, original owner - it gets a ton of use, and moderate abuse (i work in construction). I use the battery calibration tool every few months - and it gets about 50/50 desk vs. truck use (on a vehicle mount).

I have not noticed any recent battery degradation, battery swelling, or bad melty-smells - but out of the blue, the laptop will not operate on battery at all, and if the power cord is removed the unit will instantly turn off. Now - other things - generally the battery light now flashes red whether or not the battery is in the battery bay or not, if you take the battery out and put it back in the battery light will then turn solid orange for a few minutes and then it will turn solid green for a while, and then at some point it will start flashing red again.

I have run the battery recalibration software and it fails out partway in. Running system diagnostics or looking at the hardware monitor etc shows the battery in 'good' working order however, and there are no failures noted there. Also cannot find a battery error log - don't know if there is one in there or not. I have also taken things partly apart to look for obvious things like dangling cables etc, but no luck there either. Suggestions?

 

Battery is worn out. Usually there is no hope for the battery once it starts flashing red. It may have one bad cell in it which can confuse battery diagnostic proggies.

 

is it common for the panasonic LI to die without warning? just curious - i've had Dells and Stinkpads where the battery dies over a period of time -and then the experience of a number of mac owner friends with the swelling/bursting/flaming batteries . One bad cell could cause 100% failure then?

 

I believe you underestimate the age of your CF-29; they haven't been produced since 2007. Likely, your battery (if original) is also that old; and li-ion batteries are what we call "livestock" - they have a shelf life in the 3-ish year range before they start to fail even if not used. Yes, a single cell can cause the entire pack to shut down in failure mode; this isn't like your grand-dad's 3-cell flashlight where it would "sortof work for a while". It's a smart battery pack, and its brains are designed to keep a li-ion battery healthy and productive as long as possible, then go into shutdown if there's a chance of a faulty cell causing an excessive current or short-circuit condition.

You say it gets "gets about 50/50 desk vs. truck use"; one of the WORST things you can do to any lithium battery is leave it in a vehicle. Li-ion cylindrical cells are more durable than their li-poly counterparts, so fires caused by the heat of the solar oven effect are not likely. However, under the right conditions an object in your car can easily reach 160°; more than hot enough to damage even those cells, especially if left in there repeatedly.

Time to start looking for a new battery, sir. I don't believe there are any new-new OEM ones out there anymore; all "New-Old-Stock" which has probably been on the shelf more than 3 years. The alternative is aftermarket, where you can get new cells of unknown quality with "brains" of unknown quality.

Either way, it's pretty much a crap-shoot whether you get a battery that's worth a d@mn the day you get it; and after that, a crap-shoot every day as to how long it lasts.

Other forum members will chime in about their good luck with certain vendors when it comes to batteries; heed their advice. It's your best chance to find one that'll work for more than a week.

mnem
*Out of juice. No, really. I need to go get some.*

 

Thanks very much! I do appreciate the feedback and educational commentary. It is nice to know the how and why behind the answer.

Amstron seems to have a decently priced replacement battery unit, 1 yr warranty, and Samsung cells. Any commentary on this brand/manuf from the peanut gallery would be appreciated! Prices seem to range from around $300 - $51 online that i can see, but most that match the specs on the OEM battery or manuals i can find seem to be in the $100-150 range (this is where i am shooting for).

As far us Truck use, i guess i was not specific enough - it is only mounted/used in the truck when i am there - thus the environmental conditions are only what i can tolerate I am an Architect and General Contractor (we have a Design Build firm), and the TB's so far have been invaluable tools for the office - incredibly tolerant of jobsite abuse and dust/debris/falling wet plaster (don't ask). Historically we also don't keep them plugged into AC all the time, but try to keep the battery exercised fairly regularly. I've sold a lot of other contractors in my area on these things. =)

 

This might be something to look into Panasonic Toughbook CF-29/CF-51 Series Laptop Battery CF-VZSU29U . Some members have used them before

 

Well, that's exactly how these beasties were intended to be used; get a little crud on 'em, wash it off in the sink & let it drip-dry. Welcome to the Forum BTW!

I have no personal knowledge of Amstron's product; however, they are at least a US-based company, so a better start than most of the Korea/Maslaysia/China el-cheapo stuff you see on fleaBay. They may very well still be an el-cheapo manufacturer; but usually American el-cheapo stuff has a minimum standard for appearance and quality. Some of the stuff I see coming from China makes you think "Jeezus... just look at this. It's utter sh!te, why even bother to put it in a box?" Plus you're much less likely to get literature in Chingrish. (Black & Decker's example notwithstanding)

Good hunting,

mnem
Batteries are like women - You gotta keep 'em warm, but not too warm.

 

A lot of people I meet fall into that category.

 

Mmmhmmm... a lot of them in Washington too.

mnem
"The great flaw... the fallacy of the Democratic System... is witness the fact that you don't count brains by counting noses." - me

 

Thanks for the tips. Got a new Amstron battery - will let y'all know how it does, but looked great out of the box, no Chinglish on the instruction sheet, and well padded in box, with another layer of padding in the shipping envelope. Paid for 3day fedex, actually got it in 2 from Cali! Will see how it performs. Am going to send the dead one to the other link provided above for a battery 'retread' to see how that works - always nice to have spares onhand if it does!

 

correction is needed where correction is warrented, this means, do I recall someone who purchased either a panasonic cf-30 or cf-31 battery with the "bump" on the side that was "removed" altered smoothed off that fit in a cf-29 battery bay as what I'd call a relatively fresh recent manufacture battery. help an aging old toughbooker out here guys..Driller
shawn or sadlemkr was it one of you guys?

 

As the kids on the bus used to say.."I didnt do it"

I am fairly sure it was Ohlip. I think with the mod a 30 batt works in a 29 but not the other way around.


Shawn

 

Yes it was Teo. You could make the 30 fit a 29 but the 29....I think would not charge ???? in the 30. I know it was something like that