CMOS battery replacement

Which cmos battery will work in a cf18. It is a mk5 if that matters...I dont think it does, and should apply to all cf18 for sure as I am looking at a mk1 in frot of me disassembled and a mk5 and the connectors ar the same.

It may apply to others of same period, cf52, 29, 30...for those experienced here, please add a quick note. Very helpful for others in future.


Anyway, I purchased what I thought would be the correct cr2032 cmos battery for n ibmthinkpad which I researched and thought would work.

It should, but the connector is too wide, whereas the cf18 is narrow.

Can anyone tell me a model replacement or part number for the correct sized cmos battery?


Thank you!

 

I replaced CMOS batteries on many toughbooks (CF-27,28s, CF-M34s,etc).

best thing to do, is to remove the old CMOS battery including connector and cable.
then carefully strip the yellow plastic of the old battery. Also carefully pry the two + and - metal connections from the old battery.

Now take a new one, CR2032,2025 or another one that is that same as the old one. Put the + and - metal connections on the right side of the new one. Use some gluestrip or so, then wrap around the battery some plastic glue / sticky tape. Then reinser the connector in the toughbook, put the new battery on the same place as it was before.

RE-assemble laptop or for trying out, put the top/bottom cover on it, boot the laptop and voilas.

 

Thanks...

Ill take a look..

I thougt the connections on the battery were soldered...and i really dont want toget into soldering...the next thing you know ill want to solder on something o the motherboard and get carried away..

...it is just the kind of guy i am..

 

The connections are indeed kinda soldered. But with a small flat tip screwdriver, you can remove them carefully from the old battery. Very important is to keep the 2 cables connected to the flat connections.

I use sticky tape that i wrap around the connectors and the new batteries. Always worked. I am using several laptops at this very moment that i gave a new cmos battery in my above procedure, and they still work.

 

Thanks..ok...i have nothing to lose here..

I have ordered several so i hv enough to play with.

May be more secure to simply splice the wires and wrap them using origial connector with new battery.

..it feels that removing soldered connections at battery and using tape to afix them is far less secure andlends itself to stretching or adhesive deterioration in time with heat, passage of time, etc...a loose connection at battery would create a big headache.

Wrapping copper wires together and wrapping them well seems more secure in my mind.

After all, the new batteries come heat wrapped plastic and soldered connections.

We'll see....

But I also wished to ask, what exactly do you mean by "sticky tape" ?

No proper replacement battery available?

I see ppl seling used toughbook batteries online stating tested and working, but who the hell would buy a used battery?!

As if they are so rare and unobtainable or something.

Many thanks.

 

My native language is dutch, so i dont not know all english words. Anyhow, with sticky tape , i mean "plakband" or duct tape

 

You can also CAREFULLY pull the wires and ends out of the new plastic connector and put them in the old one. Pay attention to where the red and black wires went. The wire ends are held in by tiny plastic clips. Lift them slightly and the wires pull right out.....

 

Gotta like anyone who uses duct tape..............

 

Yeah.... (grin)


...and thanks. I did think about that as I imagined as much, but I deleted the comment as upon looking at it the wires did not seem fed through as I imagined..

...but Ill take a look again noting what youve said.

When I finally put this bottom cover back on, and reseal it, I want it to be set for a long time to come.

It made sense upon noting some of strange problems I was experiencing w the mk1. Not remembering setting changes, forgetting things it seemed, etc..

Seems a little known fact what havoc a dead or low bios battery can create...apparently they only last 3-4 yrs. from what ive read.

anyway, thanks again.

 

Well, as a final note for those in the future attempting this...

Simply splicing the wires and using the old connector on a new battery is ideal. Merely use a small pair of needle nose/wire cutter pliers, and just the pull once sng around the wire will pull the insulation off perfectly.

Cut a thin piece of electrical tape. The width of the roll is perfect, and wrap each individually, then wrap them both together for security..DONE.

As a note, I could find no clip of any sort that could be removed on the connector.
Anyway, this method is very secure...the most secure.

this fellow suggesting removing the soldering form the battery is a very foolish thing to do and I could not warn anyone against this ore strongly...

Why remove the heat shrink plastic and secure soldering ?!

...and playing with things with the computer running, I chose to relocate it elsewhere. I dont know if it was original, but it was taped to the top of one of the main chips on the motherboard.

It gets HOT in there...and batteries are hat sensitive. Not to mention sensitive to jarring around. When I replaced it things were already getting gooey from the adhesive from the tape...not good.

On the mark 1 they were placed at a difficult place to get to, beneath the main board, on the top side. It can't be reache by removing the front palm cover either.

In the end I simply placed it in the corner there near the connector beneath one of the square rubber grommets. Once the bottom cover is screwed down it holds it there securely and away from direct heat.

My .02.