Issue with new 54.

When I had this configured I was torn between getting the DVD drive or the 2nd battery. On the 54 they are mutually exclusive. Unlike the 30 where we can pull the drive out and insert the battery.
My issue is that the 2nd battery is not being detected. Not in the BIOS, DM, FN9 or anywhere. I called support yesterday and they are going to over night me another battery tomorrow. A small part of me says the battery is not the issue.
Have you guys seen this issue before and what are you seeing as the culprit?

Thanks!

 

barring settings in the bios ...
it might just be so .
most devices these days communicate with comp in some fashion to one degree or another ...
that is except for the really cheap stuff .
sooo ... if the battery isn't talking to the MB/bios then they think that nobody's home .

if you had another machine that it would fit into then you could prove the point .

ya just might wind up with a free battery out of the deal .

 

That sounds horrible...You better trade me that CF54 for my CF30 with a media battery and DVD...

Can you use an external charger to pre charge the battery?.

 

I have never heard or seen this happen before. Any of my 2nd batteries for my CF-29 or 30 were always seen as soon as I put them in.

 

Did you read the instruction of the new battery? It might have been a protected pull out insulator on the the terminal pin to protect the battery from a short circuit during transport.

ohlip

 

All good points and questions. I wish I had another 54 to check the battery, that would be too easy...

I can't see anything protecting the terminals on the battery end. If i knew what the exact terminals were I could at least Ohm it out I guess.

I can't see any protection on the terminals, but that is a very good suggestion!

 

Odds are its a CF-VZSU14B inside a shell. The CF-VZSU14B can be connected to an external charger. Such as CF-VCBTB1. That would tell you if it is the battery or the charging circuit.

 

If only I had one....I'll know for sure on Tuesday after I receive the new one whether it's the battery or unit.

 

The CF-VCBTB1 or the newer model, the CF-VCBTB2 is one of the best accessories that I have bought for my Toughbooks.

 

The spec's I see don't list the CF-54, but it might just not be updated.

 

Can you look inside the CF-54 slot if there is a matching connector inside. A few toughbook has non and it is an option.

ohlip

 

Seems all good. My wild guess now is the battery itself. It may need to wake up the cell.

ohlip

 

I have some jumper cables! I'll wake those freaking cells up!

 

Yes I think that may do

 

cf-vzsu0kw

 

just for grins and giggles ...
grab a dmm and check the voltage , via different combinations of connectors on the battery .
if there are a couple of pins that have the correct voltage on them , then it may be the battery and comp are not talking to one another .

 

Well we should find out soon if Panasonic comes threw with new battery today.

 

The photo sucks, but it appears to be a standard battery connector.
If it is a standard connector, the other most terminals are Positive and Negative.

 

Who needs a laugh this afternoon? I received the battery today but unfortunately it was the main and not the secondary. I called Tech Support and explained the situation. He states that Panasonic does not have a listing for that battery! I gave him the part # as well! Told me to call my reseller for further support. WTF is with these guys? I called my guy at Buytough and told him the story, I think he pissed himself he was laughing so hard.
This kind of stuff can only happen in my daily routine!

 

yeah ...
it aint the first time something like that has happened .
many years ago (more than i would care to admit to) i learned which warranty repair centers and who to talk to if i needed help .
not just in general , but specific types/areas of problems ...
one guy/center was good at XYZ while another was good at ABC .

 

I posted a story on here that I read about Heartlands a while back. It was from an insider at Heartlands...Very interesting read..It explained a lot...

 

Heartland seems to have it together from what I have experienced. It's the Toughbook guys that handle the support is what the issue is. From what I was told they do not work at Heartland.

 

I did a search on them some time ago and wow do they have a lot of "not so happy" employees and ex-employees. It was a real eye opener.

 

Well this is getting to be pretty funny now. They sent me the same battery again......I might as well turn this into a game now, gonna see how many main batteries I can accumulate!

 

When I get in that type of situation. I start sending emails with part numbers and many photos of the incorrect parts.
I send these emails to pretty much anyne in the company that I can find an email address for.
Sort of shotgun tech support.. One of the many readers of the emails will then push the correct internal button and "git er done"

If not I then follow with an email barrage of politely telling them I want a full refund so I can buy a competitors product. I also attach the same photos again.

I even email company presidents...I can be persistent. especially if I figure that I have nothing to lose.

 

Sounds to me like you would be a tech support worst nightmare. Been there..done that and got what I needed

 

yep......

 

before calling for a TCB , i have recommended that customers get in contact with "consumer affairs/relations" for a particular company .
sometimes , it takes a registered letter to shake the tree .
i usually wound up doing this when i/the customer was stonewalled by tech support .
trying to talk to the same batch of people that sent the wrong stuff twice is an exercise in futility ...
doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results accomplishes nothing .
no matter how many times those chaps screw up , they still pick up a paycheck ... while the customer receives nothing but frustration .