New Battery won't charge (portege 4010)

Hi,

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I purchased a used toshiba portege 4010 laptop and found that it wouldn't run on the battery. I assumed, since the laptop was a few years old, that the battery was toast and so I ordered a new one. The new battery ran for about a half an hour, then the battery light started blinking amber and the normal battery low message was recieved. When the new battery wouldn't start charging I began searching online for a solution. The laptop was wiped clean by the previous owner and I had to download various drivers, applications, common modules and the latest version of the BIOS file. Once I re-booted and updated the BIOS file to the latest version, I powered down and plugged in the A/C adapter. The battery light glowed amber for a few seconds then turned off. Also the Power Saver application says "Battery Remaining N/A". I've left the laptop turned off and plugged in for 12 hrs and I'm going to leave it for another 12 hrs to see if the interal battery needed a re-charge... after that I'm completely out of ideas. Is there any way for me to dissasemble and diagnose the problem?

Thanks for your time.

 

Google it mate, its your best solution here "portege 4010 disable guide"

 

Since the new battery worked for half an hour, it is unlikely to be a duff battery. Sooooooo...

First check that you are using the correct PSU. Not simply the voltage but also the maximum current delivered.

It could also be the charging circuit within the Laptop which is quite complex and interfaces with a microprocessor in the battery (on many makes) to ensure optimum charging and to extend the life of the battery. Check that all of the contacts on the connector are present and mating correctly with the battery.

Finally, it could be the microprocessor in the battery which is faulty and even though the Battery was charged at the manufacturer, it may be preventing re-charging. I would suggest that you try another battery before you start dissecting the laptop.

Good luck....

 

Okay,

So after I updated the BIOS and left the laptop plugged in for 24hrs, I powered up, powered down, put in the new battery and plugged in the a/c adapter. The adapter light glowed green and the battery light glowed amber for a couple of seconds, then the batter light went out and the adapter light started blinking amber... So I thought that I really screwed it... I took out the battery and plugged in the A/C adapter and it powered up (thankfully...). I thought you were probably right and there was a problem internally with the charging circuit, so I went online and ordered a used charger (on the cheap...) to see if I could salvage this, because it ran fine on the new battery when fully charged.

I put the old battery in while I used the laptop in case something was wrong and I was frying the new battery. So I fire in the old battery and give up for the day. The next day I plug the a/c in to use the laptop and the battery light starts glowing amber... which should mean that it is attempting to re-charge... After about an hour or so the battery light goes out, but if I take the a/c out and put it back in the battery light glows amber again. The old battery doesn't seem to hold a charge but that could be because its old...

So now I have no idea what is wrong... I would be my luck to order a faulty battery and I've contacted the company that I ordered it from. I'll see if the charger works and if not, I'll send back the battery and try again.

Anyway,

Thanks for your advice Wheel Nut!

 

Don't give up yet. It could still be that the Mains adapter is faulty and putting out either not enough voltage ot current. My Adapter is rated 15V @ 5 Amps! That's pretty hefty! It is possible that your adapter's output voltage is dropping under load. You could try charging the battery with the computer switched off.

Try the replacement adapter before you send the new battery back.

Post your results .... it may help someone else....

 

Hmmm... My adapter has an output 15V @ 3 Amps

The adapter that comes with the charger I ordered should be 12.6V and 3.6A

If the charger doesn't work, I found reputable service place that will only charge me $20.00 to diagnose the problem. I'll take the batteries, the adapter, the charger and the laptop in and see they can figure it out. I don't want to disassemble it myself, unless I know exactly what I'm looking for.

I'll post again when I get to the bottom of it... maybe I can save someone some agro...

 

Check the underside of the Laptop. The main label should tell you the Voltage and Current required. Mine says 15V ; 5.0A. This should match the rating of the mains adapter. If it doesn't, you have found the source of the problem.