Battery longevity tips

There is also a good article to read.

How to prolong lithium-based batteries

Rick

Thanks for the articles.  I think many battery complaints can be attributed to less than optimal usage. 

My original inspiron 6400 battery died and I've been reading customer feedback from various reseller sites.  I wish I could find out the manufacturing date prior to my battery purchase.  I purchased a 9 cell 80WHR 7200mAh OEM equivalent for $54 (after 8% bing cashback) including free shipping from

http://www.level8technology.com

they also carry a 9 cell 85WHR 7800mAh OEM for $15 more.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.17086 

has a 9 cell 7200mAh for the E1705 for $55 shipped

I've come across many sites that sell the battery used for the  e1705 as compatible also for the 6400 & 1505.  They are the same size and voltage so they probably work, but also probably cause problems.

Well I received the 9 cell 80WHR 7200mAh battery for my 6400 which I ordered last week from level 8 for $54 and it seems to be working fine so far.

I also see that dealextreme just got in a 6400 battery (although 4400mAh ) for $44.87 (also shipping included)

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25210

How do I adjust the brightness on my Studio 1537 laptoop?  Reducing the brightness is supposed to prolong battery life.  I cannot find a control for this.

bruiser15,

To turn the brightness of the screen, press Fn and arrow down.

Rick

I just wanted to ask about the battery from Level 8. My battery finally died on my 1501 and am in need of a replacement. On my Dell battery there is a “rubber foot” on it. Does the aftermarket battery have the same? I just want to make sure it remains flat and sturdy on my desk. I’m guessing one cell is bad (9 cell battery) because it goes from 100% to 85% or so slowly then drops quickly to 2% in a matter of seconds.

thanks..

Not sure an aftermarket part will have the same rubber foot, but you can use a screwdriver or Exacto knife to remove the foot off the old battery and super glue it to the new one if needed. That's about the best suggestion I could give.

Yes my level 8 battery did come with the rubber foot.

Here's another source - a 9 cell for the 6400 - $54 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/Replace-Battery-For-DELL-Inspiron-E1505-GD761-7200mah_W0QQitemZ260446842305QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item3ca3d76dc1&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

and a 9 cell for the 1705 for $48 shipped (made in china)

http://www.buyincoins.com/replace-battery-for-dell-inspiron-6000-e1705-9200-9300-9400-product-356.html

Their ebay store seems to have a more recent and extensive inventory than their website at the moment.

Given the longevity complaints in the past with 'genuine' dell batteries, why pay more?

DELL-Bill B & gergev thanks for the replies and the information.

Blair

This is all great information, my question is, at what point will Dell replace the battery?  I do all the right things with the battery (right out of the box it would last 1 hour, 30 min off charge) and it only gets lower.  If it gets to the point where it's 5 minutes off charge it dies, then will Dell consider a replacement (I'm under warranty). 

Thanks

As long as your battery is less than 1 year old, and is not meeting expected charge times, we will replace it under warranty at no cost. I do not know what system you are using, and what activities you are doing when you get 1.5 hrs, but if it's not out of the ordinary, I'd say it sounds like you need a new battery.

Is it true that after market batteries will not report their status to the PC, so that you never know the charge status?

No.

Power meter reports my aftermarket battery as a "Sony" and also the charging status/percentage.

There are many freeware utilities that can collect more details from it.

Thank you for that tip. I have been looking for a way to turn down the brightness on my Studio XPS 1640. There must be a comrehensive manual on the DELL website for this laptop. I am still getting used to this new 'TOY' ........

Apek

Hello DELL-Bill B

I ordered my Studio XPS 1640 on Jun 22 2009 and didn't ship my laptop until July 6 2009. The battery that came with the Studio XPS 1640 is a 6-CELL 56 WHR battery which on a full 100% charge lasts on the Balanced power option last less tha 1.5 hrs. It takes almost as long to get it charged up to the 100% mark again. This is from surfing the net, reading emails and replying them. An ocassional news video and web video conversation. That would be about as long to which I would have to plug into the mains to continue and also recharge the battery.

1.  I got the laptop while in New Jersey. I am currently on assignment posting in Singapore. I got the complete care option and 3 year warranty. By which time my assignment would end and I would move back to New Jersey. As I am currently in Singapore, how would I go about getting the battery replaced, would I have to send the battery back to the U.S. for a replacement of could I get replacement in Singapore.
2. When I got my laptop the only disk that I received with the laptop were : the Driver and utilities reinstall disk, Operating System reintall Vista ultimate 64Bit Sp1 disk, The McAfee Security Disk and Software Kit disk for MS Office. Are the programs like Face recogtion software, Roxio Creator, PowerDvd DX on any of these disk and if not, could I get the program disks for these programs in the event the laptop requires reinstallation.

I would very much appreciate clarification to my questions as I have gone through quite a bit of the posts and have not found the answers to my queries. Many Thanks.