E1705 battery issue/failure

Question

OK, a family member came to vist us this weekend and brought a troubled E1705 Inspiron laptop with a battery issue. I was able to get a true hands-on account of what is going on with it. Here is what is actually happening & what I know so far:

"charging" light indicator (green) stays on for about 1 min when initally plugged in and then totally turns off.
The laptop will work perfectly fine with the AC adapter
When it is on with the AC adapter, the battery charging indicator in the system tray of the desktop continuously stays on and is stuck on 0%.
Family member told me that they always unlpug the laptop when they turn it off due to frequent lighting storms in the FL area & fear of one "zapping" the laptop.
They have TWO AC adapters and both behave the same way with the laptop so I know its not the AC adapter.

The family member told me the amber light will come on after about 30mins after it has initally gone out (from step one). Now, I understand that laptop batteries lose their potency after about a year, but this one appears to have COMPLETELY failed. It doesn't appear to be on the battery recall either from what I can tell on DELL's site.

I have a 4 yr old Inspiron 1100 laptop and the battery no longer has the same life as it once had when new, but it will at least last some time (usually about 30-45mins). This E1705's battery doesn't work AT ALL anymore. If you unplug the adapter while its on, the whole laptop will just shut off.

Is it possible there is something internal not working properly? I ask because I would hate to see them spend $140 for a new battery only to experience the same problem. Could the constant plugging/unplugging have killed something and that shouldn't be done in the future?

If they do get a new battery and it works properly, would it be better to just not have the battery installed in the laptop at all while they are doing the plugging/unplugging for FL lighting storms?

Message Edited by northview on 10-15-2007 03:35 PM

1Buc · Answer

I'm interested in this information too.

northview · Answer

anybody?

Calla Lily · Answer

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/

Visit the above link. It will provide instructions and ample information on taking care of your lithium ion battery, among others.

Basically, the idea of taking the battery out and leaving it without conditioning it is a bad idea (the website above will explain how to condition your battery). Doing so will screw up your battery, and not make them hold charges longer, even if you only use them a couple or less times a month. Also, discharging them completely (unless you're recalibrating it) is a big no-no as well. If you intend to keep the battery out and use only the AC adapter, then leave the charge on the battery to about 40% before storing it. But remember to condition it a couple of times a month to make sure that it still functions properly when you want to use it.

As for the problem you're having, I've read a number of people saying similar things about how batteries from Dell die all of a sudden after a year. Yes, how you take care of it does come into play, but it seems there is some trend that batteries just die all of a sudden. If your battery is not over a year old, then you may be still under warranty. If not, then I'm afriad getting a new battery is the only option. Or, better yet, call Dell Tech suppport to verify that the battery is indeed defective before forking out money for a new one.

Message Edited by Calla Lily on 10-16-2007 07:25 PM

Locked Topics – Laptops General

E1705 battery issue/failure

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