System battery voltage low

Charlene13

There is no easy answer to the problem you are having.  As OneTrickDog mentioned, replacing the battery which would be the first step in trying to troubleshoot the problem.  A new battery is less than $2 and can be purchased from any computer store or Radio Shack outlet.  The 8300 requires a 3-V CR2032 lithium coin cell battery and the link below will explain how to replace it:

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/dim8300/sm/battery.htm

Once the battery is replaced you can then try the other options you have read about in the forums here.

Hello charlene13,

i have a Dimension 8200 purchased Oct. 2002. I can sympathise with you about your low battery warning. I started getting this message about 3 months after I got my computer. I have contacted tech support a number of times and have followed their advise each time. Everything from clearing the NVRAM to vhanging the battery and the message has always come back. I have been haunted by this message up until 3 months ago after trying everything I could think of to fix it. We are are not alone with this problem there have been massive amounts of questions about this problem from everyone. Now i will tell you how I finally fixed the problem but this may not apply to you but if it does try it.. When i first got my computer I was cleaning up the icons in the system tray and removed the icon for the power option properties ( the small icon is a little plug) since removing that I started getting these warnings. When i decided to put it back in the system tray, I have never received another warning and it has been over 3 months. The box for the small icon is in Control Panel under Power Options on the Advanced tab., you will find a small box that says Always Show Icon. If the box is empty put a checkmark. If this doesn't apply to you than disregard this and keep trying.. Good luck, maybe this will help someone else...  Lee..

Thanks for your replies Majestic and One Trick Dog.   If the message appears again, I will certainly replace the battery.

Charlene

Hello Lee (Cornflakes)

Thanks for your info.   I did what you suggested and shut down my computer.  When I powered up, the message did not appear.   Hopefully, this will solve the problem.

Charlene

Hello Charlene13,

I hope this works for you, it may just sound too easy a fix and I can't understand what an icon has to do with a Low Battery Warning but it worked for me so I won't complain. I also don't know much about fixing computers so I just tried different things until I came accross this fix, the warning use to bother me so much and I never got a good fix from tech support. I also want to tell you I have taken my main power plug out of the surge protector and have left it in the wall, I haven't connected it to the surge protector to see if it will work again there.  Please let me know in a week or so if the message still hasn't come back. I will be curious to know.   Lee

I just started having this problem a week ago. I fixed it this morning.

First thing I did was update the BIOS from A03 -> A05. This did not help.

Put battery icon in sys tray. This did not help.

I opened the box, reseated all the connections to the main board and checked all other connections to make sure they were securely attached. The CMOS battery seemed a little loose. Rebooted, I lost my sound card driver so reinstalled. I no longer get the error and my fans are running normal. All is well.

Hello cooramoor,

I know that replacing the icon trick isn't right for 100% of the cases. Sometimes it can really be a bad battery. I personally have done everything that the tech support has told be to do from changing battery to clearing the NVRAM and a few other things and each time it will go away for awhile and then a few days later it was back again. I have added my fix for it after dealing with this problem off and on for nearly 2 years and I know there are many others who have been having this same problem for a long time and have run out of solutions. Just type in Low Battery Warning in the search box and you will see.  I hope you will continue to have no low battery warnings. One less warning message is great news.  Lee

Hello hu,

I'm really glad it worked for you. I don't understand why this little icon works like it does and I wish Dell could explain it. I hope other people that have been having this problem see this thread. Anything is worth a try after being plagued with this problem for so long. But like I said before it may not help all people with this problem but they can at least try it out to see if it does..  It has been 2 months now since I put this icon back and I haven't had any Low Battery Warnings. Could you tell me Hu, if you have your computer plugged into a surge protector or do you have it plugged into the wall? I'm curious to know if it still works in a surge protector.. Lee

Hi all,

It worked for me. Since yesterday I suddenly had this warning after each reboot. I put the "Power option" icon to the statusbar and the warning disappeared.

I think Spock would say: "Fascinating".

Hu

Message Edited by hu on 04-23-2004 02:34 PM

Hi Lee,

I don't understand it either.

I have my Dell Dimension 8300 since october 2003. I cannot believe that within this short time the battery can run empty. I don't use a surge protector but have plugged my Dell into a master/slave power switch together with several peripheral devices. If the Dell is on, the other devices also have power, if Dell is off, the periphery is also powered off automatically.

I am a programmer, working with different PC's for almost 20 years now. I have not  experienced an empty system battery yet.

IMHO I don't think, system batteries run empty that often. And as far as I know, placing an icon in the statusbar does not refill batteries :-). But since then, the warning message disappeared.The problem must be elsewhere...

Hu

Hello Hu,

I guess there is one way to see if it works with the surge protector . Today I will put it back in the surge protector and see what happens. I never believed it was the battery either because too many different models of Dells and they all had different bioses too were affected by this. I'm no computer techie but it was just just a logical thing. I also couldn't see how Dell had gotten such a large amount of bad batteries. Although in some cases if probably is the battery. Anyway I'm just happy to not see that battery warning anymore.  Have a nice day.. Lee

Hi,

I tried to do what you suggested with clicking on the icon with that plug & then I shut off & restarted & now I have the same alert & a new alert:

Alert! Rear Fan2 failure

Alert! System battery voltage is low

then the F1 & F2

I am so UPSET with Dell - i spent a fortune on this XPS (gaming computer) and i can never get an answer at Dell by phone - i am on hold forever & then give up.  I've written e-mails & gotten such stupid answers.  I told them my puter is only 5 mos. old & IF the battery was new, the battery shouldn't be low.  I have a 4 year warranty i paid for & they're telling me to take the tower apart & take the battery out & RUB IT !  In most items, if you take it apart, you void your warranty.  Secondly i am not comfortable taking my tower apart - i am not very puter literate & may damage something else.  Then the 2nd email i got said it doesn't sound like a hardware problem, to unplug it from my surge protector.  I have the best surge protector around.  Well, i guess IF my fan2 failed, i better turn off my puter now & TRY calling the jerks again for the 10th time.  I don't understand, since i have a warranty, why don't they send someone to my home ???  Alot of good the warranty is.

I was thinking about a new puter for my son - no way will it be a dell.

charinfl

Hello charinfl,

I understand your problem. I have had my own problems with Dell concerning my monitor and have gotten no where. I ended up just buying a new one. The Dell monitor is still in the back of my basement in a box and I have a 3 year warranty. I guess your best chance is to keep emailing and phoning Dell. I know it's a real problem contacting them but since you have a fan problem too, it is quite a serious problem. My experience with Dell was if you don't follow their exact way of checking your computer out to see what exactly is the problem is then you will get no where with them..   Lee

Hello again,

I have VERY good news:

Since i have an XPS, it has a different phone number at Dell.  I FINALLY got thru last nite to a VERY nice man named Jim.  He's sending a new fan & battery WITH A TECH to install them !!!  I guess perserverance paid off !

I suggest you do what i did; use a speakerphone & don't give up !  Also, since my date & time on the computer were way off, that told them i need a new battery for sure.  Use that excuse & play dumb (computer illerterate) like i did !  LOL

Good luck to you all,

charinfl