laptop battery - dead?

Chalk

i have a laptop thats about a year old.(lidls one from september 03)

havent had any problems with it except the battery seems to have died on it.
it works fine off ac power but has no power without it
the battery monitor in xp (control panel . power options ) always says battery 0%

im wondering if this could be some sort of contact problem
i have opened it up and removed the battery since the problem started
i checked all the contacts and dusted them off but with no success
is there something else i can do to check it as i dont want to get a replacement battery if its the laptop thats acting up.

failing that does anyone know where to buy replacement batteries?
as in are there generic ones or do you have to go back to the manufacturer?

if it is the laptop thats the problem is there a way to get it fixed or am i stuck with a desktop replacement ?

thanks for reading
chalky

Sherifu

Don't suppose theres a power indicator on the battery is there.
What happens when you put in the battery, and plug in ac power?
Charging doesnt begin?

RKM.

str8_away

I think the battery is dead.
If there is something wrong with your laptop or connectors on the laptop then you should not be able to see "0%"

If you have a multimeter you could check the connectors on the laptop.
If there are voltage on the connactors then it's the battery.
The voltage should be the same as the voltage provided by the battery.

I have heard of trick to revive batteries.
Simply put your battery in the freezer for 24 hours.
This should restore some of chemical properties in the battery.
Then bring it to room temperature and charge it.
Have never tried it so not sure if it works.

Please let us know if you are going to try it.

Chalk

thanks for the replies


to the first question:
the indicators are like to leds
one is green solid the other flashes yellow - i think this means its charging or tryin to
when its fully charged i think it was two green

no other physical indicators besides that


does that freezer trick work?
i might give it a go as long as its safe to turn the laptop back on with it in after , ie , condensation or moisture.
if anyones got any experience ill stick in the freezer tonight .

Occidental

Chalk wrote:

condensation or moisture.

Stick it in a freezer bag first, and push out all the air before sealing.

I presume it did charge at some time in the past and the 0% reading didn't suddenly appear after a patch or an upgrade to XP-SP2. Were there any bespoke power management utilities loaded when you got it, or are there any diags programs on the laptop or on accompanying CDs?

Saruman

Does the laptop only have a 1 year warranty?? Some of the lidl/aldi's have 2 or 3 years.. check it out.

Capt'n Midnight

Most manufacturers don't cover batteries after a year even if the rest has a three year cover (Dell / APC), give them a call, you have nothing to loose.

Google for - Targa Battery
You get loads of hits, someone may recomend a site, but it should give you an indication of prices.

If you knew anyone with the same laptop you could swap batteries to see if the problem is with the battery or the laptop, you should even be able to see if either battery is charging.

ZENER

Occidental wrote:

I presume it did charge at some time in the past and the 0% reading didn't suddenly appear after a patch or an upgrade to XP-SP2.

Good point actually, DID it die suddenly ?

Is the power connector on the notebook loose in any way - I've come across this afew times where the user uses the computer on their lap putting strain on the connector and the solder holding it it on the board. These were repairable. It would be odd for a battery to just suddenly die. What conditions is the laptop kept in - very warm poor air circulation - do you connect the charger while it's still in its bag - most batteries contain a thermal fuse in ordr to protect it from fire due to such circumstances - A sudden failure could indicate that this fuse has popped.

ZEN

lomb

the laptop should have a 2 year warranty but 6months on the battery. unfortunately targa batteries are dear and expect to pay 150 for one. if ur really stuck i have a targa visionary 1300 but its over 21/2 years old so the battery probably isnt the same. best thing is buy a new battery there handy to have anyway and if it doesnt work send it off.

targa laptops arent very well designed my screen cover has cracked twice at the hinge points the first time i sent it off took 2 months to get it back.

Boston

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

Most manufacturers don't cover batteries after a year even if the rest has a three year cover (Dell / APC), give them a call, you have nothing to loose.

Google for - Targa Battery
You get loads of hits, someone may recomend a site, but it should give you an indication of prices.

If you knew anyone with the same laptop you could swap batteries to see if the problem is with the battery or the laptop, you should even be able to see if either battery is charging.

afaik thats a speatate company called targa that make battery's, there not the same at all.