Laptop battery question - Dell laptop battery no longer charges - replacement?

eskimo

I got my Dell Inspiron 1501 in June 2007. After about ten or eleven months, the battery (which only ever lasted at max. 90 minutes anyway) stopped charging completely. For the past 14 months or so I have had to have the laptop plugged in any time I want to use it.

It's been hard to pinpoint the problem, because the laptop has thrown many different error messages regarding power at me in that time.

My mam's Dell laptop is about a year old and has recently hit the exact same problem.

So I've a few questions. How do I know if the problem is the battery itself, or a problem with the laptop or laptop charger?

I'm not going to splash out on a Dell replacement battery coz they cost almost half the price of a netbook. I've seen some replacement batteries on Ebay which suit my laptop model. Would you recommend these? Or advise against them?

I really don't want to have to splash out on a new laptop, and I want to be able to use this one without having it plugged in.

BostonB

If you leave your laptop plugged in all the time you can very easily kill the battery within a year. Its constantly charging. My main laptop is left on AC all the time and the battery lasted about 2yrs and now only lasts 30mins (originally 120mins) but I do let it run the battery down every so often. Another laptop we have which is used off battery most of the time, has retained most of its battery life in the same period.

I've bought batteries off ebay in the past and they've been fine. But I go for a good seller, usually one specialing in batteries and not the cheapest one. That said their are fakes around so you have to be careful.

Lucy211

I have the same problem, in fact if I plug my dell laptop out now, the laptop switches off. Would it be best to buy the battery on-line? From the Dell website?

eskimo

The price of batteries on the Dell website is an absolute joke, so I'd only go with the Dell website if you're satisfied to pay those prices.

Thanks for the info BostonB!

Unregistered.

eskimo wrote: »

I got my Dell Inspiron 1501 in June 2007. After about ten or eleven months, the battery (which only ever lasted at max. 90 minutes anyway) stopped charging completely. For the past 14 months or so I have had to have the laptop plugged in any time I want to use it.

It's been hard to pinpoint the problem, because the laptop has thrown many different error messages regarding power at me in that time.

My mam's Dell laptop is about a year old and has recently hit the exact same problem.

So I've a few questions. How do I know if the problem is the battery itself, or a problem with the laptop or laptop charger?

I'm not going to splash out on a Dell replacement battery coz they cost almost half the price of a netbook. I've seen some replacement batteries on Ebay which suit my laptop model. Would you recommend these? Or advise against them?

I really don't want to have to splash out on a new laptop, and I want to be able to use this one without having it plugged in.

Same prob here. If ya get a good deal on a (working) battery online, post back and let us know! I'm considering getting a new lappy coz the price of new batteries is insane(circa 100-150 euro). Sure, at this stage, that's more than my current laptop is worth!

coolpix23

I have my 1501 since Mar 2007, it's just started to say at the BIOS 'can't determine type of battery.... may not be able to charge'.... that's just Dell trying to scare me into buying a new battery.

just some general advice on laptop batteries

*1 when you get them first
-absolute, first time charge should be for 8-12 hours
-if you can do above 3/4 times by draining the battery then charging for the 8-12 hours even better

*2 when using it normally
-if you can use the laptop connected to the Mains/ESB/AC do,it's best for the battery BUT remove the battery. This I think is crucial. It's the MOST damaging way to use you battery-plugged in and using it.

*3 mostly at home sometimes on the road
-I get lots of people in this situation. Sales rep or part-time students mostly.
If you use it of the Mains when you're at home and only need the battery every week or two... if you take out a charged/part charged battery and leave it, it dis-charges slowly and it's bad for it. If you're going to use it on the Mains for a week or two discharge the battery... that's easy play a DVD or two!

***************
from laptopspares.com
"
Caring for your Dell Inspiron 1501 Hi-Capacity Battery
You can improve the life of your Dell Inspiron 1501 Hi-Capacity Battery by doing the following:
When you first receive your laptop battery charge it fully for at least 6-8 hours and then discharge the battery fully by using your laptop unplugged from the mains until it runs down completely.

Repeat this 3 times to ensure your Dell Inspiron 1501 Hi-Capacity Battery will give you the maximum performance.

If you regularly use your Dell Inspiron 1501 Laptop on mains power for extended periods, removing the battery from your Laptop during these periods will extend the usable life of your laptop battery.
"
*******************

ebay

I found with computer things on ebay it's always from the UK and they charge an arm, leg and then some for post.
But on German ebay the post to Ireland seems reasonable.

Now I'm NOT RECCOMENDING THIS COMPANY, JUST THE 1st I FOUND

http://computer.shop.ebay.de/Computer-/160/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A1229&_nkw=dell+1501&_npmv=3&_sop=2&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

e56.50 + e8.90 carriage, well compared to e137 from Dell it seems good and they have a 99.9% rating and a land address.

My German is rusty but it seems they'll send extra items, eg a battery for your aunts 1501 in the same package for just the one e8.90.

By The Way
If anyone's searching the German ebay for batteries... Battery = Batterie, well Google translate says so...didn't sound right, looked in my mini Collins Gem -> Batterie still didn't sound right... finally remembered it's "Akku" = battery. Dont ask me I'm not German

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/ins1501/en/sm_en/index.htm

mehmeh12

Am i to understand that if i use my laptop battery on ac power i'm supposed to remove the battery? But then there would be a giant hole on the bottom of my laptop...could something leak/pose a danger?

Overheal

BostonB wrote: »

If you leave your laptop plugged in all the time you can very easily kill the battery within a year.

A myth as far as Im concerned. Depends on the battery. Many newer ones and the laptops they go into are smarter than that, and will not overcharge. My 12 cell has done no such thing and its spent 2 years on the plug.

Overheal

mehmeh12 wrote: »

Am i to understand that if i use my laptop battery on ac power i'm supposed to remove the battery? But then there would be a giant hole on the bottom of my laptop...could something leak/pose a danger?

Quoted for humour

No, a baby might leak if you gave it no diaper, but your laptop will not leak any fluids :pac:

lol

mehmeh12

Ah fuk it..its not like i ever use my laptop not on ac power..even so when my battery was new it only lasted 90 mins tops..pure ****e!

Overheal

Well thats a dippy little 4 cell for ya. Have you ever seen the guts of one? You're pretty much looking at 4 souped up AA batteries.

BostonB

Overheal wrote: »

A myth as far as Im concerned. Depends on the battery. Many newer ones and the laptops they go into are smarter than that, and will not overcharge. My 12 cell has done no such thing and its spent 2 years on the plug.

If many of them are smarter, than means some are not. Therefore your own comment suggests its not a myth. and we have eskimo's example which brought us here. The rest of my comment that you didn't quote, (for some reason) described different experiences with different laptops with different batteries.

A 12 cell battery is a very big battery for a laptop and not very common at all. I assume it must be a more expensive laptop, intended for use away from AC a lot. (or a desktop replacement) Which far more likely to have a smart charging circuit. Whereas a 4 cell battery is more likey to be on a budget laptop without a smart charging circuit. So comparing one with the other may not be a useful comparison, because you may not be comparing like with like. A large 9 or 12 cell battery even well past its best might still give you 3 or 4 hours. Where as a 4 cell, even new might only give you 40 mins. You used to see some with a charging cut off swtich for when it tethered to AC a lot. But very rare. Most desk bound laptops I see have dead batteries around about 10~11 months. Whereas laptops of people who live on the battery seem to go 2,3 even 4 years.

Generally I'd see lower end laptops, maybe its different with other brands.

Alanstrainor

Tbh, i'd say smart battery management has been in pretty much every laptop for the last 3/4 years. I've seen 2 laptops with batteries gone with in 13 months of mostly sitting plugged in on a desk. So i would generally agree that heat plays apart.
I've also seen old dell latitudes last forever, and we're talking laptops that are 4+ years old that still hold over an hours charge. I'd be thinking it's the quality of the battery that plays a big part. Perhaps i'm wrong but seeing my own inspiron laptop and other consumer level laptops Vs. relatively high end laptops used in my work i'd say there has to be a difference between High and low end batteries.

BostonB

I can understand a manual swtich. Don't charge this battery till its switched on. There should be no heat from charging because its not going on. But if theres no manual switch, at what point does the battery start to get charged again. when its at 90%? 50%?. From experience if plug a laptop in that has 90% it will still charge. So when on AC its constantly charging and thus generating heat. But regardless if heat is the end result and cause. Its endless charging that causes it IMO. If you say its heat from proximity to other components. Ok that will be a factor but the different in heat between a laptop on battery and ac won't be that much different doing the same task. I wouldn't expect it reduce one by 90% and the other only by 20%.

Quality of batteries maybe a factor, can't say I've noticed.

Leaving a laptop plugged in is up there with questions like...

turn it off then on again
do you have norton installed
do you have a backup
do you ever turn it off
have you the latest patch/update
do you have a firewall
is there a light on
who usually does this

Gael23

This all seems too much of a coincidence- I also have the inspirion 1501 and the exact same thing happened, now I cant exactly remember when I bought it but id say it was late'06 or early '07. My problem began when the green indicator light stopped coming on and the battery wasn't charging but would work perfectly if plugged in all the time. A few months later the charger also blew because it was charging a dead battery all the time. Its €180 to get the parts from dell, still unsure what to do.

BostonB

Sell it for parts and buy A new one for 500