Possible laptop battery problem

gears

Yesterday the the battery got so low on my laptop (Dell Inspiron) that it shut it self down. This has only happened a very odd time as I usually have it plugged in on a desk but since then and even when plugged in the battery light is flashing orange, does any one know what this means?

Gone Drinking

Sounds like the battery is knackered. It happens over time, but keeping the laptop connected to the mains all the time really quickens the process. I'd say that's what happened to you.

You could try the battery is a friends laptop, if they have the same model, or vice versa, just to confirm.

mordeith

Is the light flashing orange after being plugged in for a long period? If so then it looks like it might not be getting any juice from the charger. Can you get a lend of another charger to test?

gears

mordeith wrote: »

Is the light flashing orange after being plugged in for a long period? If so then it looks like it might not be getting any juice from the charger. Can you get a lend of another charger to test?

Yeah I left it in for a long time to charge and it's still flashing, but I can work on it no problem when it is plugged in so I dont think it is the charger or could it?

coylemj

gears wrote: »

Yeah I left it in for a long time to charge and it's still flashing, but I can work on it no problem when it is plugged in so I dont think it is the charger or could it?

Probably not, you can probably remove the battery to save yourself looking at the flashing light.

Morpork

Sometimes batteries just need a "reset". You can do this by removing and reinserting the battery.

gears

Morpork wrote: »

Sometimes batteries just need a "reset". You can do this by removing and reinserting the battery.

Sounds like an easy and cheap suggestion I'll try it.

coylemj

gears wrote: »

Sounds like an easy and cheap suggestion I'll try it.

It sounds like an urban myth, I've been dealing with laptops and batteries since the early 1990s and never heard of that but go ahead anyway, let us know when the light continues to flash if it does anything to improve the situation.

Morpork

coylemj wrote: »

It sounds like an urban myth, I've been dealing with laptops and batteries since the early 1990s and never heard of that but go ahead anyway, let us know when the light continues to flash if it does anything to improve the situation.

I've worked as an IT field tech for 5 years and this is the first thing I try with batteries that don't take a charge. It's solved the issue multiple times. Just because you don't know something it doesn't make it an urban myth.

coylemj

Morpork wrote: »

I've worked as an IT field tech for 5 years and this is the first thing I try with batteries that don't take a charge. It's solved the issue multiple times. Just because you don't know something it doesn't make it an urban myth.

If taking a battery out of a laptop by itself fixed the problem of a battery not taking a charge I really do think that most of the people on this forum would be aware of it at this stage.

He has the laptop on a desk permanently plugged into the mains, it's now flashing and won't take a charge which means it's fcuked, stop giving him false hope.

OP, buy a new battery. Next time use the laptop on the battery at least once a month and try to run it down as low as you can, then charge it back to 100% in one continuous charge.

gears

To clarify things it's not plugged in 24/7, I use it for a few hours a day when it is plugged in and do occasionally use it on battery power alone but from what has been said I do think the battery is probably dead.
So 2 questions, can it be run safely as it is as long as I keep it plugged in or must there be a correctly functioning battery and if I do need to get a new battery can some one direct me to a reliable source of inexpensive batteries as I've looked and found prices from €25 (ebay) to €150 (Dell) they can't all be of the same quality.

gears

Bumpy bump

FSL

It should work when plugged in whether the battery is in or out. if the battery isn't charging then it might be better to leave it out. That way there is no chance the battery could overheat.

gears

FSL wrote: »

It should work when plugged in whether the battery is in or out. if the battery isn't charging then it might be better to leave it out. That way there is no chance the battery could overheat.

Thats good to know, I dont want it over heat anyway.

But any suggestions on a good place to get a new battery?

yoyo

Batteries are considered consumables by the manufacturer, a bit like ink cartridges. Batteries have a shelf life and usually only last a year and a bit or so on heavy use. Batteries don't go faulty usually, they just expire, its one of the disadvantages of lithium ion batteries I think they are.
You can get batteries on ebay and theres several Irish battery websites, they are cheap enough but non official ones may be more likely to overheat and go on fire (but in reality this mostly never happens, but there is always the risk).
You can use your laptop permanently plugged in to the mains without the battery installed btw

Nick