Odd laptop battery problem

Jannyfox

Jannyfox

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Anyone come across anything like this? I have an HP laptop about 2 1/2 years old - a small one (something like a 10" screen) with a sealed in battery. Recently it's been having some strange issues where it seems to think the battery is flat, but it isn't. This morning was fairly typical. It was charged yesterday and hadn't been used till this morning, so the battery showed 100% charged. Within a few minutes the screen dimmed and the battery indicator showed 16%. I did a restart as this can often reset it, and got the 'battery dead' message during boot up. Cancel that, boot up anyway, and half way through the screen goes off. I did another restart by pushing and holding the power button. This time it started up but the light next to the power socket started flashing white, and the battery indicator on the task bar had the red cross for dead. I plugged in the power lead, plugged it in to the mains and within a few seconds the steady white fully charged light came on, so I unplugged the lead and now the battery is showing 100%. I wondered at first if it was a heat thing as I had it happen a few times when the laptop was charging but on my knee, where it does get a bit warm, but I don't think that was a factor this morning. It'll probably be fine for a couple of weeks now before it does it again. Unless it is a heat issue, it seems more of a software than a hardware problem as the battery clearly is not dead. Any ideas?
 
probably an electronics issue battery vs management bits etc.
flush it down toilet after backing it up and claim on insurance.
 
There will be a battery manager somewhere, plug the laptop in and run the battery reset type function - it will endeavour to reset the battery management limits by fully charging and discharging the battery.

But as said, it would well be the battery is knackered. 2.5 years isn't too bad for what is, presumably, a cheap battery.
 
I wouldn't be too chuffed if the battery only lasted 2 1/2 yrs in what wasn't exactly a low end laptop, but as said I don't think it's the battery. I've run the HP diagnostic thing and, predictably enough, it says it's knackered when I get the problem with it and says it's fine when I don't have a problem with it. It may just need resetting, Ned. Where do I find the battery manager? It's Windows 10. I've just pressed the button on a fairly high spec desktop to replace my XP box - I can't afford to replace a laptop as well :(
 
Jannyfox said:
Ned. Where do I find the battery manager? It's Windows 10. I've just pressed the button on a fairly high spec desktop to replace my XP box - I can't afford to replace a laptop as well :(
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Sorry, no idea as I use Mac.

On my work computer, which is a W10 Lenovo, the battery manager is Lenovo software not Microsoft so maybe look at the HP Utilities that cam with the laptop.

Like it or not, 2.5 years is probably within expected lifespan although a lot depends on how it was used. For example leaving it uncharged for any period of time can more or less kill the battery in a couple of weeks.
 
Thanks guys. I'll have a look for the battery manager. I'm sure Google will be my friend. If I can't solve it there's a computer shop locally (not PC World....................!) who might be able to replace the battery or get it sent to HP for replacement.
It's never been left uncharged as it goes nearly everywhere with me. That's why I got such a small laptop. I'm not sure I could replace it now other than with a tablet, and a tablet would be pretty useless to me.
 
I'd also suggest the battery has had it.

What model is the laptop?

You can test/calibrate the battery on hp by pressing F2 at boot up and selecting component test from diagnostic. Select power then battery.

You can also do this I believe using the HP support assistant software if you have that installed.
 
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What's model? Will be a service centre that will replace the battery.
 
neil_g said:
You can test/calibrate the battery on hp by pressing F2 at boot up and selecting component test from diagnostic. Select power then battery.
You can also do this I believe using the HP support assistant software if you have that installed.
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Yes, done that. As I said above, when it throws up the problem it says the battery's duff, when it's working properly it says the battery's fine. Not very useful really............ I have to say I'm unimpressed with having a battery that isn't user replaceable if it lasts so short a time. But it seems that sealed batteries are now common. Is this consumerism at its worst - the manufacturers fit a battery that only lasts a couple of years because they assume that before it dies the purchaser will have thrown away the laptop to get a later model? That's just terrible! I'm not too impressed either by the thought of having to take all my stuff off it, boxing it up and sending it away somewhere for who knows how long for a battery replacement. I do have another PC but not one I can slip in a bag and take anywhere with me.
 
At the end of the day it is just a battery and it is a consumable.
to be fair 2.5 years out of a laptop battery is reasonable in my book, allowing for charge discharge a few days a week.
that could be 500 charges. just arrange for a service centre and have it replaced nuff said.
 
Have you had a look on YouTube to see if there are any vids showing how to change the battery or even access it as the problem could be a faulty connection somewhere which could account for the intermittent test results?
 
Giblets said:
Have you had a look on YouTube to see if there are any vids showing how to change the battery or even access it as the problem could be a faulty connection somewhere which could account for the intermittent test results?
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I do know how to get into the case although I've never done it. I think before I take it to the shop I'll ask my partner go in and see if anything's loose. (I'm not wimping out of doing it myself - I have problems with my hands so playing with screwdrivers and fiddly connectors really isn't a good idea)
 
Jannyfox said:
I do know how to get into the case although I've never done it. I think before I take it to the shop I'll ask my partner go in and see if anything's loose. (I'm not wimping out of doing it myself - I have problems with my hands so playing with screwdrivers and fiddly connectors really isn't a good idea)
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If he's 'going in' then get him to look at a battery replacement video and fit a new one if possible.
 
what is the model of the laptop?
 
These internal batteries are pretty easy to replace. Once you have the back cover off the laptop, the battery just unplugs from the main board and a new one plugs in.
 
I did have similar probs some years back with a laptop. Sometimes the battery was flat other times it said it wasn't there. Turned out to be a contact problem with battery to pc
 
I had a similar problem with a 3YO Motorola phone, although in that case it simply wasn't worth replacing the battery. Would be worth it for your lappy though.
 
gramps said:
If he's 'going in' then get him to look at a battery replacement video and fit a new one if possible.
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ecoleman said:
These internal batteries are pretty easy to replace. Once you have the back cover off the laptop, the battery just unplugs from the main board and a new one plugs in.
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I can't get a new one.........................!!!!
Sorry..... still in a huff because I spend ages this afternoon masking a difficult image for a clever bit of selective colour and Paintshop did a funny half crash and I had to start all over again...........
Yes it may well just turn out to be a contact. I hope it is - it should be straightforward to sort out. If it is the battery itself (which I don't think it is) it'll be worth replacing. It wasn't a cheap laptop amd I love it.
 
Jannyfox said:
I can't get a new one.........................!!!!
Sorry..... still in a huff because I spend ages this afternoon masking a difficult image for a clever bit of selective colour and Paintshop did a funny half crash and I had to start all over again...........
Yes it may well just turn out to be a contact. I hope it is - it should be straightforward to sort out. If it is the battery itself (which I don't think it is) it'll be worth replacing. It wasn't a cheap laptop amd I love it.
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What's the model number/reference?
 
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Jannyfox said:
Yes, done that. As I said above, when it throws up the problem it says the battery's duff, when it's working properly it says the battery's fine. Not very useful really............ I have to say I'm unimpressed with having a battery that isn't user replaceable if it lasts so short a time. But it seems that sealed batteries are now common. Is this consumerism at its worst - the manufacturers fit a battery that only lasts a couple of years because they assume that before it dies the purchaser will have thrown away the laptop to get a later model? That's just terrible! I'm not too impressed either by the thought of having to take all my stuff off it, boxing it up and sending it away somewhere for who knows how long for a battery replacement. I do have another PC but not one I can slip in a bag and take anywhere with me.
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Apologies I missed that and only saw someone saying it should be possible to test/calibrate.

Not at all standard practice to fit sealed batteries. At least not on the more normal sizes. Even if they are sealed it should still be relatively simple job to replace if you're reasonably confident in opening the case.
 
gramps said:
http://hplaptopbattery.co.uk/hp-pavilion-x360-11-k053na-battery-114743.htm

https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c04163019
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Ooh, thanks Roger. I take back everything I said about not being able to get one. I spent ages looking. I wonder why my searches didn't turn it up. I only seemed to turn up stuff that led me to believe it wasn't user replacable. Weird............
I can see why my search on the HP support site didn't turn anything up - I looked for the model number, not 'x360', because although it is an x360, it doesn't have that anywhere on it - I've just had to dig out the receipt to check that it really is............
Silly me...........................;)
I'm glad that after this morning's little incident I decided to come on here and have a bitch about it though :)
Pages are now bookmarked.
 
ecoleman said:
Just be aware that the website linked to is not a UK business.

This is a Chinese company.you will have no consumer protection.
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It's a £36 battery ... and they accept Paypal :)
 
gramps said:
It's a £36 battery ... and they accept Paypal :)
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A £36 battery that is possibly poor quality and could explode or catch fire, damaging the laptop or burn down you house. But hey, they accept PayPal. :banghead:

An original HP battery for this laptop is around £90-£100

I’m not saying all compatible batteries are bad, but As with averything these days, you can buy a quality 3rd party product or a cheap one pumped out of a back street in China with no regard for safety.
 
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gramps said:
It's a £36 battery ... and they accept Paypal :)
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A little cheaper than the £85ish a replacement (OEM) battery cost for this 3YO Dell XPS15. Nice to have a 4 hour battery life again and the trackpad working properly.
 
ecoleman said:
A £36 battery that is possibly poor quality and could explode or catch fire, damaging the laptop or burn down you house. But hey, they accept PayPal. :banghead:

An original HP battery for this laptop is around £90-£100
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Yeah right ... and what % of batteries and other electronic components/equipment originates from China?
All 'originals' are at vastly inflated prices.
 
gramps said:
Yeah right ... and what % of batteries and other electronic components/equipment originates from China?
All 'originals' are at vastly inflated prices.
Click to expand...

Even a good quality compatible would be £50-£60.
Yes most electronics are made in China, that doesn’t make them all on par with each other.
Cheap batteries are packed with cheap Chinese cells and poorly manufactured controllers many of which do not have sufficient protection against over voltage or over heating. They just don’t last and are quite frankly dangerous.

I’m in the laptop battery business and trust me when I tell you, you do not want to skimp on a cheap li-ion battery.

Now, I didn’t say the battery in the link provided was a bad battery, I have no idea. But, do you want to take that chance. If it does explode, fail whatever you have not comeback on the seller. The list says it’s packed with a Panasonic cells which should already push the price up. So are they really Panasonic cells or China version of Panasonic cells?
 
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Mr Bump said:
UK seller

http://hplaptopbattery.co.uk/hp-pavilion-x360-11-k053na-battery-114743.htm
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They are not a uk seller. They want you to think they are, but they are not.

1. No telephone number
2. The address in the contact page is an image. They do this so that the address isn’t picked up by search engines. Why? Because it’s just a small returns depot that collects returns and then ships them back to China. There are numerous websites that use this address.
3. The terms and conditions are not compliant with EU consumer regulations.
4. Chinese companies always use the Royal Mail logo. It makes you think they are based in the UK. Royal Mail won’t ship Li Ion batteries and a legit UK company would know that.
5. Just look at the grammar.
 
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It's exactly the same as any purchase of non-branded batteries and other equipment bought by many members here, safely saving ££'s over branded.
So rather than trashing the option I found did you find a suitable alternative?
 
I’m in the industry so I’m not going to point anybody to my competitors and it would breaking the rules to suggest or link to my own business. I will say though, that there are only a handful of legitimate UK businesses selling decent quality laptop batteries.

Li ion batteries can be very volitile, especially ones with poor quality cells or badly manufactured controllers, the same goes for camera batteries. There are good 3rd party products out there that sit between cheap and OEM Prices. I would NEVER recommend a cheap battery, laptop, camera or anything else.

This can happen, would you want your child, wife or yourself sitting at this laptop.
View: https://youtu.be/V482lvMRXUg
 
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Stuff and nonsense battery fails can happen to anyone apple and Samsung especially. I have had all sorts of Li ion battery's over the years from ebay and all sorts with no issues. Your just quoting worst case like don't drive your car as some of them crash from time to time
 
I don't have a problem with paying more to get a good quality, or better still genuine, product, but I can't find a battery for mine listed on the HP site. If I found one there I'd buy it no matter what it cost. So, Elliot, how do I know if an online retailer, with a UK address, is going to sell me a good battery or a dodgy battery? I've now found just one more site, after pages and pages of searching, also charging less than £40. Am I safer taking it to the local shop?
 
The scaremongering of batteries exploding/setting fire would not stop me buying one as it's a simple risk/benefit decision with the odds of a problem being extremely low.
However I don't like the Trustpilot report of this company I've just found, a lot of reports of not receiving the goods and that would carry more weight for me than fears over the battery itself.
Personally I cannot find any other source for a compatible battery and if it was my decision I would go for it in the knowledge that if it didn't arrive I could reclaim from Paypal and I would be no worse off ... if it did arrive I've got my replacement.
 
Mr Bump said:
Stuff and nonsense battery fails can happen to anyone apple and Samsung especially. I have had all sorts of Li ion battery's over the years from ebay and all sorts with no issues. Your just quoting worst case like don't drive your car as some of them crash from time to time
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And this is why the elcheapo market thrives. I don’t particularly care what you do or what you buy. We get plenty of customers that have bought cheap calling us up because their cheap battery failed after two months and the seller is unresponsive.

Yes Apple and Samsung have had battery issues which just goes to show how volitile batteries can be. At least with Apple and Samsung you have some recourse.
 
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