A new Li-ion battery usually comes in a discharged condition (20% to 75%) and must be fully cycled before use. Lithium ion chemistry prefers partial discharge to deep discharge , so it's best to avoid taking the battery all the way down to zero. Since lithium-ion chemistry does not have a "memory", you do not harm the battery pack with a partial discharge. If the voltage of a lithium-ion cell drops below a certain level, it's ruined. Upon initial use (or after prolonged storage period) the battery may require more than three charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity. It is normal for a battery to become warm to the touch during charging and discharging.
If the battery will not be in use for a month or longer, it is recommended that the battery be fully charged and then removed from the device and stored in a cool, dry, clean place. A charged battery will eventually lose its charge if unused. It may therefore be necessary to recharge the battery after a storage period.
When charging the battery for the first time the device may indicate that charging is complete after just 10 or 15 minutes. This is a normal phenomenon with rechargeable batteries. Remove the battery from the device, reinsert it and repeat the charging procedure.
Actual battery run-time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. In the case of notebook computers, screen brightness, the use of the CPU, the hard drive, and other peripherals results in an additional drain upon the battery effectively reducing the battery's run-time. The total run-time of the battery is also heavily dependent upon the design of the equipment. To ensure maximum performance of the battery, optimize the computer's power management features. Refer to the computer manual for further instructions.
The New Battery Isn't Charging to 100%. What's the Deal?
We generally recommend an overnight charge (approximately 6-12 hours). Rechargeable batteries should be cycled – fully charged and then discharged to about 20% remaining– three to four times initially to allow them to reach their full capacity. Avoid leaving the battery at zero charge for more than a few minutes . (Note: it is normal for a battery to become warm to the touch during charging and discharging). New batteries are hard for the device to charge; they have never been fully charged and are therefore “unformed”. Sometimes the device's charger will stop charging a new battery before it is fully charged. If this happens, remove the battery from the device and then reinsert it. The charge cycle should begin again. This may happen several times during the first battery charge. Don't worry; it's perfectly normal.
On some notebooks, it may be necessary to update the BIOS of the notebook in order to achieve maximum capacity. It is often the case with older laptops that cannot properly detect the higher capacity batteries.
If the battery stops charging everytime your charge indicator reaches 96-98%, you may need to recalibrate your laptop for the new battery. In order to recalibrate properly, you will need to set the Windows power managment so the laptop does not go into standby or hibernation when the battery gets low. With Windows XP, navigate to Control Panel > Performance and Maintenance > Power Options. Set "Power Schemes" to "Always On". Under "Alarms", uncheck "Low battery alarm" and "Critical battery alarm". Under "Hibernate", uncheck "Enable hibernation", then click on Apply. This is the only time that we recommend taking the battery all the way down to zero percent. Unplug the ac adapter, and let the battery drain all the way down until the laptop shuts off. Then plug the ac adapter back in, and let it recharge to 100%. You may need to repeat the cycle 2-3 times before it actually reaches 100%.
How Can I Maximize Battery Performance?
There are several steps you can take to insure that you get maximum performance from the battery:
Break In New Batteries: New batteries come in a discharged condition and must be fully cycled before use. It is recommended that you fully charge and discharge the new battery to about 20% remaining at least three to four times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity. Avoid taking the battery all the way down to zero.
Keep the Batteries Clean: It's a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and the portable device.
Exercise the Battery : Do not leave the battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every two to three weeks. If the battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above.
Battery Storage: If you don't plan on using the battery for a month or more, we recommend fully charging it and then storing it in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects. Batteries will self-discharge during storage (about 5% per month with Li-ion cells); remember to break them in before use.
Notebook Users: To get maximum performance from the battery, fully optimize the notebooks power management features prior to use. Power management is a trade off: better power conservation in exchange for lesser computer performance. The power management system conserves battery power by setting the processor to run at a slower speed, dimming the screen, spinning down the hard drive when it's not is use and causing the machine to go into sleep mode when inactive. The notebook user's guide will provide information relating to specific power management features . It may also be necessary to update the BIOS of the notebook in order to achieve maximum performance especially if the original battery has a lower capacity (mAH). Please visit the notebook manufacturer's website for information regarding BIOS updates.
How Are Batteries Rated? (What are Volts, Amps, and WHR?)
There are two ratings on every battery; volts and amp-hours (AH). The AH rating may also be given as milliamp-hours (mAH), which are one-thousandth of an amp-hour (for example, 1 AH is 1000mAH). The voltage of the new battery should always match the voltage of your original unless the batteries are different chemistries (NiMH and Li-Ion batteries have different voltage ratings, even if they're for the same laptop). Some Hi-Capacity batteries will have higher amp-hour ratings than the original battery found in the device. This is indicative of a longer run-time (higher capacity) and will not cause any incompatibilities. However, it may be necessary to update the BIOS of some notebooks to achieve maximum capacity.
Batteries are also rated by Watt-Hours (WHR), perhaps the simplest rating of all. This is found by multiplying the Volts and the Amp-Hour together. A battery rated at 14.4 Volts, 3600mAh (or 3.6 AH) translates into 51.84 WHR (14.4 x 3.6). The term Watt Hour signifies the energy needed to power one watt for one hour. Thus this battery can power 51.84 watts for one hour. Suppose your laptop runs at 17.28 watts. Then, this battery could power your laptop for 3 hours (51.84 divided by 17.28).
How Long Do Batteries Last (What is the Life Span of the New Battery )?
The life of a rechargeable li-ion battery operating under normal conditions is generally between 300 to 500 charge-discharge cycles. This translates into about one and a half years of good battery life for the average user. Some users will experience considerably less or more life depending on their usage. As the rechargeable battery begins to depreciate, the user will notice a decline in the running time of the battery. When the battery that originally operated the notebook for two hours is only supplying the user with an hour's worth of use, it's time for a new one.
Should I Recycle the Old Battery ? How?
Be environmental conscious – do NOT throw these batteries in the trash. If you don't know where your local recycling facility is located, call the local Environmental Control Authority. They will provide you with the address of the recycling center nearest to you.
How Long Will the New Main Battery Power the Laptop?
Battery run-time on a laptop is difficult to determine. Actual battery running time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the screen, the hard drive, and other accessories results in an additional drain upon the battery, effectively reducing its running time. The total run-time of the battery is also dependent upon the design of the equipment. Generally, a new Hi-Capacity battery will run 30% to 50% longer than the old battery did when it was new.
My Laptop Is Not Charging the Battery At All. What Do I?
There are usually three common reasons as to why a battery won't charge.
1. You may have a bad battery. Although the defect ratio is less than 1%, it is always a possibility. If you can get your old battery to charge up in the same laptop, then this is usually the case. Other times it could just be a BIOS issue. Some laptops require a BIOS update to properly recognize a higher capacity battery. You can check with the laptop manufacturer's website for an available update.
2. Bad AC adapter. If you can't run the laptop off the AC adapter alone, then you have a dead AC adapter. You should be able to power on the laptop even without a battery. Some faulty AC adapters can still power the laptop but does not supply enough power to charge the battery. To determine if this is the case, try charging the battery with the laptop off. You may need to remove the AC adapter and battery first. Then install the battery pack, and then plug in the AC adapter. If the battery charges with the laptop off, you will need to replace the AC adapter.
3. Possibly a bad motherboard. If you're not able to charge up your old battery or the new battery at all, and the AC adapter checks out good, a bad motherboard could be the problem and it will be the worst case scenario. You can verify the problem by checking the battery in another laptop, if available. If it charges on another laptop but not yours, then you will probably need to replace the laptop's motherboard.
If your battery is defective and is still under warranty, please use our webform to request an RMA number to mail the battery in for replacement.
What is the Warranty on My New Battery?
Level 8 Technology offers a 365-Day (1 Year) Replacement warranty on defective batteries. All returns must be accompanied by a Return Merchandise Authorization or RMA. Please use our webform to obtain an RMA. Then mail your battery along with a copy of your invoice or payment receipt to the address provided. We will not accept COD return shipments. Purchaser is responsible for shipping costs to our facility. All returned merchandise must be in original condition and must not show any signs of physical damage or abuse. We will not replace batteries due to depreciated charge time since it is considered normal for rechargeable batteries to gradually lose their charge time through usage. For detailed warranty information, please click here.
Troubleshooting.
I Receive a "Battery Not Compatible" Warning With My Sony Laptop.
Sony has a utility software preinstalled on some recent notebooks called Sony ISB Utility. The sole purpose of this software is to prevent you from using any battery that is not manufactured by Sony. When a non-Sony battery is installed, the software will prompt the user with an error message stating that either the battery wasn't properly inserted or is not a genuine Sony battery. This software may also force the notebook into hibernation. Please follow the steps below to resolve the issue.
Run MSCONFIG.EXE either from the Start Menu or Command Prompt. (START, RUN, type msconfig.exe then click OK. Or START, ALL PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, COMMAND PROMPT, then type msconfig.exe and press ). The Windows System Configuration Utility will open in a new window. Click the Startup tab, remove the check mark for the line containing "ISBMgr.exe". Click OK. Close the System Configuration Utility, then restart your computer. After restart, the message should not appear again.
The above steps will only remove a software lock. If you're one of the unfortunate ones that have a hardware lock on the motherboard, there's really nothing else you can do except buy a Genuine Sony battery.
How do I change the faceplate for my HP or Compaq laptop?
Compaq Evo n160, n800c, n800v, n800w, n1000c, n1000v, n1005v, n1010v, n1015v, n1020v, n1050v Notebook PC Series Compaq Presario 900, 1500, 1700, 17XL, 2800, V1000, V1100 Notebook PC Series HP Compaq nc6000, nc8000, nx5000 Notebook PC Series HP Compaq nw8000 Mobile Workstation Series
