Table of Contents
Battery won't charge
Battery won't
hold a charge
AC adapter doesn't
work
Battery warranty
information
Purchase a battery
or AC adapter
Battery Specifications
Battery latch is broken
Disposing of
a Battery
Return to Table of Contents
Battery Won't Charge
If your computer runs fine on the AC adapter but the battery won't charge,
please try the following troubleshooting steps:
- Check the Battery and Connections:
- Remove the battery from the system.
How to remove the battery
- Look at the connector in the bay and on the battery
for signs of physical damage.
- Check the battery charge by pressing the status
button or image on the battery near the LED's.
| |
Note: |
The lights indicate the current amount of charge on the battery.
If all the LED's come on when you press the button, the battery
is fully charged. If fewer lights are lit, then the battery is
partially charged. If any lights flash, or blink, there could
be a problem with the battery. |
Consult the Tell Me How guide for more information on battery
LED's:
How to find the Dell Tell Me How and User's
Guides
- Reinsert the battery and be sure it locks into
place and that the latch snaps back to the locked position.
- Swap Bays or Try Another Computer:
- Flash the BIOS:
Flashing the BIOS can correct many hardware issues.
Flash BIOS
Instructions
- Run the Recalibration Utility (For Specified Systems Only):
Some Dell Systems have programs for recalibrating batteries to accept
a charge. This will run the battery all the way down and then recharge
it completely. This will take several hours to run, so it is best
to run it overnight. You should use the program for the specified
systems only and using a program not designed for your system
could void the warranty on the computer.
- Try another battery, if possible.
- If the other battery won't charge it may be the charging system.
- If the battery still won't charge, please [Reply]
to this message and be sure to include the following information:
Company name (if applicable):
Owners Full name:
System service tag:
Physical address (No PO boxes, include city, state and zip code):
Telephone number (with area code):
A detailed description of your troubleshooting (step numbers
will mean nothing to the assisting technician):
Return to Table of Contents
Battery not Holding a Charge
If your computer battery is not lasting as long as it used to, try the
following troubleshooting steps.
-
Boot into BIOS and see if the battery still runs down quickly.
This will eliminate the possibility that Windows programs are causing
the battery to run down too quickly.
Factors
that may cause a battery to run down quickly
- Reset the BIOS.
How
to reset the Inspiron system defaults
How
to reset the Latitude system defaults
- Flash the BIOS.
Flash
the system BIOS
- Run the Recalibration Utility (For Specified Systems Only)
:
Some Dell Systems have programs for recalibrating batteries to accept
a charge. This will run the battery all the way down and then recharge
it completely. This will take several hours to run, so it is best to
run it overnight. You should use the program for the specified systems
only and using a program not designed for your system could void
the warranty on the computer.
- Try another battery, if possible.
- If the other battery has the same life, there may be a problem with
something besides the battery.
Return to Table of Contents
Troubleshooting the AC Adapter
- Verify that the AC adapter brick is receiving power.
- Unplug the adapter from the wall and the system. Wait 5 seconds.
- Plug the adapter back into the wall. You should get a steady
green light on the adapter.
- Make sure the adapter is plugged directly into the wall; not through
a surge protector, UPS, or extension cord.
- Try another wall outlet in another room or verify the outlet
works with a lamp.
- You can also verify a bad AC adapter by swapping it out with another
one, if available - such as one for use with the port replicator.
- Check the connections.
- Make sure the AC adapter connector has a tight fit and the connector
on the system does not have any pins that are pushed in or bent.
- If your computer will not run on A/C power make sure the power
light is lit on the power brick. If it is not try plugging it into
another power source bypassing any power strips or surge protectors.
- If the power light is on make sure the cord is firmly seated in the
computer. If you have access to another computer that is the same model
try your adapter on it or its adapter on your computer.
You may purchase a new AC adapter if your computer
warranty has expired.
AC
adapter purchase information
If the AC adapter is bad, and your computer is still under
warranty, please [Reply] to this message and be sure
to include the following information:
Company name (if applicable):
Owners Full name:
System service tag:
Physical address (No PO boxes, include city, state and zip code):
Telephone number (with area code):
A detailed description of your troubleshooting (step numbers
will mean nothing to the assisting technician):
Return to Table of Contents
Warranty on a Dell Battery
Batteries are considered a consumable item. They are composed of chemicals
that will go inert after a period of time, thus reducing their ability
to hold a charge. For this reason, Dell warrants the batteries on a portable
system for one year after the original purchase date of the system.
To purchase a battery go to:
Battery purchase
information
If your battery is still under warranty, please [Reply]
to this message and send us the following:
Company name (if applicable):
Owners Full name:
System service tag:
Physical address (No PO boxes, include city, state and zip code):
Telephone number (with area code):
A detailed description of your troubleshooting (step numbers will
mean nothing to the assisting technician):
Return to Table of Contents
Parts Replacement Information
You can get pricing and availability information for your battery and
AC adapter from our Software and Peripherals Web site.
Go to:
Dell Software and Peripherals
- Choose your business segment from the United States Customer
list on the right.
- Enter the model number and battery (e.g. 8100
battery) or AC adapter (e.g. 8100 AC adapter)
in the search box at the top of the page, to locate parts just for your
computer.
You may also search the Parts for Your Dell section on the
Software and Peripherals Web Page.
- Click on Parts for Your Dell.
- Pick your system type and model or enter your service tag for suggested
products for your Dell computer.
- Use the Narrow your results box to refine the search.
If you need further assistance finding parts, please contact:
1-800-372-3355
Return to Table of Contents
Battery Specifications
Specifications for your battery are available from the Dell Support Web
Page. Here you will find information about average operating life, voltage,
weight, and etc.
- Go to:
Dell Support Web Site
- Be sure your computer is the one listed in the Your System
section on the left side of the page. If it is not, click Select
Another System.
- Click the Documentation link on the left.
- Click Specifications
- Click Battery
Return to Table of
Contents
Battery Latch is Broken
If your battery latch is broken, please [Reply]
to this message and send us the following:
Company name (if applicable):
Owners Full name:
System service tag:
Physical address (No PO boxes, include city, state and zip code):
Telephone number (with area code):
Return to Table of
Contents
Disposing of a Battery
Rechargeable batteries are considered a hazardous waste
and should not be thrown in the trash. Take them to your
nearest recycling center or hazardous waste disposal facility.
The Web site below has an extensive list of retailers, such
as Sears, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and Radio Shack, who will take your battery
and send it to a recycler. Click this link:
List
of battery recycling centers nationwide
APPENDIX
Return to Table of
Contents
How to Remove and Reinsert the Battery
- Turn the system off.
- Remove the battery by sliding the triangular or rectangular button
on the bottom of the system and pulling the drive out of the bay at
the same time.
- Insert the battery and ensure that it clicks into place. If it does,
the drive is correctly seated.
- Turn the system on again.
If you need more help removing the battery, see the Tell Me How
guide that shipped on your computer.
Accessing and Using
the Tell Me How Guide
Return to Table of Contents
What are Dell™ User's Guides and how do I use them?
User's Guides and Tell Me How help files are support and
learning tools that are installed on your system prior to shipment. If
they are not on the desktop, they may have been moved or deleted. If this
is the case, the documents can still be accessed from the Program menu.
To access the documents on your system, please refer to the User's
Guides sections below.
The User's Guides are a compilation of all the documentation for
your optional hardware such as modems, network interface cards (NIC's),
and CDRW drives.
The Tell Me How help files give you useful computer information
in the form of an illustrated, interactive guide. These guides can help
you in learning how to use your computer. These help files can also be
found in the User's Guides.
User's Guides in Windows XP
To access the Tell Me How and User's Guides in Microsoft® Windows®
XP:
- Click [Start] | Help and Support | User's and System
Guides.
- Click User's Guides | Tell Me How.
User's Guides in Windows 98 and ME
To open the User’s Guide, perform the following steps:
Click [Start] | Programs | User’s Guide.
To open the Tell Me How help file from within the User's Guide:
- Click System Information | System Documentation | Tell
Me How.
User's Guides Online
To download the User’s Guides from the Dell Web site, perform
the following steps:
- Click:
http://support.dell.com
- Be sure your computer is the one listed under Your System on
the left
- Click Documentation on the left
- Click the Documentation link at the bottom of the list that
appears
|
Note: |
User's Guides for your optional hardware are available by clicking
the Reference Tab on the Dell Support Web Page and then
clicking User's Guides. Choose your desired category
from the list. CD-RW drive hardware guides, for example, are in
the Storage section, while guides for software, such as that used
to write to a CD-RW drive, are located in the Software section.
|
Using the Tell Me How Guide
For an illustrated example of how to use the User's Guides, refer to
the instructions for the Inspiron 2500 in the following Dell Knowledge
Base Article:
The instructions for your system model may be slightly different
than those in the article mentioned above, but the instructions will
offer you a general introduction to the Dell online User's Guides.
Return to Table of Contents
Systems That Can Use a Battery in Either Bay
The following systems permit a battery to be used in either bay:
| Inspiron systems |
| 3700 |
3800 |
7500 |
| 4000 |
4100 |
4150 |
| 8000 |
8100 |
8200 |
|
| Latitude systems |
| CPx H |
CPt V |
CPx / CPt |
| C600 |
C610 |
C640 |
| C800 |
C810 |
C840 |
|
|
Note: |
It may be necessary to slide the face plate left or right on some
batteries when switching bays. |
|
Return to Table of Contents
BIOS Update Instructions
Dell recommends that you update the BIOS on your system, only if you
are having problems:
- Go to:
The Dell support site
- Be sure your system is the one listed in the Your System section
on the left.
- Click the Downloads tab.
- Choose your operating system from the drop down menu.
- Select FlashBIOS Updates as the download category.
- Click Go.
Select the link to download the most current version of the BIOS.
- Save the program to your desktop.
- Go to the desktop and double click the icon.
- You will be given the option to either create a BIOS disk or flash
the disk from the hard drive.
-
More information on BIOS flashes
Running the Flash from a Diskette
- The program will prompt you to insert a blank diskette.
- Follow the on-screen instructions for creating the flash disk.
- Restart your computer with the floppy disk in the drive.
Running the Flash from the Hard Drive
- The program will restart the computer and update the BIOS.
- The computer will then shut itself down.
- You will need to restart the machine manually by turning it on.
NOTE: Flashing from the hard drive is not an option for all
systems.
Return to Table of Contents
Running Battery Recalibration in the BIOS
- Restart the system.
Click [Start] | Shutdown | Restart or click
[Start] | Turn Off Computer | Restart.
- When your screen comes on look for a message on the screen that says
Press F2 to enter Setup.
- Tap [F2] repeatedly until you see the BIOS screen. If your
computer boots to Windows, repeat this procedure again and be sure to
hit [F2] as soon the F2 message appears on the screen.
- Press the [->] (Right arrow key) to go to the Power page
in the BIOS. Look for Run Battery Learning if the system is an
X200, Inspiron 2100, or L400. If the system is a Latitude LS, look for
Battery auto-learning.
- Enable the Learning option
- Press the down arrow key on your keyboard to highlight
the option
- Hit the [-] (minus sign) to Enable
Return to Table of Contents Parts
Replacement Information
You can get pricing and availability information for your battery and
AC adapter from our Software and Peripherals Web site.
Go to:
Dell Software and Peripherals
- Choose your business segment from the United States Customer
list on the right.
- Enter the model number and battery (e.g. 8100
battery) or AC adapter (e.g. 8100 AC adapter)
in the search box at the top of the page, to locate parts just for your
computer.
You may also search the Parts for Your Dell section on the
Software and Peripherals Web Page.
- Click on Parts for Your Dell.
- Pick your system type and model or enter your service tag for suggested
products for your Dell computer.
- Use the Narrow your results box to refine the search.
If you need further assistance finding parts, please contact:
1-800-372-3355
|