I broke down and called Dell today. The tech was actually very nice, and I didn't have to argue my way into a new battery deal. It took an hour on the phone (including hold time), and I had to repeat steps I'd already done before calling, but... They are sending me a new battery! It should be here in 2-3 days.
I could only find one other site that has documented this problem: http://kniffen.ca/2007/01/19/dell-laptop-battery-bs/
It sounds like we have a new dell battery issue here. If any of you experience similar problems, I encourage you to post comments here, or at least post a link to your own site or similar sites. I would like to make an effort to get the word out about this new battery problem. This may be the start of yet another Dell battery recall.
Call Dell and get a new battery!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
The Problem
For about a month now, my Dell laptop ( XPS M1210, purchased August 2006 ) has displayed the following message whenever I boot up the computer or switch to the battery mode:
Your battery is able to charge normally. However it is reaching the end of its usable life.
When I look at more details about the problem, I read this:
Your battery is able to charge normally. However it is reaching the end of its usable life. You can experience a longer operating time with a new battery. You might want to consider purchasing a replacement battery now.
A normal characteristic of a rechargable battery is that its operating duration decreases over time. The battery may eventually need to be replaced. Based on this characteristic, consumed batteries may not be covered under warranty.
I have also noticed that my usable battery time (which used to be 3-4 hours when I purchased the laptop 5 months ago) was now down to about 1 hour. In addition, the cooling fan revs up when I launch firefox! The loud cooling fan used to only come on when I launched a graphics-intense video game. Perhaps the battery is overheating and so the cooling fan is kicking on more often...
Regardless of what the problem is, a battery should not be reaching the end of its usable life after less than 6 months!
Your battery is able to charge normally. However it is reaching the end of its usable life.
When I look at more details about the problem, I read this:
Your battery is able to charge normally. However it is reaching the end of its usable life. You can experience a longer operating time with a new battery. You might want to consider purchasing a replacement battery now.
A normal characteristic of a rechargable battery is that its operating duration decreases over time. The battery may eventually need to be replaced. Based on this characteristic, consumed batteries may not be covered under warranty.
I have also noticed that my usable battery time (which used to be 3-4 hours when I purchased the laptop 5 months ago) was now down to about 1 hour. In addition, the cooling fan revs up when I launch firefox! The loud cooling fan used to only come on when I launched a graphics-intense video game. Perhaps the battery is overheating and so the cooling fan is kicking on more often...
Regardless of what the problem is, a battery should not be reaching the end of its usable life after less than 6 months!
Creation
This blog is dedicated to the the issues I had with my Dell xps m1210 extended life battery
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