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ibook battery question

V

vtprinz

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 30, 2004
395
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I've had an 800MHz G3 iBook for about 3 years now, and in the last couple of days the battery life seems to have plummeted. I'm a college student, and I used to be able to pull it through 3 classes before the battery died, but now it's going out after just one (a little over an hour)!! I haven't done anything different, I always have the same programs open (mail, adium, safari, and MS word), and always reduce the screen brightness to just before going black.

Is it possible that the battery is going out on me? I'd rather not have to buy a new battery, but this is kind of annoying.

Anything else that might help? Would reformatting the computer (it's been a little bogged down lately anyway) help?

Thanks a lot,

Mark
 
It does sound like the battery is going out on you. 3 Years is a good amount of time for a laptop battery. It may be time to get a new one, which I think will run you around $129. A warranty won't cover a battery as far as I know as thats considered a wearable item on a laptop.

Reformatting the laptop may help some if the laptop is struggling to do things as it will use more battery, but I doubt it will put a stop to all of your problems. It never hurts to try though. Thats a lot cheaper than buying a new battery.
 
vtprinz said:
I've had an 800MHz G3 iBook for about 3 years now, and in the last couple of days the battery life seems to have plummeted. I'm a college student, and I used to be able to pull it through 3 classes before the battery died, but now it's going out after just one (a little over an hour)!! I haven't done anything different, I always have the same programs open (mail, adium, safari, and MS word), and always reduce the screen brightness to just before going black.

Is it possible that the battery is going out on me? I'd rather not have to buy a new battery, but this is kind of annoying.

Anything else that might help? Would reformatting the computer (it's been a little bogged down lately anyway) help?

Thanks a lot,

Mark
Click to expand...
Download Co****Battery and use it. It won't bring your battery back to life, but it will give you some interesting data about your battery.

Try it, you'll like it.

EDIT - I don't know why the censor did that, but the application is called c o c o n u t Battery.
 
ftaok said:
Download Co****Battery and use it. It won't bring your battery back to life, but it will give you some interesting data about your battery.

Try it, you'll like it.

EDIT - I don't know why the censor did that, but the application is called c o c o n u t Battery.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that! Looks the like the maximum capacity is down to only 27% of the original. Hopefully it will last a little while longer. I'm able to plug it in during some classes so it's not dire at the moment (unless it gets to the point where it can't even last through a single class).
 
Whatever you do, refrain from overcharging your battery (we do tend to do that often though) as it will deplete your battery life very quickly.
 
Mine has very suddenly done something very similar. My iBook is about 18 months old, and was holding anywhere between two and three hours depending on how active I was. Now it's down to 40 minutes tops.

Does anyone know Apple's policy on sudden battery deaths within 18 months? I have Applecare.
 
thequicksilver said:
Mine has very suddenly done something very similar. My iBook is about 18 months old, and was holding anywhere between two and three hours depending on how active I was. Now it's down to 40 minutes tops.

Does anyone know Apple's policy on sudden battery deaths within 18 months? I have Applecare.
Click to expand...
I don't know if it's official policy, but Applecare has replaced batteries before. My iBook's original battery couldn't hold a charge for more than 30 minutes at around the 18 month mark. I called the Applecare phone number and they ran me through a few tests then told me they'd send me a new battery and a return label for me to send the old one back.

Others on this forum have also gotten replacement batteries.
 
ftaok said:
Others on this forum have also gotten replacement batteries.
Click to expand...
Yes but it's usually due to a fault of the battery that is immediately noticeable (such as in your stated circumstance; but not due to normal wear and tear) and probably always w/in warranty. I doubt that the OP's iBook G3 is still under warranty.
 
devilot76 said:
Yes but it's usually due to a fault of the battery that is immediately noticeable (such as in your stated circumstance; but not due to normal wear and tear) and probably always w/in warranty. I doubt that the OP's iBook G3 is still under warranty.
Click to expand...

No, not under warranty. So, with that in mind, where do you guys recommend to buy a replacement battery? I'd rather not spend $120 if possible.
 
vtprinz said:
No, not under warranty. So, with that in mind, where do you guys recommend to buy a replacement battery? I'd rather not spend $120 if possible.
Click to expand...

You could try ebay but make sure you're not getting someone else's dead battery before you bid.
 
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