PB G4 1.67, 15" battery power issue

[MacTavish84]

Hi guys,

Basically I'm having issues with my newly acquired Powerbook G4.
When i bought it the battery was not working at all so have now installed a new replacememnnt battery which works fine but having some slight issues.

So...

• First time I charged it, it reached 100% but green light never came on to indicate full charge.
• When I run the PB off the battery it gets to 20% and it shuts down without any warning it's low on battery (trying to switch it on after this is impossible, it clearly has no life)
• After the above I connect the power lead and start up the computer, the battery indicator starts charging from 20% onwards.

Something fishy definitely going on and I have no idea what it could be, I calibrated the battery but it has always cut off at 20% since first charge/discharge.

Any help is much appreciated, thanks for your time

MacTav

 

[Str8edgepunker]

It sounds like it might be a bad cell in the battery is causing your trouble. It wouldn't happen to be one of those NuPower or other non oem batteries would it? I will say that those batteries had been nothing but trouble for me. First one kept losing capacity by 500mah each time I discharged it and the second did not work at all.

 

[MacTavish84]

Yeah bought it on Ebay brand new for £30. I guess you're right maybe the alternative battery is the issue, I was just hoping it was nothing to do with the actual computer itself.
Do you reckon that after a few cycles the battery will better calibrate?

 

[Str8edgepunker]

Actually, it will probably get worse as that's what happened with a NuPower that I bought. I'd return the battery and buy one from Apple. Yes its going to be a lot more expensive but it's guaranteed to work. Or you could try another battery supplier, its your call.