unused ibook battery fix?

[brendan007]

I found out that an iBook battery i recently aquired wasnt used for a bit and now it wont charge properly or even hold a charge when it will (only when the computer is on). anybody know how to fix this? there is a problem with the microprocessor in the battery due to nonusage. anybody know how to fix this? anything is great

 

[CoMpX]

If the battery has just been left to sit for long enough with no activity then it can be permanently dead. It is not an issue with the microprocessor, the electrons simply wont hold a charge anymore.

 

[brendan007]

no it holds a charge. it held almost a 2 hour charge but it wont charge when its off. it will only chargbe when its on and spuratically. is there something i can do to reset it

 

[CoMpX]

Have you tried calibrating it? First, charge the battery up to 100%. Then, leave the computer running or watch a DVD or something to drain the battery down all the way. When the charge runs down to zero the iBook will go to sleep. Allow it to sleep for about 4 hours, then plug it in. Wake it up once it's plugged in, and turn it off. Then let it charge all the way to 100% again.

This is called calibrating the battery, and it should solve your problem.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Have you tried calibrating it? First, charge the battery up to 100%. Then, leave the computer running or watch a DVD or something to drain the battery down all the way. When the charge runs down to zero the iBook will go to sleep. Allow it to sleep for about 4 hours, then plug it in. Wake it up once it's plugged in, and turn it off. Then let it charge all the way to 100% again.

This is called calibrating the battery, and it should solve your problem.

How could he do that if it won't charge the battery when it's off?

TO OP: What iBook is it? What have you tried?

 

[brendan007]

um i tried calibrating it but it would only go to 35% by doing it when it was plugged in

 

[brendan007]

oh its an ibook g3 and ive tried reseting the pmu and calibrating but again it wont go past 35%

 

[CoMpX]

EDIT:Reset the PMU.

 

[brendan007]

did that

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Have other batteries worked successfully in charging? When was the last time it worked OK?

 

[asherman13]

The calibration technique listed above doesn't seem to me like it's the correct one; some batteries are calibrated differently. The previously mentioned procedure looks like that for the MacBook Pro or 15" PowerBook G4.

From Apple's Knowledge Base article on notebook battery calibration:

iBooks and PowerBook G4s other than the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD)

1. Plug the power adapter in and fully charge your computer's battery until the battery indicator lights turn off and the adapter plug light goes from amber to green, which indicates that the battery is fully charged.
2. Disconnect the power adapter and use your iBook or PowerBook. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen. Continue to use your computer until it goes to sleep. At that point the battery has been sufficiently drained for calibration.
3. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.

I don't see why you can't reboot the iBook once you plug in the adapter; the adaptor should be able to power the computer through the reboot and then start charging the battery. You do, however, need to wait until the battery is fully charged before unplugging the power adaptor after the calibration.