L501X: Bad Battery?

I have the L501X, purchased in December, 2010. I noticed yesterday for the first time the battery icon on the control strip and on the computer base have been flashing amber on occasion. Right now it isn't, but before it was doing so. Seems to be intermittent. Charge is at about 85%.
Checking the battery meter>battery health, it says all is normal.
Am I in the early stages of battery death? Seems kind of soon for that.

 

Wow. 175 views and no replies. I ust have angered someone around here.
Anyway, battery icon is now flashing amber constantly, so I guess the battery pack is now a paperweight. Running the laptop off the AC now, which I assume is not a problem.
My questions: is 15 months the normal life expectancy for a battery pack? Is there a preferred usage pattern to extend these things?
Dell wants $180 for a replacement. I see some sites online selling generic replacements for about $100. Any experience with these generics anyone can share?
Thank you.

 

Check the bios to see what it says for battery health. (i think bios lets you check that)

it seems like its the sign of a dying battery. how long does the battery last after you charge it? what is the maximum charge it can get to?

In my own experience, my laptop batteries have lasted at least 2 years so 15 months is a bit low.

To extend battery lives:
charge it only when you really need to. each battery has a certain number of times it can be recharged and i think charging from 0% batt life or 50% batt life both counts as 1 charge.
if you're not that mobile and don't carry your laptop around, take out the battery when you keep your laptop plugged in for a extended amount of time.

 

I checked the BIOS but I didn't see where I could check anything related to the battery.
At this time the battery is completely dead. The laptop won't even boot if I try to run it off the battery. If I keep the battery in the laptop and run off the charger I'm getting a flashing screen.
Unofficially official: it's a paperweight.