XPS L502x Battery Problem

I have had my L502x for 15 months or so. This morning I woke up and my laptop was plugged in. The battery light was flashing amber and I could not turn on my computer. Then after removing the battery I could turn it on. Upon plugging it back in, a notice saying "Your battery has experienced permanent failure and needs to be replaced." Obviously, that doesn't sound good. Last night, the battery was working perfectly as it normally did so I do not understand how this could happen all of the sudden. So I called Dell and they said they couldn't do anything for me since it was out of warranty. I know they can, but they just wont. Anyway, I unplugged the battery and on the battery itself, there is a series of 5 white lights that will not turn off. I do not know if that means anything?

Anyway, I was wondering what suggestions you all had and it there is a battery company that you would recommend purchasing from that wont cost me $117 (that's what dell wants for a replacement 9 cell). I am open to any suggestions! Thank you!!

 

The 5 white lights indicate how much battery is left. Since your battery malfunctioned, I guess this is what caused the lights to light up.

You should check eBay for replacement batteries. They are usually less than half the price of what Dell charges.

 

So i just got 2 batteries that i ordered from a second party source. When i went to plug it in, a screen popped up saying that battery is not reccomended for this system and will not charge. How do i combat this. Thanks