Do Lenovo support guys know their product? Battery problem

I got my T500 finally, but there are more troubles.

After 4 days, I found that the battery cannot be fully charged. It was Ok in the first two days.

I try to find some information. However, there is no user manual come with it, event though it is a brand new one, shipped from the factory directly to me via UPS. There isn't a flyer telling me where the soft copy of user manual is.

I went to Lenovo website, and couldn't find related information. I submitted a ticket on the webpage. Then I received a call from their supporting.

The guy asked me how I used the laptop, especially how I charged the battery. I told him that I connected the power adaptor to the laptop and use it.

He told me that is not correct way to use a loptop. I am supposed to disconnect the power adapter when the battery is fully charged, and when the battery low alarm goes on, reconnect the power adpater till it is fully charged. Then disconnect it again. Doing all such cycles is the way to "correctly" use the laptop and maintain the battery life.

My question was, even my way was not perfect, but it is typically. How can a battery start dying after only 4 days? The guy said, if I don't follow the instruction, it is my problem, not the product problem. But I haven't received the instruction together with the product.

I google "Lenovo batter not fully charged" and find out people discuss this issue a lot already. There is a new "feature" in Lenovo Power Manager, which you can config how the battery to be charged.

I don't know why they don't give a description in a user manual or something like that. And even their supporting personnel don't know the "secret".

Now, I share this secret with all you guys. Don't tell Lenovo.

 

What does not full charge mean...

Does it drop significantly in its charge capacity? If not then you're fine. Google some of the threads on here about battery care.

 

The guy is in error.

If you only run your system on AC. Occasionally a charged battery should be discharged to close to 0. There is no use in running up you cycle count unless you feel like giving money away to Lenovo.

Renee

 

When I said fully charged, I refered to the power meter percentage. It stopped at 96% and didn't go up.

I know that for an old battery, sometimes it shows 100% but can not last long. The case for new ThinkPad is different. It simply doesn't charge the battery because it has define a special way of managing the charge and discharge. Even if you connect the AC adaptor, it won't always charge the batter.

 

Reset the battery gauge in power manager. And set charge thresholds. It isn't ideal to let the battery keep charging or letting it sit at full charge. Heat also kills battery life. There are a bunch of threads here about battery care. Search for those.

 

the Battery Threshold is probably set at 96%.
Right click on the Lenovo battery icon and you can change the threshold. Not charging to 100% is a good thing so you might not want to change it.

Don't listen to the Lenovo rep. As mentioned already, this will only kill your laptop faster.

 

I think it depends on the lenovo guy in question. Lenovo technical people have a distribution. They have a range from ultra-competent to ultra-incompetent just like anyone else.

Renee