Series 9 dead battery?

Hi,

My samsumg series 9 ultrabook wont charge when plugged in (NP900X4C). I accidentally ran the battery to zero, and now the charging light wont even turn on. The light on the brick for the charger is on, so I'm guessing it's not the problem. I've tried the battery disconnect button on the back and leaving it plugged in overnight, neither of which helped.

Is it possible to run it on mains without the battery, or some way to ressurect a completely discharged battery? Has anyone had a similar problem?

Thanks,
the_cheet

 

Usually they will run without a battery at all and just AC, are you saying it won't? The reason I ask is if it will not run then it is possible the brick, while it shows a LED lit, under load is just folding or there is a break in the wire etc..

 

Thanks for your help.

It won't run when plugged in. The battery is not removable without opening it up, which i havent done yet.

There is definitely some power getting through the brick and into the connector, but i dont have a multimeter to check how much.

Could a dead battery stop the laptop from running on AC?

 

It usually will not, but that is not a 100%, especially where the battery is integrated. If you have a compatible brick to test I would suggest that first.

 

How long was the battery fully drained before you tried to recharge it? It if only a short time then that shouldn't cause a problem (the battery calibration in the BIOS involves fully draining the battery) but Lithium batteries don't like being left in a fully discharged condition.

However, if the computer finds that the battery is dead then it usually provides some warning using the lights (eg flashing orange) to indicate there is a problem.

It would be coincidence if the PSU has died, but the only easy way to confirm whether the PSU is OK is to try another one. While you can check the PSU output voltage with a multimeter when the PSU isn't connected it is rather more difficult to check that the power is still getting through once some load is applied.

John

 

Plus if the brick is folding under load it would be a reason the battery easily went to full discharge and is not coming back.

 

The battery was drained for 1-2hrs before i tried charging it. It's been 48 hours now though.

I just tried another charger and that also wont work.

I'm guessing it's the battery or PSU then. Is there any way to check which one before i go ordering replacement parts?

 

If you have already tried another charger (same as PSU) then the problem is either with the battery or the electrics / electronics between the power jack on the computer and the battery.

However, I wouldn't have expected that leaving a battery for an hour or two before trying to recharge it would have killed it unless it was very sick already.

John

 

Also some systems can from a dead battery take 30 to 60 minutes to build a base charge on the battery from 0% before they will turn on.

 

One further thought (and possible obstacle) is that power needs to get through from the PSU to the battery to reset the disconnect switch. Putting in a new battery won't necessary get the computer running because it will have been shipped with the cells disconnected. But if you know the battery is good and the computer doesn't start when the PSU is plugged in then the problem is in the circuit between the PSU jack and the battery.

John

 

Hey
I have also encountered the exact same problem with my Samsung series 9 ultrabook. The computer would suddenly not turn on after the battery had accidentally been fully drained a couple of times in a row. I made the assumption that the battery was dead, but found it weird that the computer wouldn't turn on even with the power supply connected. I opened the computer and took out the battery. After doing this, I can turn on the computer and use it as normal, but if I reinsert the battery, it doesn't turn on. Even though I know it's a bad idea, I tried to connect the battery while the computer was running, which just made the computer shut off immediately. The computer still worked after taking the battery out again.

This caused me to think that the power somehow runs through the battery when it is connected, and cannot take another route if the battery is inserted. It seemed like the battery was dead, so I decided to order a new one. After getting a new one I unfortunately experienced the same problems though. The computer won't turn on with the new battery inserted. I tried to let it sit overnight to charge, but it still doesn't turn on as long as the battery is inserted. Right now I'm still using my laptop daily without the battery, but it is very annoying not being able to carry it around and always having to sit by an outlet.

I suspect there being an error between the power supply and the battery, but I just find it weird that the circuitry can be damaged by the battery draining completely, as seems to be the common cause of the problem.

 

Those imbedded batteries have an issue being replaced. I think the issue stems from the electronics used for the cell calibration(s) is in the system and not with the battery pack as with replaceable/modular packs. Now once a cell gets to the preprogrammed danger point of voltage where a fire can persist it probably just shuts it down for safety sake.

Now there should be a procedure for resetting this, what it is though is probably a Samsung secret and to prevent catastrophic failures I doubt it will be let out an time soon. I can understand this but at least a factory service should be offered.

 

Just to follow up on this in case anyone else has this problem, I got my hands on a replacement battery and now it works good as new! I just opened it up and switched them, then plugged it in and the charging light was on right away. Before it died, the old battery was still giving me 1-2hrs of charge, and gave no indication of any problem. I've really given this laptop a computational workout in the 3 years I've had it (mostly on mains power), so maybe that played a part.

Either way, it seems that a dead or damaged battery can indeed stop the laptop working on mains power (while it's still connected), and can even stop the charging light from turning on.

Thanks for your help, guys!

the_cheet

 

God to hear yours is back. It seems Joar tried the same solution unsuccessfully.