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AWShuttleworth · Aug 16, 2004, 03:27 PM

When I'm using the battery power on my PowerBook, and it gets to a low level (rarely does it get as low as the red levels on the battery icon in the menu bar - more often it is at what looks like 25%), it puts itself to sleep without warning me that it's going to do so. A friend tells me that this is not normal behaviour for a PowerBook. Do I have a problem?

belldandy · Aug 16, 2004, 03:54 PM

Software issues. Run the newest combo update from Apple. This seems to be issue coming back over and over again each time after you run OS update via Software update.

f1000 · Aug 21, 2004, 03:36 PM

Originally posted by AWShuttleworth:
Do I have a problem?

Yes; try recalibrating your battery.

t4r1q · Aug 21, 2004, 03:58 PM

That won't help. He IS recalibrating the battery--using the laptop until it goes to sleep. Most likely an OS issue or a faulty battery.

ibookuser2 · Aug 22, 2004, 04:06 PM

It's a problem with the battery. Mine gives out at about 85 percent, although it lasts the usual amount of time. The trouble is that the battery thinks its capacity is much higher than it really is. The capacity of a new battery is around 4.4 Ah. I've determined my actual capacity to be about 3.33 Ah. My battery, however, thinks it can hold 20.457 Ah. So when it's fully charged, it thinks it has 20 some amp hours in it, when really it has 3.3. I can calculate how much it really has by taking the reported charge and subtracting (20-3.3) from it, then dividing by 3.3 to get the actual percentage.

I've yet to find a fix for this besides buying a new battery. The battery that came with my 1GHz TiBook (model number started with an A) had this problem (gave out at about 20%) well inside the first 90 days, so it was no problem to get it replaced by warranty. They replaced it with an older model (started with an M). Never had the problem with this battery, though I did use it pretty heavily and its capacity decreased significantly. Near the end of my warranty, I had problems with the power connector and had to send in the machine. I mentioned that the battery had worn out and was only lasting about 20 minutes, and they agreed to replace the battery too. It was replaced with the newer battery (model number starts with A) which lasted for about 90 days before it started exhibiting the capacity discrepancy problem. As I said earlier, this one gives out at 85 percent. Unfortunately, I'm now out of warranty, so I'm living with it. It still lasts the normal time, just doesn't report the percentage properly.

Simon · Aug 23, 2004, 02:57 AM

I just experienced this for the first time yesterday with my rev B 12" PowerBook (1GHz). I don't mind that the battery is lasting less since that's to be expected as its age increases, but nevertheless the panel saying that you're on low battery should pop up before it goes to sleep.

Obviously re-calibrating should help, since this is a problem of the battery's electronics and not of the battery (charge) itself. I've just done it. According to other people however, this won't bring the panel back. Why hasn't Apple fixed the software issue?

bbales · Aug 23, 2004, 09:41 AM

My 12-in PB has recently started exhibiting this same behavior. In fact, I think the percentage was supposedly in the 20s when the screen went dark. I was in the middle of ripping a song, too... What's most irritating is that it goes from 25 or so percent to zero. Then when the machine is plugged in, it does indeed say 0 percent charged.

The battery is 18 months old. Now I'm confused as to whether this is the battery itself, or the software. I'm stil on 10.3.4.

But at least I know it's not just me.

AWShuttleworth · Aug 23, 2004, 07:49 PM

I called AppleCare, and they are happily sending me a new battery (on condition that I send them the old one once I get it).

He didn't explicitly say it, but it sounded like a hardware problem that he had heard about before.

All of this after he made fun of me for being from Maine (no I do not eat lobsters for breakfast).

So I guess all is well. We'll see what happens with the new battery - but I'm inclined to think it'll fix my problem.

Calamity · Aug 23, 2004, 08:26 PM

Same exact thing is happening to me. 12" PB, Rev. B, 10.3.5. It's very annoying.

macaddict0001 · Aug 23, 2004, 10:17 PM

Originally posted by ibookuser2:
It's a problem with the battery. Mine gives out at about 85 percent, although it lasts the usual amount of time. The trouble is that the battery thinks its capacity is much higher than it really is. The capacity of a new battery is around 4.4 Ah. I've determined my actual capacity to be about 3.33 Ah. My battery, however, thinks it can hold 20.457 Ah. So when it's fully charged, it thinks it has 20 some amp hours in it, when really it has 3.3. I can calculate how much it really has by taking the reported charge and subtracting (20-3.3) from it, then dividing by 3.3 to get the actual percentage.

I've yet to find a fix for this besides buying a new battery. The battery that came with my 1GHz TiBook (model number started with an A) had this problem (gave out at about 20%) well inside the first 90 days, so it was no problem to get it replaced by warranty. They replaced it with an older model (started with an M). Never had the problem with this battery, though I did use it pretty heavily and its capacity decreased significantly. Near the end of my warranty, I had problems with the power connector and had to send in the machine. I mentioned that the battery had worn out and was only lasting about 20 minutes, and they agreed to replace the battery too. It was replaced with the newer battery (model number starts with A) which lasted for about 90 days before it started exhibiting the capacity discrepancy problem. As I said earlier, this one gives out at 85 percent. Unfortunately, I'm now out of warranty, so I'm living with it. It still lasts the normal time, just doesn't report the percentage properly.

That one may be covered by this here

bbales · Aug 23, 2004, 10:24 PM

Originally posted by AWShuttleworth:
I called AppleCare, and they are happily sending me a new battery (on condition that I send them the old one once I get it).

He didn't explicitly say it, but it sounded like a hardware problem that he had heard about before.

All of this after he made fun of me for being from Maine (no I do not eat lobsters for breakfast).

So I guess all is well. We'll see what happens with the new battery - but I'm inclined to think it'll fix my problem.

How old is your PB, though? My book is covered under AppleCare, but I am not at all sure it would cover the battery. (I'm at 18 months-plus.)

AWShuttleworth · Aug 24, 2004, 05:41 PM

Just got back to my office, and found my new battery waiting on my desk. They're fast when they mean to be, I guess.

I'll charge this battery up and see if it fixes the problem.

By the way, my PowerBook is also at about eighteen months now. Is it unusual for them to cover the battery after that long?

Considering the purchase price and the cost of AppleCare, all I can say is, they'd better be glad they did

waxcrash · Aug 25, 2004, 06:11 PM

Sounds like it could be a software issue. When I updated my TiBook 800 in April of '03 to 10.2.5, the low battery warning stopped working right after I upgraded. When the 10.2.8 update became available, I installed it and the 'low battery warning' came back.

bbales · Aug 26, 2004, 09:59 AM

Originally posted by AWShuttleworth:
Just got back to my office, and found my new battery waiting on my desk. They're fast when they mean to be, I guess.

I'll charge this battery up and see if it fixes the problem.

By the way, my PowerBook is also at about eighteen months now. Is it unusual for them to cover the battery after that long?

Considering the purchase price and the cost of AppleCare, all I can say is, they'd better be glad they did

Hmm -- do you have a 15-inch PB? Because I just talked to Apple a day or so ago on a slightly different battery issue and the guy specifically said the battery is NOT covered! In my case, the battery wasn't charging correctly. If you've had yorus for 18 months, I don't think it even can be a 15-inch, b/c those aren't that old, I don't believe.

If you can give me more info, I'd appreciate it. Now my battery is charging again -- but if I can get a new battery for free, that would be much better than spending $130 for it.!

Calamity · Sep 7, 2004, 05:56 PM

FWIW... I got annoyed enough with this to call AppleCare this morning. They told me to reset this and that, I did so, ran down the battery again and it still happened, reached to about 24% and went right to 0%. So I called back, someone tried to tell me to recalibrate my battery (been there, done that... next?) and finally put me on hold to talk to a "specialist".

Dude came back on the phone, and told me they were sending me a new battery (and yeah I have to send the old one back). So... yeah. A battery problem? I don't know. Hopefully the new one will stop this from happening.

(BTW, my PB is a little under a year old, and I have AppleCare.)