YF091 Laptop battery life shorter than expected? How to check your battery life?

imageHere is my Dell M1210 battery, dead after 1.5 years of usage. The capacity was less 50% after 1 year of usage.

This battery was frequently used, laptop brought to school for of the time with battery attached running sleep mode.

M1210, an ultra-portable ultra-performance laptop, heat is a big issue. High-heat reduced the physical battery life.

The battery itself have a caution label : Do not expose battery to temperature above 65°C (149°F). My M1210 CPU temperature is at 70°C under normal usage, and will increase up to 90°C under heavy usage even with a laptop cooler.

By using Battery Tracker, I am able to obtain the battery specifications. The screenshot on the left shows the Battery Manufacturer, Battery Design Capacity, Full Charge Capacity and Current Capacity.

Battery Quality shows the Full Charge Capacity and Battery Design Capacity.

Unfortunately this battery no longer charges, the Current Capacity remains at 0%.

A new  85 W/h 9-cell battery for my M1210 will cost $155.99 from Dell. It is not worth it considering the amount of bad reviews this battery have obtain in Dell’s website. Let’s see what happens when i buy a used battery from eBay for $40.

Grab this Battery Tracker @ http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/files/folders/tamir/entry23412.aspx

Alternative mirror @ http://blog.zynine.com/downloads/?did=1

Simple guidelines to prolong lithium-based batteries

    • Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.
    • Keep the lithium-ion battery cool. Avoid a hot car. For prolonged storage, keep the battery at a 40% charge level.
    • Consider removing the battery from a laptop when running on fixed power. (Some laptop manufacturers are concerned about dust and moisture accumulating inside the battery casing.)
    • Avoid purchasing spare lithium-ion batteries for later use. Observe manufacturing dates. Do not buy old stock, even if sold at clearance prices.
    • If you have a spare lithium-ion battery, use one to the fullest and keep the other cool by placing it in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the battery. For best results, store the battery at 40% state-of-charge.

source : http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

to be continued…