FAQ

Refill Battery FAQ   I received my battery today from your company and it charged in 5 minutes but it only ran for 10 minutes. It is exactly the same before the replacement service. What went wrong? This is due to Digital Memory Effect (refer to the next FAQ). All refilled laptop batteries are required to be fully charged/discharged a minimum of 3 times (3 cycles). Some batteries require over 10 cycles to fully recognize new refilled cell capacity.     What is the "Memory Effect"? Ni-Cd batteries, and to a lesser extent Ni-Mh batteries, suffer from what is called "the memory effect." If a battery is continuously only partially discharged before re-charging, the battery "forgets" that it has the capacity to further discharge completely. For example, if you, on a regular basis, fully charge your battery and then use only 50% of its capacity before the next charge, eventually the battery will become unaware of its extra 50% capacity which has remained unused. Your battery will remain functional, but only at 50% of its original capacity. The way to avoid the dreaded "memory effect" is to fully cycle (charge/discharge) your battery at lease once every two to three weeks. Batteries can be discharged by unplugging the device's AC adaptor and letting the device run on the battery until it ceases to function. This will insure your battery remains healthy.     What is the "Digital Memory Effect"? While Ni-Cd and Mi-Mh batteries have a "memory effect", Li-Ion batteries do not. Instead Li-Ion batteries have a "digital memory effect." Li-Ion laptop batteries require a cell protection circuit and usually have a charge indicator circuit. This charge indicator circuit records the remaining capacity of the battery cells. If different capacity or charged state battery cells are attached to the circuit, the circuit won't recognize the new information until its cells are fully charged and discharged a couple of cycles (battery calibration). However, unlike Ni-Cd's memory effect, the digital memory effect does not require regular cycling. It is only required whenever new cells are in place.     What is SMBus (System Management Bus) Digital circuit?    Li-ion laptop batteries are not simple devices. All Li-ion laptop batteries have cell protection circuits and most of them have charge indicators. We call this "Smart Battery". These are laptops with state-of-charge-indicators. System Management Bus (SMBus) circuits consists of state-of-charge indication and cell protection. This circuit board communicates with the laptop and provides remaining capacity, voltage output and temperature information. Some Ni-Mh laptop batteries are "Smart Batteries".     Will my battery look the same as it did before the replacement?   Laptop batteries are not designed so that they can be easily opened. Some minor blemishes are un-avoidable. However, laptop batteries are usually attached on the bottom or inserted into the laptop body so the marks will be barely noticeable. If the battery appearance is more important, and money is not an issue, we suggest you purchase a new battery.     How to Take Care and Use Battery?   Your new battery comes in a discharged condition and must be charged before use. Upon initial use (or after prolonged storage period) the battery may require two to three charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity. If the battery is not going to be used for more than a month, it is recommended that it be removed from the device and stored in a cool, dry, clean place. It is normal for a battery to become warm during charging and discharging. A charged battery will eventually lose its charge if unused. It may therefore be necessary to recharge the battery after a storage period.     Can I Upgrade My Devices Battery to a Newer Chemistry?   NiCad, NiMH and Li-ion are all fundamentally different from one another and cannot be substituted unless the device has been pre-configured from the factory to accept more than one type of rechargeable battery. The difference between them stems from the fact that each type requires a different charging pattern to be properly recharged. Refer to your owner's manual to find out which rechargeable battery types your particular device supports.     My New Battery Isn't Charging. What's The Deal?   New batteries are shipped in a discharged condition and must be charged before use. We generally recommend an overnight charge (approximately twelve hours). Refer to your user's manual for charging instruction. Rechargeable batteries should be cycled? fully charged and then fully discharged? 2 to 4 times initially to allow them to reach their full capacity. (Note: It is perfectly normal for a battery to become warm to the touch during charging and discharging). New batteries are hard for your device to charge; they have never been fully charged and are therefore unformed? Sometimes your device's charger will stop charging a new battery before it is fully charged. If this happens, simply remove the battery from your device and then re-insert it. The charge cycle should start again. This may happen several times during your first battery charge. Don't worry; it's perfectly normal.     How Long Do Batteries Last?   The life of a rechargeable battery operating under normal conditions is generally between 500 to 800 charge-discharge cycles. This translates into one and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As your rechargeable battery begins to die, you will notice a decline in the run time of the battery. When your two-hour battery is only supplying you with an hour's worth of use, it's time for a new battery.     How Can I Maximize Battery Performance?   Breaking In New Batteries new batteries come in a discharged condition and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended that you fully charge and discharge your new battery two to four times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity. Keep Your Batteries Clean it's a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and your laptop. Exercise Your Battery? Do not leave your battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every two to three weeks. If a battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above. Battery Storage? If you do not plan on using the battery for a month or more, we recommend storing in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects.     How Are Batteries Rated? (What Are Volts and Amps?)   There are two ratings on every battery: Volts and Milliamp-hour (mAh). The voltage of the new battery should always match the voltage of your original. Some of our batteries will have higher amp-hour ratings that the original battery found in your device. This is indicative of a longer run-time (high capacity) and will not cause any incompatibilities. Remember: in some cases, the voltage will differ from the original battery. This often happens when both a Li-Ion battery and a Ni-Mh battery are available for the laptop.