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Batteries: Dell™ Latitude™ CPx H-Series/J-Series User's Guide

	About the Batteries		Second Low-Battery Warning
	Charging a Hot Battery		Charging the Battery
	Battery Usage		Detecting Battery Problems
	Installing a Battery in the Battery Bay		Battery Disposal
	Installing a Second Battery		About Battery Power
	Battery Charge Gauge		Turning the Computer On
	First Low-Battery Warning

About the Batteries

Your computer’s lithium ion battery provides power when an electrical outlet is not available. A battery in the battery bay is standard with the computer. Lithium ion batteries are longer lived than conventional batteries and do not require replacement as often. To double battery life, install a second battery in the modular bay. Lithium ion batteries do not have the "memory effect" that is exhibited by nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel-cadmium (NiCD) batteries. You do not need to drain a lithium ion battery completely before recharging it. A lithium ion battery will not "forget" at which point it is fully charged. NiMH and NiCD batteries may not charge fully if they are partially drained then recharged.

The lithium ion technology used in your computer’s battery is significantly less hazardous to the environment than the lithium metal technology used in some other batteries (such as watch batteries). Spent batteries should not be placed with common household waste products. Contact local authorities for the location of a chemical waste collection program nearest you.

Keep the following information in mind when you are running your computer from the battery:

• You can expect 2.5 to 5 hours of battery life with a single fully charged battery and 6 to 10 hours of battery life with two fully charged batteries. Actual performance varies, depending on which power management features are enabled and which application programs are being used.
   
• When two batteries are installed, the AC adapter first charges the battery in the battery bay.
   
• The integrated charge gauge lets you check a battery’s charge before you insert it into the computer.
   
• The battery’s self-test capability alerts you to battery conditions such as low charge.
   
• There is no battery memory effect with lithium ion batteries—you can charge the battery whenever you like without fear of reducing its charge capacity.
   
• A battery has a life span of up to 500 full charges and 2000 partial charges, provided it is charged at normal room temperature.

Charging a Hot Battery

If your battery is hot from being used in your computer or being in a hot environment, take note of the following precautions:

• A hot battery will not charge when you connect the AC adapter to the computer. This safety feature is important because charging a hot battery shortens the battery’s life span and may damage the battery and the computer.
   
• The battery is too hot to start charging if the battery indicator flashes alternately green and amber. If this occurs, disconnect the computer from its electrical outlet and allow it and the battery to return to room temperature. Reconnect the computer to the electrical outlet and continue charging the battery.
   
• If the computer is not allowed to return to room temperature, the battery stops charging before it reaches its full capacity.

Battery Usage

The battery is partially charged when you receive it. Dell recommends that you charge your battery to full capacity before using it to power the computer.

If you are powering the computer from a battery, try to conserve battery power. A number of factors affect battery operating time:

• Power conservation features that you use
   
• Type of display and microprocessor your computer has
   
• Use of the optical or storage drive modules
   
• Number and type of PC Cards and other external devices you use
   
• Kinds of application programs you run
   
• Capacity of the memory modules you install (the higher the capacity, the more power used)
   
• Use of the infrared port

When you activate suspend mode (known as standby in the Microsoft� Windows� 98 operating system), the computer can run on battery power for approximately one week (if the battery was fully charged before activating suspend or standby mode).

If you are going to store the computer, disconnect all peripheral devices and turn off the computer. Remove the battery when you store your computer for an extended period of time. A battery will drain when not in use during prolonged storage. After a long storage period, recharge the battery fully before you attempt to run your computer from battery power.

Installing a Battery in the Battery Bay

To install a battery in the battery bay, perform the following steps (see Figure 1).  

	NOTES: You can also install a battery in the modular bay.
	If necessary, print these instructions for reference before proceeding.

Figure 1. Installing a Battery

1. Save your work and close all open files and application programs.
   
2. If the computer is docked, undock it.
    
3. If the modular bay contains a battery, go to step 5.
    
4. If the only battery in the computer is in the battery bay and that is the battery you want to replace, connect the computer to an electrical outlet or preserve your data in one of these ways:

• Use suspend mode.                
  
  Place the computer in suspend mode by pressing <Fn><Esc> (or <Scroll Lock><Esc> on an external keyboard if the External Hot Key option is enabled in the System Setup program). Then shut down the computer.

• Use suspend-to-disk mode.   
  
  Place the computer in suspend-to-disk mode by pressing <Fn><a> (or <Fn><q> on a French keyboard). When the green power indicator turns off, continue.

1. Close the computer display and turn the computer over.
   
   
2. Slide the battery bay latch toward the Unlock icon. Hold  the latch with one hand while pulling the battery out of the bay with the other hand.
   
   
3. Release the latch after you remove the battery.
   

7. If you put the computer into suspend or suspend-to-disk mode, press the power button to resume normal operation.  
   
   

NOTE: The following procedure applies only if you are replacing a storage module that has been operating in the modular bay. If you are installing a battery into an empty modular bay, you can hot-swap the battery (insert the battery while the computer is on).

1. Save your work and close all open files and application programs.
   
   
2. If the computer is docked, undock it.
   
   
3. If your system does not have Softex Docking Services or Softex BayManager, go to step 5.
    
4. If your system is running Microsoft Windows NT� with Softex Docking Services installed or if your system is running Windows 95 or Windows 98 with Softex BayManager installed, perform the following steps. 

7. Slide the new battery firmly into the battery bay. You should hear a click when the battery is fully seated.
   
   

   NOTE: Softex BayManager and Docking Services do not report a second battery installed in the modular bay on the Storage Devices tab.

8. If your system is running Microsoft Windows NT with Softex Docking Services or Windows 95 or Windows 98 with Softex BayManager, click OK. Then click OK to close the Softex window.
    

9. If you put the computer into suspend or suspend-to-disk mode, press the power button to resume normal operation.

Battery Charge Gauge

The battery charge gauge consists of five indicators. Each indicator represents 20 percent of full charge. If only one indicator lights up, recharge the battery before using it.

To check the charge level, press the battery test button that is next to the indicators (see Figure 3). The appropriate number of indicators lights up for a few seconds to indicate the amount of charge remaining in the battery. For example, if three indicators light up, your battery has between 41 percent and 60 percent of its charge left.

Figure 3.Battery Charge Gauge

 

NOTES: An indicator that blinks rapidly when you check the battery’s charge level indicates a temporary failure or a potentially recoverable failure like overheating. Allow the battery to cool for several minutes before checking the charge level again.  If the battery is experiencing a permanent failure, when you press the battery test button, you will see no indicators. If you install such a battery into the computer, the amber battery indicator on the computer flashes rapidly. To purchase a new battery, call Dell or access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com. Dispose of the old battery properly.

 

Percentage of Charge

When you press the battery test button, the number of indicators that light up shows an estimate of the remaining battery charge:

• If one indicator lights up, the battery has 1 to 20 percent of its charge remaining. 
   
• If two indicators light up, the battery has 21 to 40 percent of its charge remaining.
   
• If three indicators light up, the battery has 41 to 60 percent of its charge remaining.
   
• If four indicators light up, the battery has 61 to 80 percent of its charge remaining.
   
• If five indicators light up, the battery has 81 to 100 percent of its charge remaining.

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First Low-Battery Warning

The first low-battery warning—a blinking amber battery indicator—occurs when you have about 15 minutes of battery life left under current conditions and the computer is not connected to an electrical outlet. Figure 4 shows the battery indicator status lights.

Figure 4. Status Lights

 

1	Power indicator
2	Drive access indicator
3	Battery indicator

NOTICE: When you see a low-battery warning, save your work immediately. Then replace the battery or connect your computer to an electrical outlet.

After the first low-battery warning, if no input/output (I/O) activity occurs within 75 seconds, the computer activates suspend-to-disk mode. If the computer has no suspend-to-disk partition, the computer enters suspend mode. The computer can preserve data for several hours in suspend mode.

If you have set the computer to enter suspend-to-disk mode after a certain amount of time with no I/O activity, the computer enters suspend-to-disk mode before the final low-battery warning. Once suspend-to-disk mode is activated, no further power is consumed.

NOTICE: Never turn off the computer while the drive access indicator is on. Doing so could cause data loss. Instead, close all of your application programs before you turn off the computer.

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Second Low-Battery Warning

The second low-battery warning—a steady amber battery indicator—occurs when you have about 5 minutes of battery life left under current conditions and the computer is not connected to an electrical outlet.

After the second low-battery warning, if no further I/O activity occurs within 15 seconds, the computer activates suspend-to-disk mode. If there is no suspend-to-disk partition, the computer enters suspend mode. The computer can preserve data for several hours in suspend mode.

If the computer is already in suspend mode when a final low-battery warning occurs, the computer activates suspend-to-disk mode immediately. If suspend-to-disk mode has been disabled, the computer reenters suspend mode.

NOTICE: To avoid losing data (and possibly corrupting data areas on your hard-disk drive), save your work immediately after a second low-battery warning. Then connect your computer to an electrical outlet, or place the computer in suspend mode. If the battery runs completely out of power, the computer shuts off without properly closing any open files.

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Charging the Battery

Each time you connect the computer to an electrical outlet or install a battery in a computer that is connected to an electrical outlet, the computer checks the battery's charge. The AC adapter charges the battery (if needed) and then maintains the battery's charge.

NOTE: For maximum battery performance, charge the battery only at normal room temperature.

If two batteries are installed in the computer, the AC adapter first charges the battery in the battery bay, then the battery in the modular bay.

When installed in a computer connected to an electrical outlet, the battery immediately starts charging. The green power indicator remains steady while the AC adapter charges the battery. The indicator starts blinking when the express charge cycle is complete. While the indicator is blinking, the AC adapter provides a trickle charge to bring the battery to full capacity. The indicator continues to blink until you remove the battery or disconnect the computer from its electrical outlet.

NOTICE: If the battery indicator flashes alternately green and amber while the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, disconnect the computer from the outlet and allow the computer and the battery to return to room temperature. Then reconnect the computer to its electrical outlet and continue charging the battery. If the computer is not allowed to return to room temperature, the battery stops charging before it reaches full capacity.

If the computer is turned off and connected to an electrical outlet through the AC adapter, it takes the AC adapter about 1 hour to fully charge a battery that has been completely discharged. If the computer determines that the battery is near full capacity, the AC adapter skips the express-charging process and starts trickle-charging the battery. If the computer is on, it takes up to 2.5 hours to charge a fully discharged battery, depending on which devices you are using and which programs you are running.

NOTE: You can leave the battery in the computer as long as you like. The battery's integrated circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging.

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Detecting Battery Problems

A battery problem may prevent the battery from being charged to its full potential and can lead to unpredictable operation. To obtain a new battery, call Dell or access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com.

Dell suggests you follow these precautions when using the battery:

• To avoid installing a defective battery in your computer, first check the battery's charge, indicated by the battery charge indicators on the battery itself, by pressing the battery test button (see Figure 3).
  

NOTE: If the battery has a 0 (zero) percent charge, you cannot use the battery test button to check the battery's capacity. The battery gauge indicator will not light if the battery is completely drained.

• If, after you insert the battery in the computer, the computer's battery indicator status light (see Figure 4) flashes alternately green and amber, the battery is too hot to charge. Turn off the computer, and let the battery and computer cool to room temperature.
  
   
• If, after you insert the battery in the computer, the computer's battery indicator status light (see Figure 4) flashes amber for 4 seconds when you connect or disconnect the AC adapter or when you press the power button, you need to replace the battery.
  
   
• If, after you insert the battery in the computer, the computer's battery indicator status light (see Figure 4) flashes rapidly amber, the battery is defective and needs to be replaced.

 

Battery Disposal

When your battery no longer holds a charge, call your local waste disposal agency or environmental agency for advice on disposing the computer’s lithium ion battery.

CAUTION: Do not puncture or incinerate the battery.

NOTES: The lithium ion technology used in your computer’s battery is significantly less hazardous to the environment than the lithium metal technology used in some other batteries (such as watch batteries). This computer is supplied with a lithium ion battery. Lithium ion batteries are longer lived than conventional batteries and do not require replacement as often. Spent batteries should not be placed in common household waste products. Contact local authorities for the location of a chemical waste collection program nearest you. To purchase a new battery, call Dell or access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com.

About Battery Power

You automatically conserve battery power each time you attach the computer to an electrical outlet. The battery is even being recharged when you use AC power. The battery's life expectancy is largely determined by the number of charges it receives, so use an electrical outlet to run the computer whenever possible.

You can customize power management by individually controlling the computer's power conservation features. These features reduce power consumption by monitoring application programs and computer devices for inactivity and slowing down or stopping some of the computer’s internal devices.

NOTES: When you use power conservation features, you often trade some of the performance of the computer for increased battery operating time. For example, if you turn off the hard-disk drive, you may experience a delay the next time the computer tries to access the hard-disk drive. Other power conservation features, such as suspend mode, stop almost all system activity. They allow you to maximize power conservation when your work is interrupted.

Experiment with power conservation features to achieve the optimum power conservation for your work environment.

Turning the Computer On

To turn on the computer, press the power button (See Introduction).

NOTE: If your computer's operating system is "locked up"— that is, it does not respond to commands— press and hold down the power button for at least five seconds to shut it off.

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