Manuals

Power Sources: Dell™ Inspiron™ 7000

AC Adapter | Battery | Removing and Installing the Main Battery | Removing and Installing a Secondary Battery | Charging the Battery | Checking a Battery’s Charge Level

AC Adapter

The AC adapter kit includes the AC adapter and an AC power cable.

If you are running your computer on AC power with a battery installed, the AC adapter charges the battery (if needed) and then maintains its charge.

Battery

The computer supports up to 2 lithium ion batteries simultaneously. The main battery is a standard feature and is used in the battery compartment; an optional secondary battery can be installed in the options bay.

Either battery can power the computer by itself. When 2 batteries are installed, the computer draws power from both of them serially. The lithium ion battery has a life span of up to 500 full charges when it is charged at normal room temperature.

A number of factors affect battery operating time:

• The power conservation features used
• The number and type of PC Cards used
• The kinds of application programs run
• The capacity of the optional memory modules installed (the higher the capacity, the more power used)
• The use of a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, which uses more power than a hard-disk drive or a diskette drive

See also Power Conservation.

Removing and Installing the Main Battery

1. Save any files you have open.
2. Shut down the computer.
3. Close the display and turn the computer over.
4. Remove the main battery.
   Press the latch lock toward the back of the computer and slide the latch release away from the battery. Hold the latch release with one hand and pull the battery out of the battery bay.
5. Install the new battery.
   Make sure the bezel on the battery is in the correct position by sliding it into place. Slide the new battery into the battery compartment until you hear it click into place. Move the latch lock back to the locked position.
6. Turn on the computer.

Removing and Installing a Secondary Battery

1. Save any open files.
2. Shut down the computer.
3. Close the display and turn the computer over.
4. Remove the combo module.
   Push the latch lock toward the back of the computer, and slide the latch release away from the options bay. Hold the latch release with one hand and pull the device out of the options bay.
5. Install a secondary battery.
   Make sure the bezel on the battery is in the correct position by sliding it into place. Slide the second battery into the options bay. Move the latch lock back to the locked position.
6. Turn on the computer.

Charging the Battery

Each time you connect the computer to AC power or install a battery in a computer that is connected to AC power, the computer checks the battery's charge and temperature. The AC adapter charges the battery (if necessary) and maintains the battery's charge.

The AC adapter needs from 2 to 2.5 hours (depending on whether the system is on or off) to fully charge a battery that has been completely discharged. If 2 batteries are installed in the computer, the AC adapter charges the main battery first, then the secondary battery. (The secondary battery is discharged first.)

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

For maximum battery performance, charge the battery only at normal room temperature. To charge the battery, follow these steps:

1. Connect the computer to the AC adapter.
2. Install the main battery and/or a secondary battery in the computer.
   The battery starts charging immediately. The battery LED on the front of the computer appears as a solid green light while the battery is charging. If you remove a battery from the computer while the battery is charging, the indicator lights on the battery will stay lit for a few minutes.

Checking a Battery's Charge Level

Use one of the following methods to check the battery's charge level:

• Check the battery charge gauge before you insert the battery into your computer. When the battery is in the computer, you cannot see the gauge. The gauge has 5 charge-level indicator lights that show how much battery charge remains. Press the status button to the right of the lights to check the charge level. Each light represents approximately 20% of the total battery charge. For example, if the battery has 80% of its charge remaining, 4 of the lights are on. If none of the lights are on, the battery has no charge left.

NOTICE: If only 1 or none of the charge-level indicator lights are lit, it indicates a critically low battery state. Do not use the battery unless the computer is connected to AC power or unless you install a second charged battery.

• A low-battery warning occurs when the battery is about 90% depleted. The speaker beeps 3 times, and the battery status LED is a solid amber. About 12 minutes of battery life remains. If both the main battery and the secondary battery are installed, the low-battery warning means that the combined charge of both batteries is about 90 percent depleted.

NOTICE: To avoid losing data (and possibly corrupting data areas on your hard-disk drive), save your work immediately after a low-battery warning. Then connect the computer to AC power, or install a secondary battery in the options bay. If the battery runs completely out of power, the computer activates save-to-disk suspend mode.

• If you are using the Microsoft^® Windows^® 98 operating system, click the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Power icon to open the Power Properties window. (Alternatively, right-click the battery icon in the taskbar of the Windows 98 desktop. From there you can open the Power Properties window or the battery meter.) The Windows 98 battery meter displays a battery icon that shows the amount of battery charge remaining. If an AC adapter is connected to the computer, the battery meter displays a plug icon. The battery meter icons are visible in the desktop taskbar. For more information, see your Windows 98 documentation.