battery life

[sb]

I have a one year old HP pavillion dv6000, my battery lasted about 2.5 hours until a month ago when it rapidly declined and now lasts only 30 minutes.  I realize that batteries are not meant to last incredibly long but this began happening almost immediately after the warranty period was up.  how do I find out if there is a recall on a battery? and if I do have to buy a new one, is there any way that I can ensure that this won't happen again in another year?

[CherylG]

I haven't personally had a battery decline so rapidly after 1 yr but from what I've seen with others it is rather common.You might try calibrating it,also check for latest BIOS.HP did release a BIOS update for some models that had battery issues.

You can find latest BIOS and other info here:

http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/welcome.html#Support

You should use the full model number from the Service Tag on bottom of your laptop,shown in section 1 below:

http://tinyurl.com/2krh3u

[iam_fletcher]

There is no way to make sure it wont happen in another year, in fact it definatly will. There are a number of things that effect battery life, but they are only meant to last a year. No matter how long you warranty your notebook, the battery is conisdered consumable and isn't covered by regular warranty. I would try a BIOS update if I were you, that might help.

[GregB]

Hi All

I too have a DV6000 (windows-XP)that I purchase in Dec-2006.  The battery appeared to have died in it's 13th-month.

This laptop usualy remains connected to AC so it is rarely used on battery.  I thought that I could condition it again to begin recognizing that the battery will be used instead of being attached to AC all the time.  However, the battery life indicator reads zero as if its no longer there.

#1.  Is their any hope for this battery...from what I read, the answer is probably NO.

#2.  Does anyone know whereI can purchase a reliable battery for my PC for a reasonable price (names of batteries).  I don't think I would subject myself to another HP battery (fool me once...).

#3.  I don't know what type of battery I have..I.e. 6-cell, 8-cell etc.  How would I know.  I states on back replace with HP spare 432306-001

Prior to purchasing a laptop for my home I utilized laptops from provided by my company 3-Toshibas', 1-Dell.

NONE of them EVER had a battery life issue (I had each of them for 4-years or more).  Having them on AC all the time was never an issue.  It may have not provided the full time period of use until it was re-trained, but, I always had an hour or more battery life.

Let me know your thoughts on the battery.

[JRivero]

First of all, every battery has a period of life and it depends on the way that you use the battery, if you are going to plug the ac for a long time take out the battery, but try to charge the battery at least once a month.

Now, the part number that you have is for a 6 cell battery.If your battery is running low fast then is time to change it. There is many places where you can buy a new one or a refurbished.

[jayman]

I have a similar problem, I bought a new charger it worked for 3 months.   I can use a friend charger it would charge up.  I refuse to buy another charger, What can I Do

Jayman

[Tartersmell]

If you want your battery to last longer then a year.. 

Dont run your computer on battery till its low and HOT, then Charge it right away.  Let it kool Down, then charge it.

If your Plugged in AC, its still topping off your battery.  Best thing to do it remove it if its fully charged.  Once a battery is put together, it starts to degrade, You can slow it down, but never stop it from degrading. 

Some machines have a Rubber pad on the battery "on a corner" so it makes the puter rock when on a flat surface,  thus forcing you to keep the battery installed.  Hmm.  Great way to keep battery sales up..

[shernansnow]

i'm in a similar, crappy boat.

not even a month outside of my warranty (which may not have covered the battery anyhow, it seems) my battery drops to 47% or so anytime it's unplugged, and last for almost no time.

prior to buying this laptop i had a compaq, and it was after several years that the battery gave up. and i was frustrated at that.

the online tech guys quoted me one price for a new battery, and i was so upset at having to dole out money. then they called me to process my order and quote me a price almost double the first quote.

i'm really so frustrated. i've got a lot of patience but it's obnoxious to be fed some line about how i'm part of the hp family while they're making me fork out a couple hundred bucks to have my 13 month old computer function as a laptop. and by the sounds of it it's a fee that may be reaccuring.

i know computer stuff often becomes obsolete, but i'm a really broke student and do little but write papers on my computer. i expect it to work for at least a couple of years.

if i had found this forum before buying i would have looked to another brand, frankly. there's just no good reason that a battery should die after one year of use. technology is simply better than that.