HP Spectre x360 Convertible Model 15-ch011dx Battery Bulging, Touchpad and Spacebar Affected

[Mad_Jick]

My 2 year old Spectre x360 Convertible 15in  laptop was having issues with its spacebar and touchpad not functioning properly. After searching the forums, I found that the case was coming apart in the front and left side and it turns out the battery was causing the issue.

I removed the battery from the laptop and discovered it is bulging quite significantly. The spacebar and touchpad now work better, however the spacebar may have become warped as it occasionally misses strokes.

Apparently, the laptop is no longer covered under warranty. How is this possible with a 2 year old laptop battery? I am willing to replace the battery myself if HP will send me a new one, but I really don't want to invest any more money into an already expensive machine.

Please help make this right, HP!

[Mad_Jick]

The battery is YB06XL, HP part number 928427-272. The battery itself recommends replacing with HP Spare 928372-855

[gth_81]

I have the exact same problem with the same laptop (well 15-ch004na, presumably regional variants of the same laptop).

@Mad_Jick, did you get any response or help from HP?  I also haven't been able to find a replacement genuine battery replacement online either.

[Mad_Jick]

Still waiting for their response. I also tried contacting them on twitter to no avail. eBay has some replacements around $50, but I think this laptop model battery should have been included in the official recall.

It would be nice if HP made it clear and obvious their laptops should be disconnected from external power once the battery is fully charged to help prevent degradation. 

It is this type of customer service that will turn me off from HP forever.

[gth_81]

Thanks for replying @Mad_Jick.

I'm UK based and it seems I'll have to call during business hours next week to get a response (there is no online contact form or support email address listed).  Unfortunately finding a genuine spare battery in the UK seems almost impossible, so fingers crossed their support team can arrange one.

I agree it seems the battery should have been included in the recall.  I also very much agree they should do a better job of advertising the fact their batteries should be unplugged when fully charged.  My use is mixed in that sometimes I am connected to screens (and pugged in to mains power) and unconnected running off the battery, so this being more clearly communicated would have changed how I use it.

Anyway, good luck with your fix!

[ZachLippitt]

Have you found a solution or been contacted by HP yet? 

I'm having a similar problem with my hp spectre 15t-ch000. The laptop is only two years old and the battery has already bulged out of the case. I want to have it replaced but it seems impossible to get a hold of someone at HP. Thanks

[Mad_Jick]

Still have not heard from them. Hoping they'll see this thread, but not counting on it.

[gth_81]

Hi Mad_Jick  and ZachLippitt, 

Thought I'd leave an update on my experience so far.  I was able to raise a "ticket" with HP UK and was then given a phone number to call.  However, HP Support were not really helpful at all.

All I received was denial that it is a common problem, them stating my laptop is out of warranty and that I'd have to pay for a repair.  They also refused to send the part and said I'd have to send my laptop for a repair - so 1 to 2 weeks with no laptop (in a work from home world - so clearly not practical) and at a cost of £314!!  Ridiculous.  I can replace the part myself, but have not yet been able to find the part in the UK (only Chinese websites pretending to be in the UK).

HP Support in the UK also provided false contact details for their repair partner and a US phone number, so they really weren't helpful.

[Mad_Jick]

I'm chalking it up to a lost cause at this point. Due to this absolutely horrid customer service, this will be the last HP product I purchase. Even if the HP price is better, I'll go with a different company for a laptop, desktop, printer, scanner, or whatever...

I ended up ordering a genuine HP replacement battery from eBay (shipping from China) for $60 after tax and shipping. It should arrive in the next couple weeks.

Here's the link to the seller's listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Genuine-YB06XL-Battery-for-HP-Spectre-X360-15-CH-2018-HSTNN-DB8H-926427...

I found a good guide to remove the old battery here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/spectrex360/comments/edur85/catch_battery_swelling_early_by_watching_for_th...

Pay close attention to this excerpt or you'll mess up the rubber grip:

"Removing the bottom was very straightforward with the right tools, with one exception. There are three screws underneath the long rubber foot on the bottom of the laptop parallel to the hinge. This must be peeled off to get to the screws. Be careful with this. It is easy to get under the rubber and start peeling it away, to realize too late that the rubber is itself stuck to a firmer strip of clear plastic that is actually what must be removed. The rubber is very easy to tear as you notice this *cough*. When you go to remove this strip, be very sure you are under both layers before you start peeling."

Very simple to swap out. Just waiting on the part to arrive from CHINA!

[RoseAtoZ]

I'm having the exact same issue.  The back of my Spectre X360 is coming apart for the same reason. Luckily,  in my case its still operational, but I'm sure its only a matter of time before it gets worse.  This were not cheap laptops and if I'm not mistaken, HP knew of this issue and in a attempt to fix it they released a Service pack but as evidenced it DID NOT fix the issue.