Spectre x360 13-w023dx will not Charge - constant blinking light - since HP update Late June 2018

[laopa]

Spectre x360 w023dx installed a HP Update in late June 2018 and since the update completed the Notebook will not charge fully.

We have run  Power = Battery and A/C Adapter Tests via Boot F2 (UEFI) and HP Support Assistant and the Battery and A/C Adapter both continually Pass both Tests.  (https://support.hp.com/au-en/document/c04700771)

We have tried both UBS-C Ports and even went to the trouble to buy a new HP  USB-C Travel Power Adapter 65W from HP Australia.

When you connect the A/C Adapter Cable to either Spectre USB-C port all you get is a "blinking amber light" and even if left charging for 12 - 24 hours when you turn on the Notebook it shows the battery as near empty and a flashing red cross on the battery symbol and the screen continually blinking.

Nothing seems to work after trying a range of various solutions offered on other HP related forums including https://h30434.www3.hp.com.

Outstanding questions on the Hardware side would appear to be (1) New Battery and or (2) New Motherboard?

Outstanding question on the Software side would be what the HP Update did to the System BIOS or other HP System Software Elements?

We would very much appreciate any assistance or hearing of reports of anyone else with this problem and if they managed to fix it.

King Regards and Thanks

laopa

[Huffer]

How old is the battery? You say battery passes the diagnostic test but have you examined the advanced output of the test to see the "born on" date of the battery, number of cycles and the remaining capacity of each cell? 

Was the Update you installed specifically stated to be a BIOS update? Do you know which one it was? 

[laopa]

Hi Huffer,

Thanks for getting back.

I could only get this from the F2 option.

1. Battery Age = 676 Days
2. Cycle Count = 117
3. Charge Capacity = 92%
4. Design Capacity = 5020 mAh
5. Full Charge Capacity = 4626 mAh
6. Remaining Capacity = 637mAh
7. Current = -83mA
8. Cell Voltage 1 = 3644 mV
9. Cell Voltage 2 = 3642 mV
10. Cell Voltage 3 = 3647 Mv
11. Cell Voltage 4 = 0 mV

As for the Updates I will have to try and find the Update History but I can tell you that the Current BIOS Version is F.42.

I note on the HP Website that there was however a BIOS Update (F.46 Rev A)  released on the 24th June 2018.

HP Notebook System BIOS Update (Intel Processors)

Version:

Release date:

F.46 Rev.A

Jun 24, 2018

F.46 Rev.A 9.2 MB Jun 24, 2018

You would have a wonder if that was the Update in question that screwed up the USB-C Charging?

As the Spectre is still showing a BIOS Version of F.42 and not F.46 Rev.A then the BIOS Update must have failed and possibly damaged the BIOS Version that is now onboard the Spectre? If that is possible?

I must also admit that I fudged on the actual Model Number, it is really a 13-w023dx (BestBuy) which I understand is the equivalent to the HP 13-w063nr that I quoted.

I will try to find the Update History for more details.

[laopa]

Hi,

This is not an attempt to "bump" this post but my replies to the questions I was asked seems to have dried up any further responses.

After speaking to HP directly they seem to be convinced that this is a "motherboard" issue.

For me I can not understand why I can still turn of the Spectre x 360 and it will boot into and run Win10 but then after logging in to show only <> 15% Battery Charge and request to be shut down due to low battery charge. That low charge level would have been achieved over a 12 - 24 hour period.

Excuse my obvious ignorance but if the "motherboard" is the problem then how can I boot the Spectre and run and log in to Win10?

I guess the answer to that will obviously to do with understanding the difference between a motherboard and a cpu and what they actually do?

Could it just be an issue on the charging ports?

As the information I supplied to Huffer's questions show the battery test and the battery details on age, cycles and cells looks OK to me?

Is there any way to charge a new Battery external to the Spectre and then insert a fully charged battery into it in order to complete a BIOS upgrade and at worst back up any data that is on the system?

Again one obvious method would be to have another fully functioning and matching Spectre x360 available from which a fully charged battery could be removed and used. Any other options than having another Spectre x360 lying around?

Again, sorry for answering my own Posts with more questions.

The forum notification of an answer to my post that I received this evening just fooled me I guess.

[Huffer]

The motherboard has different functions on it. There is a charging circuit that can be bad even if the laptop boots up and runs. Kind of like the wired ethernet port. It is very possible for a motherboard to boot up but the ethernet or even the usb functions do not work because those chips have gone bad. Yet since the motherboard is one big device there is no way to fix any of those functions without replacing the board. 

The test results from your battery show a normal almost 2 year old battery. Still I follow the maxim, "when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras". The problem is likely to be the common thing. When a battery does not properly charge, 95 times out of 100 its the battery, not the motherboard. 

I would get the cheapest "compatible" battery I could find and try it out. 

(18) Battery, 3-cell, 58-WHr, 5.02-AHr, Li-ion (includes cable) 859356-855

Manual, see p. 24-26

cheapest I can find:

https://www.amazon.com/BattpitTM-Notebook-Battery-Replacement-859356-855/dp/B0795B5DDB/ref=sr_1_13?i...

[laopa]

Hi Huffer,

Thanks for getting back with your sage advice.

I also went for the "horses" but your Battpit Listing on Amazon showed no suppliers and even if there was Amazon now don't ship to Australia, thanks to our own Government. 

I tried Newegg and managed to get one shipped via family in the USA.

We haven't figured out what to do in the interim before the battery arrives but our kid, who is attending University, will just have to start second semester without a functioning laptop.

I'll get back with the results when the battery arrives.

Thanks

[laopa]

This is also not an attempt to "bump" this thread but an important update.

I managed to build up enough charge in the Spectre x360 to allow me to complete a BIOS update via a USB Flash Drive and by following the instructions in a HP YouTube Video entitled "How to Restore the BIOS with a Recovery Flash Drive on HP Notebooks".

As I said in my first post, I was concerned that the failed BIOS Update of the 24th June may be the  initial cause of the charging problem.

Well since managing to actually update the BIOS from F.42 to F.46 (the failed update of 24/6/3/2018) a substantial part of the charging problem seems to have disappeared.

• the Spectre x360 will now actually charge the battery to 100% in a relatively short time ( 1 -2 hours) when compared to the 24 - 48 hours to get to 15-20% for the last three weeks.
• however the issues that still remain are;
  • when the battery is charged (charging LED turns "white"?), if the A/C power cord is left connected and the Spectre x360 is turned on and logged into, the battery shows "plugged in and not charging" and the screen blinks as the amber charging LED blinks.
  • however if the A/C power cord is removed while the Spectre x360 is turned on and logged into, the screen no longer blinks and of course the "plugged in and not charging message" does not appear.
  • if the Spectre x360 is then turned off and the A/C power cord is plugged back in, then we now get a solid amber charging LED light, which after an acceptable time (1 - 2 Hours) turns "white" to indicate the battery is charged = 100%.

So where to from here?

• I will keep testing and looking for fixes to the "plugged in and not charging" issue
• I will still exchange the battery for the new Battpit battery when it arrives from Newegg.
• I will be back to report the results and if all related charging issues are fixed or not

The "Horse" may well have actually turned out to be yet another HP Update, like the early 2018 "Spectre attack variant Malware" fix that have now both caused annoying, stressful  and potentially costly damage  to the Spectre x360.  Let alone replacement costs and potentially discarded machines all because of a faulty software upgrade.

In our case case, we were also advised by HP to purchase and install a new motherboard as the only possible solution to the charging problems. The difficulty and cost of in fact finding a replacement motherboard for a Spectre x360 13-w023dx made us consider scrapping the Spectre x360 and buying a brand new alternative Notebook.

And yet dogged persistence and eventaully fixing the failed BIOS update seems, in all likelihood, to be the real answer to the charging problem created in fact by HP.

Not happy Dion.

Anyway.

Onwards, forever onwards.

[laopa]

This will be my second attempt at this reply as the first version "disappeared".

I am not attempting to "bump" this but I would like to report a significant update.

After managing to complete a BIOS Update (F.42 to F.46) via a USB Flash Drive and after watching a HP YouTube Video entitled "How to Restore the BIOS with a Recovery Flash Drive on HP Notebooks" the Spectre x 360 Charging problem seems to be substantially fixed.

In my initial Post I mentioned that this was my initial thought as to what had caused the problem which began after a failed HP BIOS Update (F.46) on or around the 24/6/2018.

Anyway it seems to now be mostly fixed with the only thing remaining being an issue with a "plugged in and not charging" message accompanied by blinking screen and matching blinking amber charging LED. 

That only occurs when the Spectre x 360 is turned on, logged into and the A/C Power Cord is left inserted into the Spectre x360 Charging Ports.

Disconnect the A/C Power cord while the Spectre x360 is turned on and logged into and no message, no blinking screen and no blinking amber LED Charging light.

Turn the Spectre off and plug the A/C charging cable back into either USB-C charging port and we now get a solid amber charging light that with in 1 -2 hours turns "white" to indicate the Spectre x360 is fully = 100% charged.

Interesting.

I'll still probably utilize the new Battpit Battery when it arrives but I am not too upset that I did not buy a new replacement motherboard as recommended by the HP Premium Support  Engineer.

The hassle of finding and purchasing, let alone installing, a new motherboard for a Spectre x360 13-w023dx would also have probably tipped us towards scrapping the Spectre x360 and buying an alternative replacement Notebook. Probably not a HP.

[laopa]

Well here we are again.

I have finally received and installed the new Battpitt Battery into the HP Spectre x360  13-w023dx and .... wait for it.

It made no difference whatsoever to resolving the charging problem.

Mind you, as before with the original battery both the new Battpit Battery and the two HP Chargers (old and newly purchased) pass the F2 Component Power Tests will Flying Colours. Also the HP Assistant version of the same two Tests.

I can however clarify some of what I thought were symptoms.

• the screen flashing is a function of the notebook switching between the set screen brightness levels of the two charging phases as shown by the "blinking" amber light
• as per HP; the battery indicator light turns on and off when the battery is in a low charge state and the charging is in fast charge/slow charge mode = amber light on/off.

So it looks like either trying the "new motherboard" approach or using the HP Spectre x360 as an expensive paperweight or drink coaster.

Also when I say "new motherboard" I should point out that HP does not appear to actually carry "new motherboards" as spare parts for our 18 month old HP Spectre x360.

On the other hand and here I must admit to finding conflicting options on not only this HP Support forum but also on the Net, can we use the HP Spectre x360 on a/c power only.

That is can we remove the battery and just run it on the power connection from the HP Charger?

Got to admit that I was tempted to take CheryiG's positive comments from a previous thread "Can I use the Laptop without the battery" from 2013 but I guess things might have changed a wee bit since then on the battery front or maybe not?

Although I tried it with the battery out and battery left in but unplugged, neither option worked for me?

I would be happy if anybody, CherylG included, could just confirm that the a/c only approach will not work for the Spectre x 360 13-w023dx.

I should point out though that during one of my failed attempts to install the Battpit Battery correctly I did get an error message stating that "no battery" was detected and despite that the Spectre could be booted and run presumably on a/c only with this error in existence?

Anyway sorry for the delay in trying to put this to rest and looking forward to doing so.

Oh, and I have been forced to purchase a new Notebook ..... Lenovo Yoga 920 ..... in the meantime.

[Huffer]

I would tell you it will work fine on AC power only but I was wrong about the battery (sort of). The battery was a test and you are correct that, at this point it has to be the motherboard. And yes there are no "new" motherboards, they are all from the same production run.