Battery won't charge past 89%

[katsumii]

Hi all!

I've had my HP Pavilion dv7 notebook for almost two years now. Over the past month and a half, the long life 9-cell battery has not been able to maintain a charge past 89%.

I'll take it in for a check-up. In the meantime, I'm seeking insight as to what could be the problem, or any quick tricks. Is it time to buy a new battery? Does HP offer a replacement under warranty?

Performance is fine, starts up great and quickly. Nothing noticeably wrong except for the max battery charge.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

[Dragon-Fur]

Welcome to the HP forum, Katsumii.

Batteries do have a limited life span.  If treated properly, they can last for a long time -- longer than two years in many cases.

First, some documents to help you understand "battery behavior":

Improving Battery Performance

HP Battery Check Frequently Asked Questions for Notebooks (Windows 7 and Vista)

Testing and Calibrating the Battery (Windows 7)

Testimonial Commentary

I have an old dv9000 system that needed some maintenance; I sent it to HP for service.  Though the battery was operational, it was exhibiting similar symptoms to your situation -- I mentioned the issue when I sent in the system for the repair and a "full tune-up".

When I received back the now fixed computer, I noticed that they had included an HP 120W charger for it.  Previously, I had used the 90W charger that came with the system.  The battery now charges completely.

=====================================================================================

If you would like to try using the charger you have one more time, I suggest you run the computer on battery and drain the battery down to where ever you have it set -- typically 2-5%.  Then charge it and see if the charger can get the battery back up to 100%.

If you do need to buy a new battery, you should consider that HP batteries are made for HP computers.  If you opt for another brand of charger, do buy for QUALITY and not for price.  With chargers, you can get what you pay for.

Good Luck -- I hope this helps!

[katsumii]

Hi Dragon, thank you very much for your prompt reply. 🙂

I'm back on the forums now, I will do the battery test via diagnostics as you'd mentioned. I have just yesterday tried the HP Service Assistant battery check, and it says my HP battery is "OK", but it also says the charge capacity is "68%"? I think that result is a bit concerning...

You've inspired me to check my charger. It appears to be 120 W. In the bottom left corner, it reads:

WIDE RANGE INPUT
INPUT: 100-240 V-2 A 50-60 Hz
OUTPUT: 18.5V — 6.5 A 120 W
                               ˙˙˙

[Dragon-Fur]

Katsumii,

Battery capacity does seem a little low - I would not like that.  I have a battery in one of my notebooks that was down to 89% and "not charging".  I have since pulled the plug to drain down the battery while I use the system; maybe the battery will recover and charge to capacity when I plug it into the AC later.  ??  This is an older battery (year old) and it has not had the best of care; I leave the notebook plugged in too much.

I think the 120W is fine for the dv7.  Again, that is based on experience and not "magic beans" of knowledge.

Battery and the "Drain Factor"

I know from personal experience that leaving the notebook plugged in all the time is not the best thing for the battery -- one needs to occasionally unplug the AC and let the battery drain down during normal use.  That is not to say that you should completely drain the battery to the point where nothing works; just use it to the point where the reserves are down low enough that it is freaking you out and you "need" to plug in the battery or go nuts - that is about 15% for me.  Smiling.  You need to do the "battery drain" exercise about once a month - more often if circumstances warrant it.

Do I follow my own advice?  Sometimes - and the batteries that get better treatment do tend to do better overall.

Commentary

It is possible that, regardless of age, that you battery needs to be replaced.  Batteries do deteriorate after a while -- how much and how long it takes probably depend on the factors listed in that helpful doc about battery care AND whether the battery was any good to start with.  I personally think that not all batteries are created equal -- and I don't think there is much to be done from our side except buy a new battery when the old one is not performing as well.  IF you have a new (or fairly new) battery that is not working as it ought, then Call HP:  batteries sold by HP, like most everything else, are warrantied against defects.

I do not know what the full HP "battery return" policy-- it might be worth the call to ask.  If you can get a new battery on warranty "for return if it does not perform, regardless of why", then it could be worth buying a new battery and putting it in the notebook to see whether a new battery will perform as expected.  If the new battery works better than the old battery; retire the old battery and save it for emergencies.  If the new battery does not charge as expected, then consider the charger may not be working as it should.. or that something more sinister is afoot.

Good Luck!

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