Replacing the batteries in rechargeable battery packs

I've read a lot here about replacing the batteries in rechargeable battery packs, but always about portable power tools.

Is it also possible to do this with battery packs for laptop computers?

A friend was given a beautiful, used laptop, but doesn't have enough money to buy a brand new battery. Can individual cells be replaced at lower cost?

Reply to
mm
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Just a suggestion. I have an older laptop which I bought for $25 without a hard drive. I got a used harddrive for $20. So, for $45 I got a decent laptop. The only problem is the battery is dying. It lasts 20 min on a full charge. They want around $90 for a replacement. Well, I had a small inverter, so most of the time I just plug it into an outlet, or plug the inverter in the cig ligher plug in my car. In the rare times I want it portable, I just took a 12V riding lawnmower battery, I hook the inverter to it and plug in the computer. Not as convenient as just carrying the computer, but it works. Most of the time there are outlets nearby, or my cars lighter plug. You can buy a 500 watt inverter for $30 or less. That's all you need for wattage.

Battery packs for EVERYTHING are a rip-off. They know most people are suckers !!!!

Reply to
justme

The answer to your question is obviously YES.

But, if you add the additional requirement that it not catch fire, the answer turns to NO.

You can replace ALL the cells in the pack. About all you need is a source for the individual cells and a tab spot welder. The cells are hard to buy, cause they don't want to be liable for you catching fire. Since most people don't have a battery tab spot welder, they solder on the cells, damaging them and increasing the risk of fire.

Yes, you can buy tabbed cells you can solder on. But they're packed so tightly that the thickness of two tabs and the solder joint won't fit back in the plastic.

And when you do find them, the total cost is about what a pack would cost. You won't find them at OEM prices unless you buy OEM quantities.

Then there's the problem of resetting the battery monitor chip. Older units reset themselves. Newer ones require some fixture to reprogram the chip. There's a company that sells a chunk of software and gives you plans to build the interface. Problem is that it doesn't do every battery. And the software is more expensive than a new battery.

Carefully weigh the potential cost savings against the cost of replacing your house...assuming you're insured for stupidity... or the cost of an eye if it blows up while you're working on it.

Remember, when the lawyers for the estate of your friend sue you, your insurance probably won't help much.

NEVER, EVER, EVER REBUILD A BATTERY PACK FOR SOMEONE ELSE. NEVER SELL A SYSTEM WITH A BATTERY YOU'VE HACKED ON. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.

Reply to
mike

E-bay it and you will find some pretty decent prices from power sellers. They aren't OEM but they will get you down the road a ways. You won't be able to buy the batteries for the price of a new laptop battery . Upgrade the bios in the computer as those have a lot to do with the charging system for the laptop batteries.

Reply to
FatterDumber& Happier Moe

Yes you can if the pack is a set of assembled cells.. Hobby stores that specialize in RC stuff typically have individual cells with long tabs on them. The also have that short C cell size that you sometimes find in power tool packs. You have to replace them all. Some lap top batteries are not a collection of individual cells. Take it apart. If it's not then you can usually find a cheap replacement on ebay.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

That only lasted until portable power tools started to ship with Li-ion batteries as well. It would be really foolish of you to attempt to rebuild a Li-ion battery pack yourself. For one thing, most of those shipped after the Dell laptop incident have not only cells but also a circuitry that shuts cells down in case of overheating. Secondly, you'll be handling a pack of mini-bombs, each containing lithium - a highly reactive metal that reacts with the water vapors in the air and creates hydrogen that either burns violently or explodes depending on the mixture with oxygen in the air. Looking back many-many years I'd say that burning a small piece of lithium by dropping it into water must have been the highlight of the entire chemistry curriculum. Well, that and burning the thermite mixture of course...

NiMH was probably the last rechargeable battery technology suitable for DIY battery pack repairs.

------------------------------------- /\_/\ ((@v@)) NIGHT ():::() OWL VV-VV

Reply to
DA

WOW DUDE

You sound like some sort of deity or supreme power. Maybe God. Are you God? You write like God and you fear fire so this makes you sort of like fearful of hell and satan. Then you talk about solder and spots and welding like you done all this and you are very fearful and scary. Dude, I bet you got one of them "FEAR THIS" bumperstickers on your car. Does everyone fear you like they fear God? You're like ruining my trip dude. I paid some big money for this trip dude and even more crack and acid wont make it good now after reading this. like I'm filled with fear now and I am on to a bum trip. Sorry God, I planned to change the batteries in my flashlight today and now I'm all filled with fear like the fear of the devil. I know if I change battery in flashlight I will burn in hell with your enemy satan. Maybe I take flashlight and all my software to church and have the reverend bless it to drive out the evil fire of hell. Then you talk about blowing eyes and lawyers like you did all this stuff. Maybe you is a lawyer for God and you got no eyes cuz you blowed them. What did you blow? I'm so very sorry God. I know I sinned when I changed the battery in my car last year and now I face fire and hell and satan and your lawyer and more hellfire and fear fear fear.

Oh f*ck, dude you just made my trip a big big bummer and I got to go to church for salvation. Will you be there waiting for me? Will you change the battery and set me on fire in church? I hear you God and I fear you. I hear God I fear God and I fear you the most. Will you set me on fire when I walk to church so I go right to hell? I fear you. I got a question for you God Did your friend sue you? I fear you so much God I really do. What kind of God are you if you sue your friends? Yes I fear you much. What do you want from me God? Should I give my laptop and flashlight and my car battery to charity? Will this save my soul? Dude, I promise I will never touch another battery. Really I do. I fear you God. I'm screaming your name God. Tears are falling from my eyes and I'm screaming to you right now. Do you hear me Lord? Please answer me. I am taking all my evil satanic fire starting batterys to church but right now I am too freaked out to go there. Fuck me God. I think this fear has overtaken my soul and I am going to set myself on fire right now with gasoline and matches because I am too filled with fear to continue in this horrible world. I hope you have a place in heaven for me God. I will be there soon. I am lighting the match now God. See you soon God. In the name of the Fatherr and of the Son and the Holy Spirit Amen.

Reply to
AcidFreak

Short answer is NO... Opening up the battery pack to do anything to it will void any sort of remaining warranty you had on the laptop...

Plus it will no longer be a UL rated device and could catch fire or damage the laptop if you don't fix it properly...

If it is such a problem just use the power cord that came with the laptop to use it like everyone else does who doesn't feel like paying for a replacement battery pack...

Now you know why the laptop was being sold in the first place...

~~ Evan

Reply to
Evan

PRIMECELL.COM is your friend A + workmanship, superior power with far better capacity than OEM, which is often designed on the cheap, and very reasonable prices with capacity upgrades available too

Their rebuilt price is about the price of just buying the cells with tabs, and soldering on tabs can damage brand new cells:(

Check primecell they do a excellent job:)

Reply to
hallerb

Yeah but, do they DO laptop batteries?!!

Reply to
Oren

There is no remaining warranty.

Isn't that true of power tools too? Yet people rebuild those packs.

It wasn't sold. It was given. By his older brother.

Thank you.

Reply to
mm

I'll try to find out.

Reply to
mm

Aftr you buy your battery for $9.99 plus $59.99 shipping from ebay, toss it in the garbage before you open the box it was shipped in. No sense wasting time opening the box to look at a defective battery. If it's sold on ebay, it's JUNK.

Reply to
police

Odd, then, that I think I have only really gotten burned but good once on eBay, and that was for some asshole selling a carburetor that he'd dropped and bent the throttle shaft as "brand new."

I've also ordered batteries from dealextreme (for my cell phone) which seemed to last just as long as the original Motorola batteries.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

I buyy all my replacement cell phone batteries on e bay they work fine last a long time too.........

I am a heavy user so I buy the extended size batteries for more talk time

Reply to
hallerb

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