PowerBook shuts down even with new battery

My mom has a 12" PowerBook that she recently purchased a new battery for. Even with this new battery, the laptop shuts down seemingly randomly before the battery gets even down to 20%. They sent a new battery, and the laptop still does it.
Any ideas?

Sounds like the power manager needs replacing. See these sources which may be able to fix it for less than Apple:
http://www.dttservice.com/
http://www.powerbookresq.com/
http://www.microdocusa.com/
http://www.macspecialist.com/
http://www.techrestore.com/
Or find one at a parts store, and fix it yourself:
http://www.ifixit.com/

Similar Messages

Powerbook G4 randomly shuts down even with full battery power

I have a three and a bit year old powerbook g4 (my apple care ran out in November) that has recently - as in the last two days - started randomly powering down without warning or error messages, regardless of how much battery power I may or may not have.
A bit of history - not sure what is and isn't pertinent.
I only recently - about six months to a year ago - switched out my recalled battery for a replacement one.
I also received a new power cord under warranty within the last year - but have had no problems before.
Before my powerbook came out of warranty, I took it into my local genius bar to have tests run to see if anything was wrong that I was not aware of, hoping to be able to get it fixed while still in warranty - it came back to me with no repairs and a clean bill of health.
I was on vacation for two weeks, and while on vacation my powerbook sat - powered down - in it's bag untouched the whole time. The problems started (or at least I first noticed them) within a few days after returning.
The other day, before any of this started, I noticed that even though the power adapter was in and glowing, the battery charging icon said "not charging".
The second time the random power-off happened, I did notice that the battery icon had an "x" in it, before it shut down.
The shutdowns are not like proper shutdown processes... one minute the computer is on, the next it's not. It's like the computer thinks there's no power, regardless of the actual charge of the battery.
I use my laptop on a laptop tray to maintain airflow underneath it and reduce overheating, but even so, the laptop seems to get very hot (although this is one of the issues I was worried about when I took it in to the genius bar before the warranty ran out, and they said it didn't get any more hot than they were supposed to), and also the power connector gets very hot. I don't know if overheating might have something to do with it?
So far I haven't noticed if it has happened while I've had the AC adapter plugged in... I think it only happens if it's running on battery, but not completely sure of this.
After the computer shuts down, I can restart it immediately (though these days it is taking longer) and I do not receive any error messages.
I usually turn off my computer when I won't be using it for a while - like before I go to bed or to work.
I recently upgraded my OS from panther to leopard, but was assured that it was compatible. I've had Leopard installed for at least three months, and the problems have only just started, so it probably doesn't have anything to do with that.
Well, that's about every possible piece of information I can think of that might be at all relevant to the situation. Does anyone have any ideas about what's happening? I have a feeling the news is going to be bad and I'll probably have to get a new computer...
Message was edited by: rraaarr

Here's the Apple article on how to reset the PMU:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449
Possibly this might fix the problem. If not, here's a link to the MBP battery program:
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
This program does NOT apply to your battery, but I think you may recognize some of the symptoms that yours is exhibiting. It also sounds like your power adapter may be getting warmer than it should, but that could have to do with the battery being defective. But if less than a year old, the power adapter should also be under its own warranty period.
If you have access to an Apple Store, you could make an appointment with the genius bar. They should be able to evaluate both the battery and the power adaptor by swapping yours out with ones that are known to be good. If not, call Apple.
Good luck!

ITOUCH SHUTTING DOWN EVEN WITH FULL BATTERY

EVEN WITH A FULL BATTERY CHARGE, MY ITOUCH 2nd GEN. SHUTS DOWN TO APPLE ICON MODE AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS UNLESS IT'S PLUGGED INTO A POWER SOURCE. THIS STARTED A FEW MONTHS AGO. WHAT GIVES? I'M ON V 2.2.1. - ANY HELP IS APPRECIATED! THANX

Here's the Apple article on how to reset the PMU:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449
Possibly this might fix the problem. If not, here's a link to the MBP battery program:
http://www.apple.com/support/macbook_macbookpro/batteryupdate/
This program does NOT apply to your battery, but I think you may recognize some of the symptoms that yours is exhibiting. It also sounds like your power adapter may be getting warmer than it should, but that could have to do with the battery being defective. But if less than a year old, the power adapter should also be under its own warranty period.
If you have access to an Apple Store, you could make an appointment with the genius bar. They should be able to evaluate both the battery and the power adaptor by swapping yours out with ones that are known to be good. If not, call Apple.
Good luck!

My IPAD 4 is not working properly. it will blink and then shut down even when the battery is charged. i have done several reset on the iad. what do i do , i need help

my IPAD 4 is not working properly. it will blink and then shut down even when the battery is charged. i have done several reset on the iad. what do i do , i need help

iOS: Device unexpectedly restarts, displays Apple logo, or powers off
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5356
 Cheers, Tom

Blackberry curve 9360 shuts down even when full battery

Can anyone help me pls? My bb curve 9360 phone shuts down even when almost full battery. Then when i try to reboot by taking in and out the battery, it shuts down again many times. i changed my sim card recently cos the old one spoilt. the battery drains very fast. i deleted many apps. i reduce backlighting to min. i reduce time for the screen to off. i off location services. i increased the interval for updates for my apps till very long. i noticed when it is connecting to 3G network it shuts down. and keeps shutting down upon reboot. battery runs out very fast. but can also shutdown on full battery. it also auto shuts down when i am using apps or connected to internet. Can pls help to resolve? Thanks. appreciate.
Solved!
Go to Solution.

try
The on-device battery meter is 'off sync' with the actual battery charge. There are a couple of ways you can try to repair this...
Leave the device to charge an hours or so, and then, still connected to the charging cable, remove the the battery from the device a few seconds and reinsert it. Watch over the next couple of days to see if the charge and the battery use is in sync.
Roughly every 30 charges, deliberately discharge your battery to 10-15%, and fully charge to 100% afterwards. This will help maintain the accuracy of the “fuel gauge” on the device (your battery meter or scale).
Don’t drain your battery every day to 10-20% of its charge. You can actually expect battery problems by draining the battery. Again, to repeat, top-off your charge during the day whenever convenient – even ten minutes in the car or at your desk will give you an extra 20-25% charge.
VIA | JSanders
http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Curve/Blackberry-Curve-9300-Automatic-shut-down-Pl...
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If your issue has been solved, please resolve it by marking "Accept as Solution"

HT4137 got an iphone 4s for christmas. everyday it shuts down even when the battery is charged and locks up. won't come on nor will it charge. anybody know what the problem might be?

Got an iphone 4s for christmas. having problem with it shutting off even with fully charged battery. will not come back on nor can it respond to charger. next day usually comes back on then does same thing over again.

Perhaps you got a bad iPhone. Take it to an Apple store or an authorized service center.

MacBook pro (late 2008) shutting down even without the battery

Hello
I have a MacBook pro late 2008 model, recently it started to randomly shut down.
I have tried the following
- Reseting Pram
- Reseting the SMC
- Recalibrating the battery
- New hard drive
- Returned to original RAM (from 4 to 2Gb)
- Removed the battery and run with the MagSafe only
- Downloaded a fan control program to run it at max and verify if this was not a heating issue (although this also happens right after starting the laptop)
Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm already loosing hope on my Mac :(
Thanks for any help that you could provide

Hi V,
Even though the symptoms don't match up exactly, you may have the NVIDIA issue. First, go to System Profiler > Hardware > Graphics/Displays and see if you have the GeForce 8600M GT GPU. This is the GPU covered under the free repair program. While there, also look at PCIe Lane Width. If it says anything other than x16, the GPU has issues (but this is only one potential symptom). If you have the 8600 GPU, bring the MBP to an Apple Store or AASP for free testing. If Apple's free test confirms the issue, repair is free. Read all about it here: http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2377
Also, whether you have the 8600 or not, you should run all the updates in Software Update.

Macbook pro 2.33ghz shuts down still after new battery.

I recently got a new battery for my macbook pro because it was randomly shutting down when not connected to power. The Genius's said the problem was the battery separating from the aluminum or battery warping. Anyway, that didn't seem to fix the problem and I have since had problems with the computer shutting down without warning when not connected to power. So I took it back to the genius's who kept it for 24 hours to run some tests which turned out no useful info. The Genius then suggested a clean install of leopard to see if that would solve the issue. I have since done the clean install of Leopard and still have the shutting down issue. Any idea of what the problem could be? The genius did mention the logic board as one possibility. I think that is like $800-$900. Anyone have any less expensive ideas? I'm not sure it is worth replacing if the problem is the logic board and it costs that much...
Oh yeah, one other symptom: my fans are constantly running at 6000rpm with one or no apps running. Even right now after a restart and just running safari they are running at 6000rpm.
Thanks in advance. Any advise will be greatly appreciated.

You might want to run the Apple Hardware test--the fact that your fans are running all out may indicate that your thermal sensors aren't working or may be disconnected. So you might well get an SNS type error. Run the extended version. If you do get one or more error codes, that would be a more specific indication of what the problem is. It is way too easy to just blame the logic board--best to try some troubleshooting first.
I'm wondering if a malfunction of the thermal sensors might make the Mac think it was too hot and might be shutting it down to prevent it from damaging itself? Maybe that's also why the fans are running so fast? It's just a theory, but the fix should be cheaper than a logic board. And the AHT should be able to find something like this.
Good luck!

Powerbook shuts down when running on battery

I got this problem only lately int these lasts months... my powerbook g4 15" is almost 3 years old.
I first noticed that the battery endurance is more and more reducing...it lasts more or less 20 minutes from when I unplug it form the power-net.
And that's only "the bright side" of the problem: because more and more often I'm getting the powerbook (always when it is running on battery alone) shutting down without any warning with battery indicator still full...
that's really wired.. it is really running me mad...
I found some other topic on the forum... but none of them helped me getting the clue on what's happening to my powerbook
do you think that doing a reset to the battery will sort things out?
thanks you very much in advance I hope someone can help me...
powerbook g4 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Sadly I think the last coment is right. After so many charges (500-1,000) the battery dies. I had the exact same thing happen to another brand of laptop when its battery died. Replaced it and it works great again. Sorry to say but rechargable batteries don't last forever.

Satellite A100-225 is not charging even with new battery

Hi, Having a charging problem. Laptop suddenly shut down whilst using. Tried to start up but power light goes out and it shuts down again. With battery connected and ac adapter switched on the blue power light and yellow battery light stay on a few seconds and then shuts down, not allowing start up.
Took the old battery out thinking it was that and my laptop starts up fine using just the ac adapter as this is how I am currently posting this. Refit the battery and the power light comes on and off again every few seconds and prevents start up.
Have purchased a new battery thinking it was faulty but to no avail, exactly the same problem.
Left the laptop off to charge the new battery but noticed the blue power light and yellow battery light going on and off together every few seconds.
If I try to start the laptop up while the power light is on it starts to start but as soon as the power light goes out it stops. My thoughts are the charging unit inside my laptop is shorting out but I am no expert.
Does anyone have any idea what the problem is and would it be expensive to fix as I have just spent 48 on a e new battery.
Thanks Mick

>Refit the battery and the power light comes on and off again every few seconds and prevents start up.
Are you sure that the battery is compatible ? did you purchase the genuine battery from Toshiba ASP?
I think batteries from 3rd party retailer could not be compatible always so I would test the notebook with a battery recommended by Toshiba.
At the other hand it could be a motherboard problem but if the notebook start up properly using the AC adaptor, I would not be quite sure if its really a mobo issue.
Try also this:
Remove battery and AC adaptor, press power button 30sec long.
Then insert the battery and connect AC adaptor and check if you could power up the unit.

RMBP randomly shuts down - now with red battery indicator at 52%

For the past few days, my mid 2012 15" rMBP has been powering down or sleeping while in the middle of performing tasks, and more importantly when it's ABOVE 15% charge. Just today however, I now have a red battery indication at 52% and holding. The other day I did a search to find out what the issue might be and I didn't find any helpful info. At the time, I had an external monitor plugged into the thunderbolt port closest to the ac adaptor port. I was running Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, but nothing else, and was not connected to the internet. I had turned wifi off. My problems continued until I plugged in. Once on a full charge, I unplugged and the same thing happened all over. Numerous times. So, I disconnected the external monitor, and thought that solved my problem. The next time I used the computer, I put the external monitor into the other TB port and did not have any issues, however I wasn't using the rMBP as extensively.
Today, again while performing tasks such as importing/exporting images with LR & PS, my laptop shut itself down. It runs warm, and fans are purring like crazy, but that's normal for the work I'm doing. Prior to the shut down, the battery read ~24%. I plugged in and woke it up. No external monitor is attached today. I am not running any other programs besides Chrome at the moment. I noticed a red battery light at 52% and it has not changed. Option clicking the indicator shows a "normal" condition.
Can anyone explain what is happening?
More information that might be helpful:
OS 10.8.5
2.6 ghz intel i7
16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
250 GB SSD (with ~25GB free)
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1024 MB
I have had a Speck hard shell case covering the laptop for a few weeks, but no issues until this week.
I am a pro photographer who shoots tethered on location and carries my rMBP around on assignment. It has never been dropped, or damaged in any way. I baby this thing!
This is my current system info:
Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number:
Manufacturer:
Device Name:
Pack Lot Code: 0
PCB Lot Code: 0
Firmware Version: 511
Hardware Revision: 000a
Cell Revision: 1150
Charge Information:
Charge Remaining (mAh): 3455
Fully Charged: No
Charging: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 7431
Health Information:
Cycle Count: 533
Condition: Normal
Battery Installed: Yes
Amperage (mA): -2533
Voltage (mV): 10719
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 15
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 0
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Wake on AC Change: No
Wake on Clamshell Open: Yes
Wake on LAN: No
AutoPowerOff Delay: 14400
AutoPowerOff Enabled: 1
DarkWakeBackgroundTasks: 0
Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes
GPUSwitch: 2
PrioritizeNetworkReachabilityOverSleep: 0
Standby Delay: 4200
Standby Enabled: 1
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes): 10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes): 0
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes): 5
Wake on AC Change: No
Wake on Clamshell Open: Yes
AutoPowerOff Delay: 14400
AutoPowerOff Enabled: 1
Current Power Source: Yes
DarkWakeBackgroundTasks: 0
Display Sleep Uses Dim: Yes
GPUSwitch: 2
Reduce Brightness: Yes
Standby Delay: 4200
Standby Enabled: 1
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed: No
AC Charger Information:
Connected: No
Charging: No

No one else is having this problem at all? Or knows anything about it?

Battery wont charge even with new battery

Tries two diferent maglink chargers...light stays green, battery remains at 0% .....despite a new battery. Tried most things. Any suggestions?

Have you tried resetting the System Management Controller? That is a good first step for power related issues such as this.
Best of luck.

IPod Won't Hold Charge - Even With New Battery

I apologize in advance if this question has already been asked, but after a search, I could only find questions about similar problems, but not my exact issue.
I have a 5G 30Gb iPod that I purchased in November of 2005. The battery never has given me any problems, and I would charge it on average 2 or 3 times per week. Then, about one month ago, it suddenly stopped holding a charge. I remember leaving it charging via USB cable one night, then I uploaded my daily Podcasts the next morning, and after unplugging it, it would die within 30 minutes of use. I would have to plug it into the wall to build up enough charge to reboot as it wouldn't ever get enough charge from USB to reboot (it would always say "Very Low Battery" no matter how long it was connected to the USB).
Fine, since I've had it for nearly two years, I figured the battery probably needed replacing, so I purchased a replacement battery and replaced it myself thinking that would solve the problem. The thing is, the new battery behaves exactly the same way. I can leave it charging all night and the iPod will say "Charged" when I unplug it, and then it will be dead within just a few minutes of use. I'm wondering if it is some sort of firmware issue preventing the battery from charging properly. I have noticed for the short period that it will run off the battery, there is a "plug" icon showing up in the battery indicator so I'm wondering if for some reason the iPod always thinks it's plugged in whether it is or not.
I have also Restored the iPod to its factory settings to see if that would help, but it still behaves the same way. If I've eliminated the battery as the cause, what else could it be? I'm kind of frustrated because the problem seemed to happen all of the sudden. Anyone else experience an issue like this?

From your description I would say a part failed in the charge circuit. This would cause behavior in a new battery as you describe. You should consider having a technician look at. There are some good places on the net that will give you a quote before repairs.

IPod shuts down due to "low battery" even when fully recharged

OK..
I got big problems with my iPod battery.
I've already sent my iPod to Apple once, but they returned it saying nothing is wrong and giving "helpful" tips about turning the backlight off in order to make the battery last longer..
Well, I sorta disagree about there not being any problem. And I did feel a bit insulted about the claim that my iPod is not malfunctioning as well as the hints about me being a retard who needs to be told that using the backlight continuously might have an affect on battery life.
(but in case my retardedness is to blame for all my problems with my iPod, please let me know. )
During he last 2 months or so, the iPod keeps shutting down due to "low battery" even though it's been connected to the USB port for, like, 20 hours straight.
Tried different ports and computers without any luck.
The recharging-icon is usually moving while connected to the computer, but I don't get the "battery is fully loaded" message (or icon?) anymore.
Sometimes when the iPod has shut itself down due to low battery, it can still be used for ~10 hours by turning it on/resetting multiple times. When that happens, the battery icon is at first "empty", but then bar suddenly goes to half full.
I also suspect that resetting it 7 times before plugging it into a USB-port helps. Occasionally.
No way to tell if there's 15 hours or 15 seconds life left in he battery. I just got got home from a 2 x 8,5 hour flight and the iPod shut down right after the first take-off So.. yeah.. I'm ****** off atm.:/
I've tried all the tricks I've found on the net (resetting, software updates etc.) but nothing helps.
Don't know if it could have any relevance, but it seems like the problem appears more often when playing audio books - long mp3 files, that is...
Help, anyone? Pretty please?
PC Windows XP

I have the exact same problem. About 2 weeks before the end of my 1-year warranty, I contacted Apple about the problem. They sent a box with prepaid shipping (I paid for it) and I sent the iPOD back to Apple. Today, I checked the status of my repair and the screen reads:
Step 1 - Request
Product received (05-Apr-2006)
Step 2 - Service
No trouble found (11-Apr-2006)
Step 3 - Return
Original product shipped (11-Apr-2006)
I contacted Apple Customer Service and was told that they ran diagnostics and nothing was wrong with the unit. I asked them if it mattered that I noticed problems with the iPOD that they don't seem to see and they said no. They said the problem could be with my charger, but I told them that I recently lost my charger and had used several different chargers that work with other peoples iPODs just fine. I even left it to charge overnight and the next day I could barely play one song. The woman I spoke with told me that if I had any problems with the iPOD after it was returned to me, I would have to send it back (they would not provide the box) and pay $225 since it is no longer in warranty .
My problem is that the unit was in warranty when I sent it, they didn't fix it (they couldn't find this very obvious problem), and now it isn't in warranty. The only way I can listen to music is to plug it into an A/C outlet while it is playing. My other option is to buy another mp3 player.
Has anyone else had this problem? Have you found a solution? Thanks!

Ever since I updated to 7.0.4 my iPhone 5 keeps shutting down even when I have 40 or 50% battery life

This has happens about twice or three times a day. The last time when I took a photo it shut down even though I had 49% battery. When I tried to restart it I got the connect to a power source icon. Then if I wait a few mins I can restart ok and it then shows the battery level as it was before. Has anyone else had this problem? or know what is wrong and how to solve it. Thanks

Hey RichardNWhite,
Thanks for the question, and detailed information. To completely isolate the issue, you may want to follow these steps:
Will not turn on, will not turn on unless connected to power, or unexpected power off
- Verify that the Sleep/Wake button functions. If it does not function, inspect it for signs of damage. If the button is damaged or is not functioning when pressed, seek service.
- Check if a Liquid Contact Indicator (LCI) is activated or there are signs of corrosion.
Learn about LCIs and corrosion.
- Connect the iPhone to the iPhone's USB power adapter and let it charge for at least ten minutes.
- After at least 15 minutes, if:
               - The home screen appears: The iPhone should be working. Update to the latest version of iOS if necessary. Continue charging it until it is completely charged and you see this battery icon in the upper-right corner of the screen . Then unplug the phone from power. If it immediately turns off, seek service.
               - The low-battery image appears, even after the phone has charged for at least 20 minutes: See "iPhone displays the low-battery image and is unresponsive" symptom in this article.
               - Something other than the Home screen or Low Battery image appears, continue with this article for further troubleshooting steps.
- If the iPhone did not turn on, reset it while connected to the iPhone USB power adapter.
               - If the display turns on, go to step 4.
               - If the display remains black, go to next step.
- Connect the iPhone to a computer and open iTunes. If iTunes recognizes the iPhone and indicates that it is in recovery mode, attempt to
restore the iPhone. If the iPhone doesn't appear in iTunes or if you have difficulties in restoring the iPhone, see this article for further assistance.
- If restoring the iPhone resolved the issue, go to step 4. If restoring the iPhone did not solve the issue, seek service.
For additional information, see this article:
iPhone: Hardware troubleshooting
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS2802
Thanks,
Matt M.

PowerBook shuts down even with new battery

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