4G 20GB iPod - odd battery behavior

Hi everyone,
After spending the better part of this evening/night looking at these discussion forums, I haven't seen any posts that are quite the same as the problem I'm experiencing.
I've had my iPod for just over a year, and we all know what that means, but I'm convinced it's not a major thing and something I can probably fix myself.
Enough suspense. About a month ago, I downloaded the iPod updater (I believe the 9/22/05 version) and installed it, and things seemed fine until the next time I used it. I was able to listen to music uninterrupted for about a half hour and then it gave me a low battery warning and shut itself down. (It had been fully charged so it should have worked for MUCH longer than a half hour.) I turned it back on and it went through its whole restart routine and it let me listen to music. I assumed it was a glitch.
However, lately, it has become more frequent and has gotten to the point where I can only get about 20 minutes of battery life out of it. I get the same warning, usually immediately after I select a song to listen to, and the iPod shuts down. Sometimes it will let me listen a bit more, and more often than not, it will not restart again. When I plug it in with the AC adapter to charge, it usually takes an hour or less to be "charged." However, I still only get about 20 minutes from it, if I'm lucky.
This evening I restored it to factory settings and have yet to find out if it has done any good. (It's amazing how quickly nearly 20 GB of music can be erased from your iPod!)
One more odd thing: I've left it plugged in via USB for most of the night as I've been putting music back onto it, and the battery icon in the corner leads me to believe it's charging. Doesn't necessarily mean anything, but it could be promising.
Has anyone else had a similar problem? And if so, were you able to fix it, and how?
The thought of being without my iPod for the battery to be replaced makes me sick...

Looks as if you may need to calibrate the battery meter. See these battery links for more info, and to understand if you may have a legitimate battery problem. The first two articles are quite informative:
The iPod Battery Unplugged..
How to Prolong Lithium-Based Batteries
iPod Service & Support: Charging Your iPod
iPod Battery FAQ
Apple iPod Battery
iPod Battery Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Caring for iPod's Battery
Charging iPod's Internal Battery
Tips and Tricks to get the Most out of Your iPod's Battery
Using the iPod Hold Switch to Prolong Battery Life
iPod's Battery Doesn't Charge
The Truth About the iPod Battery and Charging
Apple: Lithium-ion Batteries
iPod's Battery Indicator is Approximate / Battery Test

Similar Messages

Odd battery behavior and strange recalibration results

I have a 14" iBook G4, just over a year and a half old, and have been having problems lately with my battery. I think I am at the point where I just need to buy a new one, but I wanted to know if anyone had any extra advice or had the same problems as me. Information:
Battery Installed: Yes
First low level warning: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 1584
Remaining Capacity (mAh): 1584
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 16405
Cycle Count: 229
I know my cycle count is high, which has something to do with it, but lately my full charge capacity has been dropping dramatically. I did a textbook Apple battery recalibration last night following all instructions, and my full charge capacity DROPPED from 1840 to the above stated 1584. Is this normal? My cycle count is high, but it isn't as high as what would be reflected in my charge capacity, correct? Can anyone help me out or have any ideas? Is it just time to bite the bullet and buy a new battery?
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.8) 14"

That's possible, I suppose but more likely:
Overcharing lithium batteries is really bad. So bad that well designed devices turn off charging when the capacity is reached. At this point, I believe one of two things can happen. The device might be powered by the charger, however with the battery no longer receiving any charge, or (easier) the device can run on the battery after the charger has been disabled. The plug icon in the battery icon indicates charger not charging but connected. I think the iPhone is smart enough to run off the charger while not charging, however batteries can lose charge over time even when they are not being used.
The computer takes longer to charge the battery so it spends less time connected but not being charged than when you use the wall plug. I've seen this on a Palm PDA as well, although a little more dramatic. I believe the Palm was not smart enough to run off the charger and instead ran of the battery. Depending on when you disconnected, it could be truly fully charged or a few % low.

Another odd battery behavior

a few nights a week when I've finished using the mac, I'll close the screen and assume it has gone to sleep. The next day I will open the macbook and it will not power on. I'll plug in adaptor and see a dim version of my desktop with the battery icon saying the %left from the night before 65% for example. but at the bottom there will be a row of bars implying it is taking energy from adaptor until the screen will kick in again and the battery will show it has been discharged. Do I have to formally put the computer in sleep or is this a defect with the macbook/and or battery I purchsed it in late august and it started happening about a month into ownernship. thanks for any suggestions about what I should do. I did some of the fixes for improved battery use I saw here.

That's possible, I suppose but more likely:
Overcharing lithium batteries is really bad. So bad that well designed devices turn off charging when the capacity is reached. At this point, I believe one of two things can happen. The device might be powered by the charger, however with the battery no longer receiving any charge, or (easier) the device can run on the battery after the charger has been disabled. The plug icon in the battery icon indicates charger not charging but connected. I think the iPhone is smart enough to run off the charger while not charging, however batteries can lose charge over time even when they are not being used.
The computer takes longer to charge the battery so it spends less time connected but not being charged than when you use the wall plug. I've seen this on a Palm PDA as well, although a little more dramatic. I believe the Palm was not smart enough to run off the charger and instead ran of the battery. Depending on when you disconnected, it could be truly fully charged or a few % low.

Odd battery behavior

I took my MacBook Pro last night and flattened it. I put Leopard on it, then installed Vista on it as well. Battery fully charged. I hibernated the machine and went to sleep. This morning, got up, and launched the machine. Battery at 93% (which is about right as I used it a little last night). Within 20 mins, I got the exclamation point and told to get this baby plugged in or I was going to lose data.
How does the battery drop that fast?? Is there some weird driver issue I'm not aware of?

Hi Roger,
Welcome to the discussions.
Try discharging the battery completely. Then reset the PMU and see whether it charges up properly.
Cheers!
Karl

Odd usage behavior

iPhone v101: this odd usage behavior just started half a week ago. This is the second time it happened. During standby, the usage time continues to count forward. I leave my phone on my desk not using it, but the usage still goes up. For example, the usage was 1 hour and 20 minutes when I checked like three hours ago, now it says 4 hours and some minutes. WiFi off, not running any apps, great signal and I cannot find anything running. This behavior also appear to drain the battery a little bit. The phone was not being charged or on plugged in anywhere; just sitting still on my desk. Now, the usage is back to normal and not accumulating time when I am not using it. This is strange. Have anyone else seem this happening? I had the phone for over a month now...

I didn't notice it causing any battery drain, but it sounds like I am charging it differently than you are. Here's how mine worked:
I would plug the iPhone into the wall charger at night to charge while I slept. In the morning, it would show a full charge by showing a plug on the small battery icon, but the large green battery would still have a sliver that wasn't green. The usage and standby stats would show something in the 3-4 hour range, presumably the time since it hit full charge.
I would disconnect the phone, check my email, and then take it to my desktop computer and plug it in to sync and update all my podcasts, etc. I would leave it plugged into my desktop while I showered while I got ready for work. By the time I was ready to leave, it would again show a full charge on the small icon, but now my stats would be reset to 0 and would function normally throughout the day. But nothing I did ever stopped the stats from running up during the night after attaining full charge.
1.0.1 got rid of the stats problem (they always stay at 0/0 in the morning with a full charge until I unplug the phone) AND the weird behavior of the large green battery indicator went away. Now both indicators show full charge in the morning.

Ipod Mini battery (1st generation)

I bought my Ipod mini in february 2005 and since 4 months the battery no longer works. It has started to turning itself off 1 or 2 minutes after i opened it even when fully charged. I tried to reset it but it would work for a few minutes more. I downloaded the latest software & restored the ipod. But nothing works. What can I do?
Pc
Pc or Ibook

Thanks for your answer, but i knew it was a battery problem. How come after a year and a few months, the battery is broken? I heard there might be some probs with the 1 st generation Ipod mini battery. Is that true and will Apple replace it free? even if i'm not on the waranty anymore?
Pc and Ibook G4

My Ipod touch battery life depreciating, and it seems to coincide with my earphones no longer registering

Hello,
I have had a few iPod's over the last couple of years, and well I am starting to get bored of exchanging/purchasing a new one because of what seems like a reoccuring problem. My iPod's battery is dying... it no longer lasts a day even without use (I have taken off extra apps-I just have what came with my iPod on my phone, my bluetooth is disabled). This has happened to me before, I had reset my iPod. Reuploaded it from my back up as well as return it to manufaturers defaults and sync'd it as a brand new iPod and this has not helped. (Initially I thought maybe I had a corrupted file on there).
I had taken my iPod into the Genius Bar, told me to do the manufaturers reset, even had an ipod exchanged. I was told that doing mini charges would 'teach' the battery that it was empty before it truly was. So I stopped using a car charger, I now use my iPod and let it die before I charge it once again, or at least have it below the 20% battery life before I will plug it in. And yet the problem still persists. I know I have time to take it in and have it looked over, but I'm tired of the same issue.
This issue seems to come along with an issue with my earphones. I use the Skullcandy 50/50 ear buds that have been working on my iPod for months now. And yesterday I had been listening to my iPod in the car using the AUX port, have my iPod volume all the way up and my speakers down. Typically when I take out the AUX port cord and replace them with my earphones the iPod would change the volume level to what I was listening to last with earphones. But now it isn't doing that, and the controls for the pause, volume, skip/rewind no longer work.
The Apple staff have been very kind to me, but as a customer I am getting tired of having to deal with this. I am just at my wits ends as this would be my 3rd iPod... so I think that it's me causing this but what could I possibly be doing to create this?

- Make an appointment at the Genius Bar of an Apple store. If defective and not abused Apple will experience it with a refurbished one since it should be within the one-year warranty.
Apple Retail Store - Genius Bar
or send it in to Apple. See:
Service Answer Center - iPod

IPod touch Battery Problems Since iOS 7 was installed last year.

Hello, I've had recurring battery problems with my iPod touch since the iOS 7 update was installed, and I find myself having to charge my iPod touch (5th Generation) a lot more frequently since I installed this update.
On iOS 6, I had never experienced any problems with the iPod touch's battery, as I was able to let the battery drain down completely, and let it charge for 4 hours (recommended). After the iPod touch was fully charged for 4 whole hours, I was able to unplug the lightning cable, and the iPod touch on its own would last a few days to at least a week or two weeks.
On iOS 7, since it saw its general release on the 18th September last year, I have found that the iPod's battery has drained so bad, that it dies too quickly, and when I put the iPod touch on charge, in almost an hour, the iPod touch tells me that it is 100% charged. However, when I take the iPod touch off its charge after it fully charges for that hour, it quickly drains down again.
I have gone through the standard procedure of restoring my iPod touch to its factory settings, and I have seen absolutely no improvement on the battery life whatsoever. I mainly back up whatever is on my iPod touch (I back up pictures, videos and also transfer updates that I have installed for certain apps onto iTunes), though I have seen how some people have backed up the data on their iPod's or iPhones, only they find their iDevice draining so quickly.
Even turning off certain features in the Settings app to improve the battery life doesn't help, as there is almost no difference that solves the problems I'm currently having with the iPod touch's battery.
I recently heard about the free iPhone battery replacement program which is now available, so I'm starting to worry whether I have to pay for a new replacement battery for my iPod touch.
Your help in this matter would be gratefully appreciated.
Many kind regards,
Alex Smithson
Message was edited by: Alex169853

I mainly charge the iPod touch itself for four hours and it still doesn't make a difference. I've had my iPod touch for almost 2 years and since I installed iOS 7, it still doesn't make a difference.
I was wondering, if the article you have provided doesn't sort the problems with the battery out, is there another alternative??
Your help and advice is most appreciated.
Many kind regards,
Alex Smithson

IPod mini battery lasts only 1h

I own an iPod mini 4gb which I bought 3 months ago.. From the time i started using it I noticed that its battery life was low compared to the one written on its features (about 6hours).. Now after a full charge if i dont use my ipod for about a day then it wont turn on and if i turn it on right after it is charged then the battery indicator raches its lowest point within 2 mins and it remains there for about an hour and then my iPod runs out of battery.. Dows my iPod has a defective battery? If it does will I get a free repair(incuding shipping costs since i live in cyprus)? Is it a software problem?

If your battery dies or cannot maintain a charge, Apples Service Request process will:
- Replace it for free during the first 6 months of the warranty**
- Replace it for a shipping charge (~$35) after 6 months and prior to the 1-year period **
- Replace it for free if you have the additional AppleCare policy (this extends the warranty to 2 years)**
- Replace it 'anytime' for a $59 charge (was $99 until 7-8-2005)
b This is regardless of where it was legitimately purchased.
i ** See the Battery Test link below. This is how Apple determines if the battery is not performing. If the iPods battery lasts less than 50% of the up to metric, then Apple considers it a problem. For example: This means less than 4 hours for a 1st Gen Mini and less than 9 hours for a 2nd Gen Mini. -- Best to perform this
b specific
i test yourself, prior to sending in the iPod for warranty work
b and
i understand the battery life metric for your unit.
iPod's Battery Indicator is Approximate / Battery Test
See these battery links for more info, and to understand if you may have a legitimate battery problem. The first two articles are quite informative:
The iPod Battery Unplugged..
How to Prolong Lithium-Based Batteries
iPod Service & Support: Charging Your iPod
iPod Battery FAQ
Apple iPod Battery
iPod Battery Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Caring for iPod's Battery
Charging iPod's Internal Battery
Tips and Tricks to get the Most out of Your iPod's Battery
Using the iPod Hold Switch to Prolong Battery Life
iPod's Battery Doesn't Charge
The Truth About the iPod Battery and Charging
Apple: Lithium-ion Batteries

Ipod mini battery test?

the battery life on my ipod mini is terrible. i don't use the backlight too much or the equalizer and i use the hold switch when i have it off. i heard there is a page on the apple site where they can do a diagnostics test or something like that on the batt life. i can't find the page though. any one know what i'm talkin bout???
ipod mini 3g

If your battery dies or cannot maintain a charge, Apples Service Request process will:
- Replace it for free during the first 6 months of the warranty**
- Replace it for a shipping charge (~$35) after 6 months and prior to the 1-year period **
- Replace it for free if you have the additional AppleCare policy (this extends the warranty to 2 years)**
- Replace it 'anytime' for a $59 charge (was $99 until 7-8-2005)
b This is regardless of where it was legitimately purchased.
i ** See the Battery Test link below. This is how Apple determines if the battery is not performing. If the iPods battery lasts less than 50% of the up to metric, then Apple considers it a problem. For example: This means less than 4 hours for a 1st Gen Mini and less than 9 hours for a 2nd Gen Mini. -- Best to perform this
b specific
i test yourself, prior to sending in the iPod for warranty work
b and
i understand the battery life metric for your unit.
iPod's Battery Indicator is Approximate / Battery Test

Ipod Mini Battery Drain

My Ipod Mini battery drains down without any use. Is this normal. My HP Ipaq 4155 battery does not drain down without any usage. Can anyone help me please. Thanks, Jeff

Well just an advice. Be sure that the alarm of your iPod is not set.

1st generation ipod touch battery

My first generation iPod Touch battery has had it and is barely holding a charge. Does anyone have any experience with the battery replacement companies that are available? Would like to use someone that has had a good experience.

if you're using it for media a lot then the battery will be drained a lot more quickly than just using it for music/podcasts. i often listen to a 3.5 hour radio show via wifi using the BBC iPlayer and that pretty much kills the battery, but if i'm using it for just music/podcasts it will last at least a few days before needing a charge.
hints i have seen for the new batteries suggest that rather than letting your iPod run down, you should keep charging it, no matter how short a period, whenever you can.

I have the 20gb iPod that I need to put music back onto with my new computer. It starts to sync then it says "ITunes could not copy the song to the iPod because the file could not be read or written. ????

I have a 20gb iPod that needs music from ITunes. On my new computer I am trying to sync but I get error message "could not copy to iPod because file could not be read or written. Attempting to copy to the disk failed. The disk could not be read from or written to." I have tried several times and have reset to factory settings.

Is the new PC running XP as well, Chalotte?
If so, I might start with the following document (your error message is a possible symptom of the issue too):
iTunes displays -50 error message when syncing iPod on Windows XP

Unable to disable 20gb iPod 'enable disk use' Disc in iTunes7

Hello,
i got this problem, when i connected my old 20gb iPod on to my computer which now has iTunes 7 installed i wont be able to turn off "Enable disc use" check button. Why?
Resetting the iPod wont help, restoring the software to iPod wont solve the problem either.
Can anyone help with this one? Or is this setting solid and could not be changed.
Cheers,
T.

Do you have the iPod set to manual transfer? That's the reason that the enable disk use option is greyed out and not selectable.
With manual, the default setting is enabled and cannot be changed.

Laptop with two ipods. 20GB ipod recognised by win/itunes, Nano doesn't!

Ok this problem is driving me insane.
I have an Acer laptop. My partner has a 20GB ipod and I have a 4GB 2nd Gen Nano. I created a separate windows user account so I didn't mess up the 20GB itunes list. My partners 20GB ipod works fine, it gets recognised by windows and itunes. We use the same cable and USB port to connect. When I try and connect my Nano on my separate user account with a separate itunes list (or even with my partners list) it never gets recognised by itunes. It says "Do not disconnect" on the Nano window, but nothing ever gets connected. Sometimes the computer might say "your Nano is in recovery mode please restore" but that is only when I have taken the cable out of the Nano after 10mins of it not being recognised.
When I go to "My Computer" to see what is going on, the window freezes and I see nothing. When I am looking at the device list when I manage the drivers and I connect the Nano, the computer freezes.
I connected it once in Feburary when I purchased it and downloaded all my songs, but could never connect after that and change my songs around. So today I decided to go to the apple service centre and get them to restore it for me (I was having no luck because the computer wont even recognise it).They restored it fine, it wiped off all the songs... and now I still can not connect.
I have a Nano with no songs on it that wont connect to computer at all... and yet my partners 20GB ipod works just fine with the computer.
Please give me some suggestions on what I can do - apart from throwing it at the wall really hard
Thanks for you help guys.

i was lucky enough yesterday or the day befor to see that some 1 had posted a mayby solution in as a topic. yet no 1 belived him i still tryed and my ipod dint work the first time i conected it so i updated 4 or so songs onto my ipod using the soft ware he posted but then got bored and left it. yet 2day when i conected my ipod it came up in itunes perfect.
heres a link to the software download
http://www.redchairsoftware.com/anapod/
its tops stuff
u might wanna get this befor apple delets it again

4G 20GB iPod - odd battery behavior

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for