Replace built-in battery for Rebel XSI

Question

Hi, My Canon Rebel XSI just stopped working. Would not turn on at all. I tried re-charging the battery and it still didn't work. A friend said that sometimes the clock battery needs to be taken out and put in again. I tried to find it. My manual says that the battery is built in. What can I do?

Answer 1

Even a bad internal "time/date" battery should not prevent the camera from working off the main/removable/rechargeable battery. (Date and time just need to be reset each and every time the camera is turned on... Tho it probably can be used without setting them, in which case the info in images would be wrong.)
The cameras that have a non-replaceable "date/time" battery seem to use one that gets recharged by the main battery each time it's used.
As you have already been advised, most likely you just need a new main battery, though a failing charger is another possibility.
However, has the camera been sitting a long time unused? I have seen batteries go so dead, that you need to run them through a half dozen or more charge/discharge cycles before they come back up to full power. First time charged, the camera might not come on at all or might turn off in seconds. 2nd or later charges each power up the camera a little longer, until finally it works more normally. I don't use the LP-E5 batteries, so am not sure if they do this the way some other batteries do.
Camera's die for other reasons, too. It would be great if you could borrow a known-good LP-E5 battery from a friend to try, before going out and buying new.
Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
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