Thinkpads Forum

Hi,

I have a recently purchased secondhand T400 now running Xubuntu 12.04.

A couple of times it has powered off unexpectedly. Both times have been on battery power, but it wasn't anywhere near empty. In each case I have only been able to power up after removing and reinserting the battery. Plugging in the mains power had no effect.

I have read that Thinkpads may have fan speed issues but in neither case was the system being particularly stressed.

Is it likely the battery is a problem? Could it be a linux issue? Any suggestions much appreciated.

-- Tim.

TimGS wrote:Is it likely the battery is a problem? Could it be a linux issue?

Linux seems unlikely, but it could be the battery. Does it work without the battery?

It seems to work fine on mains power, both with the battery in and without.

Both times it has powered off (it just instantly powered off, no shutdown sequence, no warning) it was on battery power only. That could be coincidence but its the only common factor that I can see.

-- Tim.

What does it say about the battery in Power Manager?

tim@florence:/proc/acpi/battery/BAT0$ cat info
present:                 yes
design capacity:         65520 mWh
last full capacity:      41540 mWh
battery technology:      rechargeable
design voltage:          14400 mV
design capacity warning: 2077 mWh
design capacity low:     200 mWh
cycle count:		  0
capacity granularity 1:  1 mWh
capacity granularity 2:  1 mWh
model number:            42T5229
serial number:           35919
battery type:            LION
OEM info:                SANYO

The xfce power manager gives the same info but says the battery voltage is 16.5V.

-- Tim.

I upgraded the BIOS but the problem still occurs as described. Its happened three times now over the past week.

I've been looking for a replacement battery. The current one is marked FRU 42T5229. Some ebay sellers have batteries that claim to be a replacement for this but their stated voltage is 10.8V whereas mine is 14.4V according to /proc/acpi/battery/BAT0/info, so something doesn't seem right - or is there a reasonable explanation?

Should any T400 battery fit any T400?

The laptop was bought secondhand and is still within the 30-day 'warranty' period that the seller offers but this doesn't include the battery.

thanks,
-- Tim.

"A couple of times it has powered off unexpectedly. Both times have been on battery power, but it wasn't anywhere near empty. In each case I have only been able to power up after removing and reinserting the battery. Plugging in the mains power had no effect."

I'm not a battery expert, but if the problem is simply the battery died, then plugging in the power would allow the machine to start. My take is this: With help from this Forum you MAY find out the cause of your issue and be able to repair it -- or you may not find the cause, thus not be able to correct the problem. Bottom line for me would be to NOT let the 30 day warranty run out. If you'd had this machine six months or a year, then you could spend your time and $$ tracking down what's wrong. But you apparently have purchased a machine with an issue -- which on the surface, does not appear to be the battery because plugging the power in does not immediately correct the problem -- I would try to exchange with the original Seller or ask for a return and full refund BEFORE 30 DAY WARRANTY RUNS OUT -- ...just my opinion

I was reluctant to send it back if it could have been just the battery - which they won't cover as it's a consumable. However that has become a moot point as I think now there is also a problem with the screen cable (thin horizontal line occasionally appears but goes if you tilt the screen back or forward).

I've messaged the seller and will be sending it back for a repair or replacement.

Thanks,
-- Tim.

Sorry about your T400 -- I have one, and it's a real nice machine -- good luck with your return -- maybe your seller will have a replacement

As you state your T400 is second hand, there is a big chance they allowed the battery sit idle for a long time and discharged below a safe level. Lithium-ion batteries get damaged when that happens and even it if seems to be charging normally, it may cause micro-shorts that cause the machine to turn off.

There is nothing you can do besides replacing the battery and I'd recommend you to do it soon because it may even catch fire.