No CMOS battery !

[fabrice91]

Hi,

I have a Thinkpad Lenovo X1 Carbon 3rd generation.
Few month ago an official technician replace the screen panel and the motherboard.
Then I gave the X1 to my daughter.
Now the X1 has a problem : the bios date is automatically reset to 01/01/2001 after some hours without using it, it wont start without the AC adaptor.
So I thought it is a CMOS battery issue and I start to open the X1 in order to replace it.
I saw a guy on a youtube video open the X1 2nd generation and I saw the CMOS battery on the rear side of the motherboard.
So I opened my X1, removed all elements in order to access and removed the MB. When I look at his back...no CMOS battery ! There is the location for the battery, there is the connector for the battery but nothing !!!



Do you know where is this CMOS battery ???
Thanks !

[Thinkpad4by3]

If it wont run off the battery, thr main battery might supply the CMOS power. I havent seen that since 1989 but is possible from the non-removable nature of the battery.

[RealBlackStuff]

Welcome to the Forum.
It is missing.
The X1C3 has a CR1632 CMOS battery with black plastic cover, it plugs into the black connector top-left.
See the last picture here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/132423093198
But AFAIK any other (yellow) CR1632 CMOS battery will also fit (the usual CR2032 is probably too big)
Here's a black one in France: https://www.ebay.com/itm/273123409710
It has its address on there as well, 139 Rue La Fayette, 75010 Paris, near the Gare du Nord.
You can probably pick it up there.

[fabrice91]

Thank you !
Your vendor doesnt ship in France but I ordered this one :
https://www.ebay.fr/itm/382231014666
I will receive it at the end of the week, I will reply here when installed...

[RealBlackStuff]

You must have misunderstood!
The motherboard was only linked so you could see where the mbattery goes.
The second eBay-link was from a shop in Paris, that sells the CMOS battery you need.
Actually it's the same eBay-seller/shop that you linked!

[fabrice91]

You must have misunderstood!
The motherboard was only linked so you could see where the mbattery goes.

yes I understood this point !
I saw where the cmos battery goes on my own motherboard when I remove it from my X1C...

The second eBay-link was from a shop in Paris, that sells the CMOS battery you need.

When I click on your second ebay-link the price is in $ and it says :

Shipping:
Does not ship to France

This is the only thing I saw ! That's why I searched another vendor. Strange...

https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/20 ... -ebay2.png

Actually it's the same eBay-seller/shop that you linked!

Yes while googling for this cmos I found the same reference with the same vendor !
With the price in € and no "Does not ship to France" mention

[RealBlackStuff]

That's eBay magic/logic for you!
When I look on eBay.fr (your link), the price is in € and shipping to USA is free.
On that shipping page you can select almost ANY country you like, including France metroplitaine.

When I look on eBay.com (my link), the price is in $ and shipping to USA is also free.
But now it gets interesting, on the shipping page it says:

Item location: Paris, France
Shipping to: Worldwide
Excludes: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Canada

Wow, what a way to do (no) business!

[MikalE]

Some people can't figure out how to post an ad properly either.

[fabrice91]

I received the CMOS battery unfortunately connectors doesn't fit !
At first sight all seems ok but when I try to install the CMOS connector into the motherboard connector, no way to install it, I try both side, it seems finally too wide and too high
Keyed looks good, only the global size seems not to be ok
Is there a problem with the manufacturer ?
Or is it a reference problem ?
Thanx for your advice

[RealBlackStuff]

Do you have it upside down?
It should go in with with the 2 'slots' pointing upwards.
Or are you maybe trying to put it in the loudspeaker slot on the top, instead of the battery slot on the bottom of the mobo?
Do you have an old CMOS battery from another Thinkpad?
If so perhaps try to swap the connectors, or cut the connector wires of both batteries and connect the old connector wires to the new battery wires. (solder if possible, then insulate)
AFAIK they haven't changed the CMOS battery connectors in at least 10 years.

[fabrice91]

Do you have it upside down?

Yes I tried all solutions

It should go in with with the 2 'slots' pointing upwards.

Yes thats what I saw

Or are you maybe trying to put it in the loudspeaker slot on the top, instead of the battery slot on the bottom of the mobo?

Absolutly not, do you saw my first picture posted in my first post ? You can see the connector on the left of the picture,

Do you have an old CMOS battery from another Thinkpad?

Hmmmm maybe, i will see

If so perhaps try to swap the connectors, or cut the connector wires of both batteries and connect the old connector wires to the new battery wires. (solder if possible, then insulate)
AFAIK they haven't changed the CMOS battery connectors in at least 10 years.

Maybe its a problem with the manufacturer of the connector ? When its not an "official" part there are sometimes problem with manufacturing exactly as the original part...
I found here the compatible Thinkpad with the 04X0443 cmos battery and my Thinkpad X1 Carbon model (20BS type) is not in this list :
https://lenovo.encompass.com/item/10655 ... _Batteries

I found this page from Lenovo, it says :
https://pcsupport.lenovo.com/fr/en/prod ... 20BSCTO1WW

You are viewing a generic parts list forX1 Carbon 3rd Gen (Type 20BS, 20BT) Laptop (ThinkPad) - Type 20BS.To view your system parts, please enter your serial number.

And when you scroll down and click on "Show more" 10 times (!!!) you will see the line :

RTC,1C,3V,LION,CR1620
CMOS BATTERIES 00HN933

So CMOS battery reference seems to be 00HN933 and the type of battery is CR1620
Is it just a difference with the type of battery or is it also another type of connector ???

Really thanx for your help !!!

[RealBlackStuff]

Those CMOS batteries are a bit confusing.
I just opened my own X1 Carbon Gen1, it has a CR1632 # 45N5864.

CR2032: 20mm diameter, 3.2mm thick (usual ones)
CR1632: 16mm diameter, 3.2mm thick (e.g. X1C1)
As used in ThinkPads, both have the same cable connector: 3mm wide, 2mm thick

CR1620: 16mm diameter, 2.0mm thick (e.g. X1C3, yours)
I'm surprised if that connector would be smaller than usual.
Maybe that shop gave you a CMOS with a bigger-than-normal connector?
Can you measure the inside of your CMOS connector on the motherboard?

[fabrice91]

My laptop is out of warranty but I phoned to Lenovo because I think it is their fault when the technician replaced the motherboard without the CMOS battery.
2 weeks later they send me...a CR2032 battery without any connector, just the battery in its packaging just like if they bought it in the shop at the corner of the street !
I phoned again and explain the problem, I need a CMOS battery covered with a strap to protect the cable and with a connector on the other side !
They registered my request now I'm waiting...

[RealBlackStuff]

That's ridiculous and quite typical Lenovo behaviour.
I'd take the (opened) laptop or motherboard with me and visit that shop near the Gare du Nord.
It shouldn't take them more than a few minutes to come up with a fitting CMOS battery, which you can try/buy on the spot.

[fabrice91]

I received a new battery with cable and connector !
When I look at the one I bought first time this is definetely NOT the same connector...
The last one fit perfectly on the motherboard, I installed it in 3 seconds !
Issue resolved !
Thanx for your advice

PS: the reference of this battery is 00HN933 and it's a CR1620 for Yoga X1 (wrote on the package)