Quick update on Sony v. Sanyo batteries

[Kenn]

I posted something last week about the marginal difference (and non-issue with fitment) between the Sony and Sanyo batteries on two different 15" T42s (7XU and CXU).

I just got a 14" 3VU in, and my lord, the battery is LOOSE. I said in my original post that battery fitment was not an issue. On the new 14" it definitely is. The battery literally rattles and leaves a gap of about 1.5-2mm from the chassis - maybe this is why the 14" has 2 battery locks.

The Sony 6-cell is MARGINALLY better, as is the Sanyo 9-cell, but neither are a snug as any of the 3 types on the 15".

Fortunately, the 2nd lock does mean there's little chance of the battery actually losing its connection, but I did want to say that I stand corrected on the battery fitment issues on at least some T42s, and anyone who finds a better-fitting battery should definitely return the old one as a defect. After all, batteries only get looser over time.

I'm out of town, but will post some images of the gap in a few days to illustrate the problem.

[admsteiner]

On my 14.1" T42 I found the Sony 9 cell to be a much much better fit than the Sanyo 9 cell

[Kenn]

I'm very surprised to find the fitment so different between the 14" and 15". I wouldn't have bothered on the 15, but I can totally see myself doing the padding/bending mods on the batteries to fix the excessive play on the 14.

[K. Eng]

I was pretty surprised as well when I got my 14" T40 a bit more than a year ago. The manufacturing tolerances on the 14" are much narrower than on the 15" machines, so it doesn't surprise me that there seem to be more fit & creak problems on the 14" than the 15".

Needless to say, if I were to buy a T42 today, I'd get the 15" model, but part of that is wanting a flexview display

I'm very surprised to find the fitment so different between the 14" and 15".

[Kenn]

I think I also have to stress that my <i>n</i> is fairly small - with only two 15" and 1 14" models to go by, a different fitment in any one would have changed my conclusions drastically. When I get back, I'll post up some images of exactly how big the gaps are between the 14 and 15" models so hopefully people will have a more objective measure to judge what I think is significant or not.

[JaimitoBond]

My 9 cell Sony fits much better than the 6 cell Sanyo, but the best fix is to use a bit of double sided tapes, cut into thin strips, and make the slot on the battery smaller (more shallow). The slot I'm talking about is on the battery, facing the on the VGA port side. I also bend the hook on the battery a few mm (Bill's suggestion), by heating it carefully with a lighter (not Bill's suggestion). I also added thin double sided foam between the battery and the chassis. The result: a perfect battery fit, and flex, squeak or play in any direction. Just solid, like it should be.

This is the best fix, IMO, since it is obvious the poor fit is mainly a design issue, not manufacturing. Untill IBM makes T50 with a new latch or design, I wouldn't bother wasting time changing batteries. I don't think there's objective proof that Sony lasts longer than the Sanyo. Although the finish on the Sanyo seems to be a bit more rough to touch than the Sony. That's just cosmetic, since that side is on the bottom of the laptop, it is non-issue unless you admire and look at your laptop upside down.