Dell Battery Issue

[xenon200]

I have a Dell Inspiron 5000. With that, I have a Dell Inspiron 5000 Battery. Lately, I've noticed that the battery quickly drains when the system is solely using battery power. We're talking 5 - 10 minutes of power max, here. It hasn't gradually settled into this time frame. I barely ever use the battery, and last week it was getting far more time on the battery (45 mins +).

I took out the battery (the system claims it's fully charged), and hit the test button. 3 of the 5 LED's light up. They blink three times, and then turn off. (See attached photo..)

Does anyone know what I have to do to get this battery working again? Is it dead?

Thanks..

~x2

[scholar]

You may have a nickel-cadmium battery(check the specs or with Dell). These batteries have a 'memory' and if the battery is not used regularly and discharged completely, eventually it will not deliver full power.

Try this: Recharge the battery; disconnect the charger and start the computer; let it run until it stops and a little longer; recharge it and repeat the sequence a few times.

Sometimes this will help. If not, you will need to buy a new battery from Dell. You might be able to find a local company that will rebuild the battery with new cells for less than the cost of a new Dell battery.

Hope this helps.

Scholar

[osprey4]

From a Dell techie...

Please check the charge directly on the battery, using the button and lights on the back of the battery. If any of the lights flash, or if alternate lights come on, then the battery needs to be replaced.