Laptop battery issue - always at the worst time...

[wooglin]

OK, here's the rough details:

Toshiba Satellite PS241C-2PW9XP (2410)
around a year old, used 95% of the time while plugged into AC power.

As of 12 hours ago, it worked sweetly... perfectly.... no issues whatsoever.

Today I got off the plane, (I do not recall bumping or jolting it any in transport..2 hour flight)

Usual routine is to open it up, hit the power button and unpack the AC adapter while it's booting.

Suprise... no boot (nothing at all, not even a "whirr" on battery only)

So I plug in the AC adapter (still unbooted) and the battery light starts flashing (orange) rapidly (still unbooted). However on AC, the laptop will boot. Once booted, all the power settings show 99% battery life remaining and while running the battery light stays on (orange) on for 2 seconds, flashes off for a 1/4 second...on-off-on-off. In the past it would stay solid orange while charging and green when charged.

not too urgent, as at least it's working on AC. I was wise enough to make a full system backup before I left last night, always the just-in-case...

Any ideas? I'm sure the battery isn't shot. (age wise) Could it be an internal battery issue? Problem with the charging circuit?

The online product manual was useless at toshiba.com, and there were no TSB's that I could find.

Thanks in advance to anyone who wants to take a shot at this one.

 

[wooglin]

Update.... I left it alone for a while (shutdown) and came back to a solid green battery light (fully charged)

Still won't boot on battery. On AC it still has the slow flashing orange.

 

[SkipCox]

A shot in the dark. I suspect a crummy connection between the battery and the laptop. Remove the battery, clean the contacts and reinstall it. An eraser and alcohol or just alcohol alone should do it.

Trying another battery pack, if you can locate one, will tell you if anything's gone south with the battery.

Another problem could be the dc-dc converter board, but I sure wouldn't go there yet.

Skip

http://home.comcast.net/~skip9/index.html

http://scc.i8.com

 

[wooglin]

Checking the contacts was one of the first things I tried.... no joy. Locating another battery pack is doubtful in the short term. I think I'll probably have to take it in for servicing when I get home next week and hope they don't hold on to it for too long.

Thank god for the 3 year service plan from Best Buy.

 

[wooglin]

Well, it's 3 weeks and still no joy.

First Best Buy phone techs do an over the phone diagnosis and tell me that it's likely the battery. They say that they should be able to RMA me a new one and pass me over to the claims department.

The claims department tells me that my 3 year service plan doesn't cover batteries (no use in arguing with them at this time...) tell me to bring it in to the nearest BB or Futureshop.

Best Buy tech tells me that I'll have to leave the laptop...now I argue. They relax, photocopy the laptop and battery and order a new battery for me.

Fianlly 2 weeks later, new battery arrives - NO JOY. I'm holding on to the laptop for another few days while I get a new desktop on Monday. Once everything is transferred over then best buy can have my laptop for as long as they like.

Anyone have any opinions on the "Geek Squad"? They just opened the repair kisok in BB-Mississauga.

If it is that DC-DC converter, I assume they'd have to ship back to Toshiba. Any opinions on how long you think they'll have it for?

Damn technology. 18 months ago I didn't have a computer at home, let alone a laptop. Now I can't live without it (and my blackberry)