Some Chromebook batteries don’t recharge after prolonged storage

It has been reported that some Chromebook batteries don’t recharge after prolonged storage Lithium ion batteries  typically drain slowly when left uncharged for long periods of time (such as during school breaks). The Chromebook models below may discharge so deeply during storage that it affects the battery’s ability to be recharged:

 

 

Chromebooks with Known Battery Charging Issues

  • CTL J2 / J4 Chrome for education device
  • CDI eduGear Chromebook K Series
  • HiSense Chromebook 11
  • Poin2 Chromebook 11

We recommend that you charge these devices to between 60% and 80% and cut off the power before placing them in a cool location for storage over the summer.

To cut off power, first shutdown device, then hold F3 (refresh key) + power button and unplug the charger at the same time.  Check that your device does not power on without the charger plugged in.  When you want to power back on the device, just plug the charger in again.  If you run into any issues or have further questions about these devices, please directly contact your device manufacturer.

How to Fix Chromebook Battery Charging Issues

  • Unplug the laptop.
  • Turn it over and remove all of the small screws. Keep them safe.
  • Gently ‘pop’ the edges of the laptop’s cover open. They have tiny clips around the outside.
  • As you remove the cover, do it slowly. There is a cable between the power supply (not the battery) and the motherboard that is quite short, you could damage it if you pull the cover off with gusto. You will need to leave this plugged in to follow a step below, so leave it connected.
  • Locate the small connecting wire between the battery and the motherboard. It’s located between 6 and 7 on this image
  • Unplug this connection. It’s small and delicate, so be gentle. Treat her like a lady.
  • Contrary to what you may have been told before, plug the power supply back in to the laptop and turn the power on. Leave the laptop itself turned off, just supply it some power. Don’t touch anything inside the laptop and don’t electrocte yourself, please. This step is to get the laptop to pick up the fact that the battery has been disconnected.
  • Wait around 30 seconds. The LED for the battery indicator should change to red. The Chromebook is stating that it can’t find the battery.
  • Turn the power back off again.
  • Plug the battery connection back in to the motherboard, the one that was pictured above.
  • Put the cover back on, gently clipping it back in to place.
  • Plug the laptop back in once more and turn it on. Boot it up.
  • Hopefully, it should now be charging, as it’s picked the battery back up again. If so, put your little screws back in and off you go.

 

Other Tips to Fix Chromebook Battery Problems

First, check that:

  • The charger or adapter cables are completely plugged in, both to your Chromebook and the wall
  • The power outlet is working

If your Chromebook still won’t charge:

  1. Unplug your charger from the wall and your Chromebook.
  2. Optional: Remove the battery from your Chromebook, then re-insert it.
  3. Plug your charger back in to your Chromebook, then the wall.
  4. Charge the device for at least 30 minutes.

If the battery still won’t charge, reset your Chromebook hardware.

If you’re still having trouble after trying these steps, contact your Chromebook manufacturer.

Do chromebook batteries lose life if you leave them plugged in all the time?

With most modern portable devices, it should not affect battery life. When it’s fully charged it should stop feeding the battery and just run off the wall power. With lithium ion batteries, using the battery reduces battery life a bit over time. Not using the battery maintains battery life. It also does not matter if you haven’t drained the battery before charging again, just charge whenever you want. The old nickel cadmium batteries had problems with that.

Basically…honestly you don’t need to think about it. I believe in most cases battery life over time may reduce to about 80% of original, but settles there.

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