Aluminum PB losing battery - when off?

[Phat Elvis]

Well, here goes. My first post.

I have a 15 inch aluminum PB (from Nov '03) that I don't use as often as I should. I often leave it off for weeks at a time (bluetooth and airport off). When I turn it back on the battery power shows 0% and I have to recharge it immediately. Why is the battery losing power when it is not running? Is this bad for the battery/computer? What can I do to stop this? I don't want to leave it plugged in all the time if it's not doing anything.

Any advice would be great. Thanks.

 

[other]

Do you actually turn it off or are you just using sleep mode?

 

[mad jew]

When a computer sleeps, power is supplied to the RAM so that you can keep data in it.

 

[Phat Elvis]

cmon

It is actually off. Logged out and off.

 

[Phat Elvis]

Oh

also forgot, love the nickname Mad Jew (who I heard is not Jewish, but possibly mad). Rent "The Hebrew Hammer."

 

[mad jew]

Most definitely mad.

Maybe try two things. Firstly, reset the PMU and then maybe calibrate your battery. This means running it completely flat (so it will not wake up) and then charging it completely up again to 100% and completely flattening it again (obviously then charge it again).

 

[Phat Elvis]

Thanks. I have not reset the PMU, good advice. I'll post again after I try it.

Incidently this started happening after I sent it to Apple to get the screen replaced (white spots). Could have been coincidence, should have used it more.

 

[bigandy]

if you're leaving it for more than a few days without using it you are ALWAYS recommended, by ANY manufacturer of ANY electrical product, to REMOVE the batteries. It is definately a good idea.

 

[portent]

How long is "weeks at a time?"

Any battery will loose some charge even if it's just sitting on a shelf (internal resistance.) Over the course of, at a guess, six months or more, a laptop battery might completely drain itself this way.

 

[OutThere]

How long is "weeks at a time?"

Any battery will loose some charge even if it's just sitting on a shelf (internal resistance.) Over the course of, at a guess, six months or more, a laptop battery might completely drain itself this way.

This would be an extremely slow process...I left my battery out of my computer for 10 days and it didn't lose any charge whatsoever.

If you actually have the computer off, it is pretty much equivalent to having the battery out anyway, so that shouldn't be a problem...are you absolutely sure you're going to Apple->Shut Down? It's be hard to explain the battery losing all of its charge if off for a few weeks otherwise.

 

[Phat Elvis]

I reset the PMU, drained the battery, recharged and recalibrated. Then I shut down the powerbook with 100% charge and left it alone for two days. Today I plugged it in and then immediately turned it on. The battery read 93% charged. This doesn't make sense to me. I understand losing a little bit of charge a night when the computer is asleep but it shouldn't happen when it's off.

Any other ideas?

More details - its a 15" PB G4 1.25 FW800 running panther (so I can't use coconutBattery)