can someone from hpt post battery only warning

[murphinator]

my latest replacement interface came with a slip of paper in it explaining why to use interfaces with battery power only - I no longer have that slip as I left it in the box when I sold that interface.

there is a sticky in the FAQ section not to use an invertor but I had issues using a 120v/12v power supply cord that I had bought ($165) based on advice found on this forum after finding out the power invertor I had been using was a no no

this slip of paper made it clear to use no other power sources other than laptop battery power while the interface is plugged into the laptop.

I have had no issues now that I use battery power only ( allthough I do wish there were an approved way to stay charging for convenience) just looking to make sure everyone else with an interface is clear on this so hopefully they can learn from my mistakes:

around $400 in repairs for 3 total interface repairs on 2 different interfaces , purchasing a power supply cord for $165 that I can no longer use , and the downtime and hassle of sending interfaces back in for repairs both the hassle for myself and for hpt

no knock on hpt here they handled my repairs professionally just trying to save members & hpt repair dept. from dealing with this if it can be prevented.

I dont recall my original standard interface I purchased aug 08 or my pro that I purchased in mar 09 having this slip in the box and reading about someone tuning plugged in today made me think I should make this post at this time.

[Montecarlodrag]

My new interface came with that paper.

Is is really dangerous to use the original Lap Top's battery charger while connected to the car?
I can understand a power inverter can cause malfunctions, but the laptop's charger doesn't supply voltage directly to the interface.

Is it a misunderstanding?
Or it is correct and we must only use battery power?

Regardless, I already bought 2 new batteries

[murphinator]

do you still have the paper ? can you link a pic or something ?

91 views so it looks like there is interest in being proactive and avoiding issues if you still have it.

[Montecarlodrag]

do you still have the paper ? can you link a pic or something ?

91 views so it looks like there is interest in being proactive and avoiding issues if you still have it.

Here it is:

[chris07ss]

Late bump.

Apparently the power from the laptop and the car is different, causing issues with the interface.

Which SUCKS because now that I am running 7 on my Lenovo Y510, I get the stupid ass "consider replacing your battery" error and can't get my OS to run much longer than a half hour without suddenly powering down. The battery isn't at fault as I have tried several to no avail.

Just another reason to go pro I guess, although broke college students like myself can't afford such expenses. Hell, I can't even afford the STD version. lol

[eatgoat]

I wonder if this could cause a BCM (Body Control Module) to go bad in a vehicle? I would think the ECM would go first but than again it is all tied together. Any ideas out there?

[chris07ss]

Anything's possible with modern computer controlled vehicles.

[Mez]

There are axillary batteries on the market.

I use the Valence Technology Inc. N-Charge battery because I used to work for the company. It stores about 150w/h of power which lasts about 4-5 hours scanning using my IBM T61 Thinkpad. And the PC thinks its plugged into the wall, too, so it runs full power to the screen.

The N-Charge has the same footprint of the laptop and its about 3/8 inch thick. Very convenient. The bad news is they were discontinued last year but you can still find them on eBay but you have to make sure to get the right cable for your laptop.

Mine is 5 years old and still working well.

[chris07ss]

There aren't any high-capacity batteries available for my Lenovo Y510.

Nonsense. Looks like I will be ordering a new one from amazon. According to my battery gauge, OEM capacity is 56160mWh, and this junker is only holding 14440.

[8850]

Here it is:

Guess I must have been lucky as I used an inverter on mine for more than two years while scanning. It was my understanding at that time not to charge while writing a program. Did not realize it was for scanning as well. Never had a problem but of course now I only use lap top battery.

I don't think you are suppose to charge your car battery either while writing a file to your ECM. This instruction sheet doesn't mention anything about the car battery and charging.

[Phantom]

I have charged my laptop many times when scanning I gust always make sure to remove the inverter before I flash the PCM.

[slocav]

There aren't any high-capacity batteries available for my Lenovo Y510.

Nonsense. Looks like I will be ordering a new one from amazon. According to my battery gauge, OEM capacity is 56160mWh, and this junker is only holding 14440.

I have a Lenovo G530 and its battery SUCKS.... if you find a high capacity one let me know... i have to put mine on balanced profile for it to last any time... its been like that from day one too is the crapy thing...

[Montecarlodrag]

I have a Lenovo G530 and its battery SUCKS.... if you find a high capacity one let me know... i have to put mine on balanced profile for it to last any time... its been like that from day one too is the crapy thing...

You can try a few deep charge cycles to see if battery life improves.
Discharge the battery as much as you can and fully recharge it a few times in a row.
I did it with 2 batteries I thought were trash. Now they last 60 min each

[Atomic]

You can try a few deep charge cycles to see if battery life improves.
Discharge the battery as much as you can and fully recharge it a few times in a row.
I did it with 2 batteries I thought were trash. Now they last 60 min each

Negative ghost rider, this is a good way to ruin lithium ion batteries which most laptops made in the last 5 years are.

I use a big 500w inverter to charge my laptop occasionally, never had a problem. It goes directly to the battery with big wire, not through the cigarette lighter, which is what I think a majority of these problems stem from.

[Montecarlodrag]

Negative ghost rider, this is a good way to ruin lithium ion batteries which most laptops made in the last 5 years are.

I use a big 500w inverter to charge my laptop occasionally, never had a problem. It goes directly to the battery with big wire, not through the cigarette lighter, which is what I think a majority of these problems stem from.

On the contrary, it is healty for the batteries to be discharged at least once a week.
People always use their laptop on AC power and the battery does not get discharged, reducing its life.
If your battery is working good, you don't need to fully discharge it, only wait till low bat warning and plug the charger.

[Atomic]

On the contrary, it is healty for the batteries to be discharged at least once a week.
People always use their laptop on AC power and the battery does not get discharged, reducing its life.
If your battery is working good, you don't need to fully discharge it, only wait till low bat warning and plug the charger.

No, this is not correct. A lithium ion battery looses its life because of fast power output, being in a hot climate, and simply age. Laptop batteries are only expected to last 2-3 years, no matter how you charge them, but constantly running them all the way down and charging them back up will shorten their lifespan even further. If someones laptop battery life sucks, its probably more due to heat than the battery failing.

[Montecarlodrag]

No, this is not correct. A lithium ion battery looses its life because of fast power output, being in a hot climate, and simply age. Laptop batteries are only expected to last 2-3 years, no matter how you charge them, but constantly running them all the way down and charging them back up will shorten their lifespan even further. If someones laptop battery life sucks, its probably more due to heat than the battery failing.

I'm not talking about powering a microwave oven or "constantly" discharging them.

If you just use your laptop a few times a month on battery only then recharge, it will extend battery life. I have tested it on 5 laptops, different brand. A 4 year old Lap top I have is performing very well on battery only (I use it for tuning btw).

The worst condition is keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures, which is the case with running laptop batteries. If used on main power, the battery inside a laptop will only last for 12-18 months. I must hasten to explain that the pack does not die suddenly but begins with reduced run-times.

Running on battery only makes laptops run cooler. That will extend battery's life.

I also do it with my cell phones. My current cell is a 3 year old N95. Since new I have let it discharge to 1 bar once a month and recharge. The battery still lasts 3 days of normal use (when new it lasted 5).

I'm telling only the things that have worked for me.

[umrjmac]

I think that there are differences between NiCd and LiIon battery technology. From what I understand, the "memory" and power cycling relate to NiCd, but LiIon batteries don't have that issue. Older laptops and cell phones probably use NiCd, check yours and let us know what you find, Montecarlodrag.

[Montecarlodrag]

I think that there are differences between NiCd and LiIon battery technology. From what I understand, the "memory" and power cycling relate to NiCd, but LiIon batteries don't have that issue. Older laptops and cell phones probably use NiCd, check yours and let us know what you find, Montecarlodrag.

Of course all of them are Li-Ion. Ni-Cd batteries have not been used in several years.

[umrjmac]

Of course all of them are Li-Ion. Ni-Cd batteries have not been used in several years.

I had to ask since you mentioned a 3 year old cell phone and a 5 year old laptop