lilaundgelb

Q: iBook G4 Battery Problem

I got a new battery for my 12" iBook G4 a couple of years ago and it worked perfectly. Then, a couple of months ago, I turned off my computer when the battery was at 23% and when I turned it back on, the battery refused to charge above 23%. I've left the computer plugged in (but turned off) and the battery didn't charge. This week, I tried leaving the computer plugged in and turned on for 10 days, and the battery charge indicator has slowly crept up to 28%. When I have the AC adapter plugged in, the ring is always green and the message in the battery indicator reads "Battery is not charging."

 

I tried resetting the PMU but that didn't help.

 

Does anybody have suggestions for what might be wrong?

 

Here is my system power settings information:

 

Battery Information:

 

  Charge Information:

  Charge remaining (mAh):    1055

  Charging:    No

  Full charge capacity (mAh):    3805

  Health Information:

  Cycle count:    93

  Condition:    Good

  Battery Installed:    Yes

  Amperage (mA):    0

  Voltage (mV):    11630

 

System Power Settings:

 

  AC Power:

  System Sleep Timer (Minutes):    60

  Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):    10

  Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):    15

  Dynamic Power Step:    Yes

  Reduce Processor Speed:    No

  Automatic Restart On Power Loss:    No

  Wake On AC Change:    No

  Wake On Clamshell Open:    Yes

  Wake On LAN:    Yes

  Wake On Modem Ring:    Yes

  Display Sleep Uses Dim:    Yes

  Battery Power:

  System Sleep Timer (Minutes):    5

  Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):    10

  Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):    1

  Dynamic Power Step:    No

  Reduce Processor Speed:    Yes

  Automatic Restart On Power Loss:    No

  Wake On AC Change:    No

  Wake On Clamshell Open:    Yes

  Wake On Modem Ring:    No

  Display Sleep Uses Dim:    Yes

  Reduce Brightness:    Yes

 

Hardware Configuration:

 

  Clamshell Closed:    No

  UPS Installed:    No

 

AC Charger Information:

 

  AC Charger (Watts):    50

  Connected:    Yes

  Charging:    No

iBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on May 27, 2012 10:26 PM

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Q: iBook G4 Battery Problem

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Ronda Wilson,

    Ronda Wilson Ronda Wilson May 28, 2012 12:25 AM in response to lilaundgelb
    Level 8 (41,572 points)
    May 28, 2012 12:25 AM in response to lilaundgelb

    Hi, and welcome to Apple Support Communities.

     

    Have you tried resetting the PMU?

     

    The PMU (Power Management Unit) controls the charging function, so resetting it may help.

  • by lilaundgelb,

    lilaundgelb lilaundgelb May 28, 2012 6:08 AM in response to Ronda Wilson
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 28, 2012 6:08 AM in response to Ronda Wilson

    I did try resetting the PMU.

  • by Ronda Wilson,

    Ronda Wilson Ronda Wilson May 28, 2012 11:09 AM in response to lilaundgelb
    Level 8 (41,572 points)
    May 28, 2012 11:09 AM in response to lilaundgelb

    I would suspect that the battery has one or more bad cells.

     

    When Apple was selling them, they were only guaranteed for a year.

     

    The recommendation is to calibrate the battery at least once a month. If you didn't do that or the battery was subjected to heat (such as being left in a hot car) or left either completely charged for a long period or completely depleted for a long period, those things take a toll on the battery.

     

    But some just naturally wear out sooner than later. The typical lifespan of an iBook battery is three years, whether it is used or not. Some last longer; some don't last that long.

     

    If you could confirm by swapping batteries with someone else who has an iBook, that would be the best way to tell for sure if it is the battery at fault, but it does sound like it.