iBook Clamshell battery issue

Question

Level 1

8 points

iBook Clamshell battery issue

Hello, I have a Tangerine iBook G3 clamshell running panther. It's been sitting for a few years and just the other day I wanted to play around with it. To my surprise, the battery was not charging. I removed it, put it back in, tried resetting the PMU and it just won't seem to run off the battery. After I did the reset, it appeared to be charging so I removed the power cord and it immediately shut down. Thing is, I replaced the battery about 3 years ago with a rare brand new Apple battery. At the time, it lasted as a brand new battery for this computer should (6 hours I believe?) I also hardly used the iBook since I replaced the battery. I still have the original battery the iBook came with and from what I remember 3 years ago it lasted about 5 mins of charge. I tried putting that in, and same thing. Is it possible that the battery lost it's capacity without using it? Or could it be something else going on? I'd hate to invest in a new battery for this to try it out if this one still works. Thank you in advance.

iBook, Mac OS X (10.3.x)

Posted on Mar 11, 2015 10:42 PM

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Answer 1

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,660 points

Mar 11, 2015 11:50 PM in response to Don330

If the replacement battery was original then it could be up to 15 years old. Batteries do not last forever, leaving them to slowly discharge over a period of years will not help them. They need to be charged & discharged often. Bear in mind the battery may have been sitting on a shelf somewhere for several years before being sold to you as 'original and new'.

I have seen recommendations to store devices with around 40% charge if they are to be left unattended. I just can't recall where I read that, sorry.

Apple have this info for newer models…

https://www.apple.com/batteries/

I'm not sure how much applied to the older models, you will need to check if they are Li-ion cells etc. Then search for more appropriate advice.

Don't forget there may be a built in PRAM battery too, that needs power to recharge every so often.

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Answer 2

dalstott

Level 4

2,639 points

Mar 12, 2015 12:11 PM in response to Don330

iBooks G3 & G4 don't have PRAM batteries. They use a small capacitor which only provides around 20seconds of power which is considered sufficient to allow batteries to be switched without loosing settings. The battery needs to be charged to get the capacitor charged. New batteries are hard to find and some reliable suppliers like NewerTech have discontinued them.

You could google ibook g3 clamshell battery if you decide to find one.

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Answer 3

K Shaffer

Level 8

35,002 points

Mar 12, 2015 2:53 PM in response to Don330

The earlier portable Apple computer batteries had a shelf-life, even if not put into use.

So low cycles (charge/recharge/discharge) are known among low-hour use dead cells.

You may be able to find a product that has been re-celled or rebuilt with new batteries

inside an original battery case; or a clone of the original battery. These are generally

glued shut or sealed, so as to discourage end-user involvement or attempted repair.

While it may be possible for a qualified electronic repair shop to rebuild the battery kit

(take apart & replace cells within the original case) the results may or may not be OK.

Some of those found online may have been rebuilt. Original old-stock can die in their

original wrapper, never used. To get a recent replacement with up to a year guarantee

is the best, and may still be available as a clone. Hopefully from a reputable source.

Even if the materials and workmanship of batteries so restored may be top-shelf, the

end result may not be of correct milli-amp-hour power specs. If you go the route and

get a qualified battery shop to rebuild the original battery, be sure you supply them with

the correct product specs for the battery so it can be used & recharged in the iBook G3.

(That may require some research into original specs from Apple or other source online.)

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂

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Answer 4

PeteB

Level 1

94 points

Mar 19, 2015 10:46 AM in response to Don330

When you say it seemed to be charging do you mean you left it on until it said 100%? If not, try resetting the p-ram and charge it again, and again. After three years it may take a few attempts to get it to begin to charge. Even when it does, it will not hold the charge for long but maybe enough to keep the time set etc.

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