First I need to say that this may be a little confusing text of some parts, because I had to combine different things I recalled, while writing this. Also English is not my primary language, so there are at least some errors.
I have a difficult problem with my branded Pegatron laptop. It is originally sold to school environment. I am a second owner.
So, battery indicator light blinks, with battery inserted, when machine is powered on, both with battery power and AC power. Only when machine in completely off, it will not blink at all with battery only connected, but if AC cord is also connected, it will blink. It is not driver related problem at all. Forget that. Problems begin way before BIOS/EFI/UEFI. Whatever this has.
Laptop accepts to use the battery, battery can start it alone, and it will switch to AC power, when AC is connected, but will not charge. When I unplug the cord, laptop stays on. Battery starts to deplete. I have tried that commonly suggested 30 seconds power-push-reset trick also, with and without battery, no help. This system has 9-pin configuration battery.
When I connect the AC back in, battery does not charge, but does not deplete either. It has depleted now from 14.8V to 14.2V, so it won't need charge yet, and I don't want to use it too empty, until this solves. However when I cannot charge the battery, it will also report no information of its charge status or other info either.
Some observations:
- First original battery was already died when I bought the machine second hand.
(this reported unknown status, and 0% charge/remaining, it was correct info) - Second one was brand new after-market one, with blinking battery light and no charging. (had died in sellers shelf, it had no power at all to test).
- Third one is an after-market too, different place again, fresh condition, and it works and powers laptop, but blinks and cannot charge. It also reports unknown status, and 0% charge/remaining, but in reality it has now about 50% charge left.
- ONLY the original battery was not blinking that indicator light. It lit constant. But it also was not charging, it was too dead, heavy use, in that previous 8 years.
- Third last pin in a mainboard battery connector is considerably shorter, in both boards. Looks like it may not catch contact at all. Or is this normal, one shorter?
I have replaced the whole motherboard, for below reasons: Original BIOS had admin pass in EEPROM encrypted, RJ-45 port was broken and left side USB-port did not work. Found cheap replacement (new spare in old shelf) in a very good condition, same model, so why not. But that light still blinks, with old and the new motherboard.
I was hoping that new board will also solve that charging problem. I cannot order directly anything from the manufacturer, because these machines are not made any more, not in last 5-8 years. Also BIOS has no more updates available. But that is OK. Looks like some sort of hardware defect anyway.
Still, the replacement motherboard did not include one PCB in a corner, that is the charging PCB of some sort. It is still original. Triangle shaped. Have not found that spare part anywhere. It is not included with spare mainboards, nor any spare site I have checked. There is a short cable to it, from mainboard. Can this little piece be the reason for laptop not charging? Will it also be the reason that battery will not be detected at all? Battery only has the ability to keep the laptop running, and nothing more, only able to discharge itself in use.
What this may indicate?
- Is there a battery specific hardcoded PCB-board inside the battery, that should match for the mainboard, while checking something?
- Could the check be the machine serial related or just for the same mainboard?
- Could this be fixed, if I open the aftermarket battery and replace that little battery circuit board with the original part, from inside of the original battery? -I suppose, that even the machine is 5-8 years old, it should accept any new battery, that is said to be compatible, without BIOS update needed?
- Have we reached the situation that now the laptop batteries are made so difficult on purpose, that even if they will physically fit, it may not be enough? May those wake-up pins and data/clock pins be differently arranged, in an after-market battery?
I have a multimeter, and can use it, but no idea what to measure exactly. Could I measure the pins in the laptop battery connector, without battery, while AC power/machine is on?
But that would be useless if battery has some sort of wake-up pins. Or should the pins in a laptop battery connector supply power all the time?
If there are wake-up pins, what they will wake up, if the battery is already supplying power to the laptop? Wake up for remaining capacity/charging ability? First two pins in any battery are positive, and last two are negative. I have checked them long ago.
I bough other laptop battery three years ago, for ACER laptop. It was also aftermarket unbranded version, and worked instantly. It still does. I cannot understand why this is so difficult now with this laptop.
Sorry for the long text, but this looks like a very difficult problem. Third battery going. First one came with the laptop, second was junk and luckily refunded, now this third is otherwise OK, but laptop still rejects to "see" it.
I like this laptop, it is otherwise working fast, nice and fine for my needs. So very few reasons to abandon it.
