Replacement Laptop Batteries and Laptop AC Adapters for Acer, Dell, HP, IBM, Sony, Toshiba, etc...

Laptop Battery care and use instructions

1. Your new Laptop Battery comes in a discharged condition and must be charged before use (refer to your computer manual for charging instructions). Upon initial use (or after a prolonged storage period) the battery may require two to three charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity.

2. When charging Laptop Battery for the first time your computer may indicate that charging is complete after just 10 or 15 minutes. This is a normal phenomenon with rechargeable batteries. Simply remove the battery from the computer and repeat the charging procedure.

3. It is important to condition (fully discharge and then fully charge) Laptop Battery every two to three weeks. Failure to do so may significantly shorten the battery's life (this does not apply to Li-ion batteries, which do not require conditioning). To discharge, simply run your device under the battery's power until it shuts down or until you get a low battery warning. Then recharge the battery as instructed in your user's manual.

4. If Laptop Battery will not be in use for a month or longer, it is recommended that it be removed from the device and stored in a cool, dry, clean place.

5. It is normal for Laptop Battery to become warm during charging and discharging.

6. A charged Laptop Battery will eventually lose its charge if unused. It may therefore be necessary to recharge the battery after a storage period.

How can I maximize battery performance?

There are several steps you can take to insure that you get maximum performance from your Laptop Battery:

1. Breaking In New Batteries - new batteries come in a discharged condition and must be fully charged before use. It is recommended that you fully charge and discharge your new battery two to four times to allow it to reach its maximum rated capacity.

2. Preventing the Memory Effect - Keep your battery healthy by fully charging and then fully discharging it at least once every two to three weeks. Exceptions to the rule are Li-ion batteries which do not suffer from the memory effect.

3. Keep Your Batteries Clean - It's a good idea to clean dirty battery contacts with a cotton swab and alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and your portable device.

4. Exercise Your Battery - Do not leave your battery dormant for long periods of time. We recommend using the battery at least once every two to three weeks. If a battery has not been used for a long period of time, perform the new battery break in procedure described above.

5. Battery Storage - If you don't plan on using the battery for a month or more, we recommend storing it in a clean, dry, cool place away from heat and metal objects. Ni-Cd, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries will self-discharge during storage; remember to break them in before use.

Can I upgrade my Laptop Battery from NiMH to Li-Ion?

NiCad, NiMH and Li-Ion Dell laptop batteries are all fundamentally different from one another and cannot be substituted unless the laptop has been pre-configured from the manufacturer to accept more than one type of battery chemistry. Please refer to your manual to find out which rechargeable battery types the laptop device supports or use our Dell Battery Finder above to find all the compatible laptop batteries for your device. It will automatically list all of the battery chemistries supported by your specific device. If your device does allow you to upgrade the battery from NiMH to Li-Ion, you will typically get longer run times.

For example, if your laptop uses a NI-MH battery that is 9.6 Volts, 4000mAh and the new li-ion laptop battery is 14.4 Volt, 3600mAh, then you will obtain longer run time with the li-ion battery.

Example.
Li-Ion: 14.4 Volts x 3.6 Amperes = 51.84 Watt Hours
Ni-MH: 9.6 Volts x 4 Amperes = 38.4 Watt Hours
The Li-Ion is stronger and has longer run time.