10-07-2010, 02:23 PM

Wow that must be my big word for the day. So, I have an iBook G4 running 10.4.11 and last night I was working away on battery power, which I don't do very often, and I look at the battery monitor and it's showing 74% so I keep working away... and maybe 10 minutes later I get the "impending shutdown" message and my battery monitor shows I'm down to 1%. Wierd, I think (and probably am!), so I plug the computer into the power and it starts to charge but stops at 28%.
I've loooked around this site and others today to see if i can find some sort of answer but nothing has worked. I've reset the PMU and PRAM; I've tried using the computer on battery until it went down to 25% and plugged it back in- it charged continuously to 27%, and then intermittently to 28% which is wher it stays. I checked out coconutbattery which confirmed that the battery is at 28%, is not charging and is capable of reaching 94%.
I will be able to try a different power cord from my girlfriends iBook when she gets back to town in a couple of days, but I thought I'd try posting here in case someone has another idea. Its kind of wierd because the power supply does work so it's not a broken wire; the battery does work and re-charge but only so far. I guess the crux of it is the whole 1 minute at 74%, 10 minutes later at 1% thing has me a little worried that the end is nigh...

Anyone got any advice? Thanks in advance
Have a good day!

10-07-2010, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Coner

Wow that must be my big word for the day. So, I have an iBook G4 running 10.4.11 and last night I was working away on battery power, which I don't do very often, and I look at the battery monitor and it's showing 74% so I keep working away... and maybe 10 minutes later I get the "impending shutdown" message and my battery monitor shows I'm down to 1%. Wierd, I think (and probably am!), so I plug the computer into the power and it starts to charge but stops at 28%.

Yes that's a BIG word...and not often used!

Like you said..you don't work off battery power very often..thus you may not have a good idea of the condition of your battery (just a theory). This is an older Mac laptop...and if it's still running on it's original battery...it's most definitely worn out.

- Nick

10-07-2010, 03:08 PM

I am quite sure Nick is correct. The only other issue that I have seen with iBooks not charging is a blown DC-In board. I really suspect the battery though since it's charging up to a certain percentage. If the DC-In board was shot I don't believe it will charge at all.

10-07-2010, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by dtravis7

I am quite sure Nick is correct. The only other issue that I have seen with iBooks not charging is a blown DC-In board. I really suspect the battery though since it's charging up to a certain percentage. If the DC-In board was shot I don't believe it will charge at all.

The only other "wild card" is if the OP says they replaced the battery recently.

- Nick

10-07-2010, 03:26 PM

I don't see that. I have not slept. Bad night and just can't sleep but I did not and do not see that. Will re-read.

If that is the case and since the AC Adapter does work, the DC-In board is what usually is the issue.

All I see is coconut battery says it can charge to 94% which a new battery should show 100% I would think.

10-07-2010, 05:06 PM

I'm gonna go with what Nick said and say that the battery is pretty much dead. Plus, it doesn't appear that you took very good care of your battery. Sorry, but you don't wanna keep it plugged in all the time. I let my iBook run off of battery power at least once a week. Helps the battery last longer.

10-07-2010, 09:31 PM

Thanks for all the advice oh saged ones- so many Obi-wans... :-)
Pigoo- yup original battery, and coconutBattery (kind of neat, really) tells me this computer is 59 months old, which seems about right... so yeah, old and probably worn out, which would make sense when it just nosedived last night...

dtravis- my thoughts exactly- it wouldn't charge part-way, at least logically?! if it was the DC in board, but maybe...By the way, the green (charged) light is on mostly, but every once in a while it does go to orange or whatever that colour is, just for about 10 seconds and then back to green.

MacDude- thanks for your thoughts- it isn't charging or plugged in 100% of the time because I have it plugged in to my power bar which I turn off when I'm not using the computer, so i guess it is at least not charging, but not depleting either. Do you run the battery 100% out of juice once in a while? I know with some rechargeable type batteries you're supposed to, I never thought about that being the case with my computer.
Or when you run it off battery once a week, is it enough just to go down to 80% or whatever? Sorry to bug y'all, just curious...

Thanks in advance again

10-07-2010, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by Coner

Thanks for all the advice oh saged ones- so many Obi-wans... :-)


MacDude- thanks for your thoughts- it isn't charging or plugged in 100% of the time because I have it plugged in to my power bar which I turn off when I'm not using the computer, so i guess it is at least not charging, but not depleting either. Do you run the battery 100% out of juice once in a while? I know with some rechargeable type batteries you're supposed to, I never thought about that being the case with my computer.
Or when you run it off battery once a week, is it enough just to go down to 80% or whatever? Sorry to bug y'all, just curious...

Thanks in advance again

Well the battery remains full, so I don't know if turning the power off to the charger is making much of a difference. I typically try to let mine get down to about 20% then plug it back in (Although I forget most of the time and plug it back in when it tells me I'm on reserve ) Either way, still better for the battery than leaving it fully charged/on the charger all the time.

10-07-2010, 09:46 PM

Everyone has many theories on the best way to use a laptop battery.
Apple has their recommendation on monthly calibration.
I personally for one think that getting 59 months (almost 5yrs) out of a battery isn't bad, so however you have used it, you have done really well.
This blows everyone's theories on proper battery use out of the water really

I run mine on power almost all the time. I have it running on battery down to around 60-80% once in a blue moon and calibrate it once in a blue moon.

On my Macbook, the battery after 35months is at 95%, and still runs for around 5hrs of light use when I use it on battery, which as I say is very rare.
On my Macbook Pro I run it the same way, regardless of the opinions and theories out there as it has worked for me.
As long as the juice moves every now and then, the battery will be fine, just like a car, which if you run every week or so, it's fine.
At around $100 for a genuine Apple battery, for you it has been around $20 a year, 0.5 cents a day.

10-07-2010, 09:48 PM

Awesome! Thanks for your time and advice. I'll see if my local Mac guy has one tommorrow and if not order one up.

Take care!

10-07-2010, 09:50 PM

Yeah gotta like 0.5 cents a day- why is there not more stuff like that LOL!

10-07-2010, 09:51 PM

Quality Battery Options for Apple MacBook, MacBook Pro, Powerbook G3/G4, iBook G3/G4 from $69.00

10-07-2010, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Coner

Yeah gotta like 0.5 cents a day- why is there not more stuff like that LOL!

Oops, that should have been 5cents a day
Even then.... what can you get for 5cents a day?

10-07-2010, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Coner

Awesome! Thanks for your time and advice. I'll see if my local Mac guy has one tommorrow and if not order one up.

Take care!

Just some food for thought. You didn't mention what model iBook you have...but a replacement battery can cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $100-$129 (Apple battery)...this could be more than your iBook is worth.

I've purchased a 2 year-old Macbook for a little as $350...so $129+tax could be a nice chunk of money to a newer & much more powerful computer.

Just something to consider,

- Nick

10-07-2010, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by 6string

Even then.... what can you get for 5cents a day?

An aspirin for when life gives me a headache...not much else though!

- Nick