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Battery (plug) stuck at Orange


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Battery (plug) stuck at Orange
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T-Man
The Hoarding Packrat™
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-06-28, 10:45

I woke up half an hour ago to find my battery charging with 4 minutes left. So, I thought maybe the power went out, but my external drive is still on. I thought maybe someone used it, but, I turned the screen off at night with F1 because there was too much light, and I don't think any of my Windows-relatives knows about those keys... I looked through console, seeing if I could find if my PowerBook were used. All I found was when I put my screensaver on at 2 AM.

The plug and SlimBatteryMonitor stay on their charging colors. My battery has 168 cycles, is at 90% capacity, and says to be 13 months old with Coconut battery. (Bought PowerBook in August 05)

So, two questions: why does my PowerBook stay on the charging light? and; what specific log files do I've to look for to tell me why/when my PowerBook started charging, or started using battery?

EDIT: The plug went green and the battery monitor says it's at 100%, It stays orange for a good amount of time... Well, still, those log files, please.
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Enki
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
 
2006-06-28, 10:56

The power switching is all done in hardware way below where a software logger would normally see it. The only condition I can think of that the OS might see and note is if you have certian powersaving choices like reduced CPU performance selected, but that is also a setting that is passed to the PMU so it is only a "slight" chance the OS will see it.

The plug tends to stay orange a lot longer for me if the PB is asleep when charging, but swaps to green within a couple seconds when woken up and at 99+% charge, then goes back to orange when sleeping until the trickle charge finally tops it out at 100%. The older the battery the longer the process takes when asleep.
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chucker
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: near Bremen, Germany
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2006-06-28, 11:01

Tried resetting the PMU?
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T-Man
The Hoarding Packrat™
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-06-28, 11:03

Hm; in Energy Saver I have Proc Performance at Automatic for Battery and Power Adaptor. Heck, I guess it could've even been my cat... I used Console and found nothing about power, but saw what happened. Mostly just Weatherbug after I turned screensaver on. What're the specific log files in Console for system-use (excluding power)?
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T-Man
The Hoarding Packrat™
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-06-28, 11:21

Quote:
Originally Posted by chucker
Tried resetting the PMU?
Oops, I skipped your post, chucker, sorry. (And to think I just looked at your blog's link in your sig in this thread...) No, I haven't, but I think I'll get the key combo, install the 10.4.7 update, and restart my PB.
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cmeyer42
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
 
2006-06-29, 23:06

I've had this problem for about 1.5 years now, and I've learned to ignore it! Hell, it's doing it now! 100% and orange w/the "bolt" symbol. I have tried to recal the battery, reset the PMU and do a voodoo chant with no favorable result. And AppleCare, right! "Battery is a Consumable"!! I've just chalked it up to another quirk that all computers have to some degree or another.
But if you find out anything that solves it, save getting a new battery, PLEASE post it!! Of cource, I've wondered if it also could be a flakey power adapter. Oh, well. Good luck!
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T-Man
The Hoarding Packrat™
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-06-29, 23:10

Well, good to know in a way I guess. Kinda annoying... but livable with. I will let all know if I figure out anything.

T
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T-Man
The Hoarding Packrat™
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-07-04, 16:10

Maybe something more than I'ad thought? 3% left, seventeen minutes to go... I know it "slow charges" when it gets so high, but this seems too slow, eh? (Right now it's at 98% with twelve minutes to go )
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PKIDelirium
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-07-04, 16:30

OT: what's up with the OS X theme there?
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chucker
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: near Bremen, Germany
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2006-07-04, 16:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Man
Maybe something more than I'ad thought? 3% left, seventeen minutes to go... I know it "slow charges" when it gets so high, but this seems too slow, eh? (Right now it's at 98% with twelve minutes to go )
Not unusual in my experience.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PKIDelirium
OT: what's up with the OS X theme there?
Not everyone has taste.
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Dorian Gray
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Paris, France
 
2006-07-04, 19:24

Quote:
Originally Posted by T-Man
3% left, seventeen minutes to go... I know it "slow charges" when it gets so high, but this seems too slow, eh?
By freak coincidence, my battery was at 97% and charging when I read this post. I laughed when I clicked to discover…wait for it…exactly "0:17 until full"!!! My battery is of comparable age to yours, so I think this is probably normal. It's certainly how lithium-ion batteries normally behave during charge (fast at first, then slower and slower until finally fully charged).

Lithium-ion batteries and their associated charging circuitry are complicated things. Learning all their idiosyncrasies is probably not worth the time. As long as the battery charges in a reasonable time and gives a reasonable life (for example, at least 75% of new life) then I wouldn't worry about it.
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T-Man
The Hoarding Packrat™
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
 
2006-07-04, 21:28

Ok then, I think I'll get at least two hours with WiFi on, I'ven't really tried.

@Theme: I've lost a little of my taste for the Aqua theme, , I am sorry to all I offend. It was just time for a little bit of my dark side.
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