Dell Alienware M17x (Mid 2009) - Manual (Page 18)

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CHAPTER 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NOTEBOOK
Battery Maintenance
To maintain the battery pack’s maximum capacity, you should occasionally let the
notebook deplete its battery power completely before recharging.
To carry out a complete depletion of the battery, disconnect the AC adapter and let
your notebook consume the remaining battery power. To speed up the depletion,
use the hard drive as much as possible and set the LCD as bright as possible. When
the battery is depleted or fully discharged, wait for the notebook to cool down
(especially the battery). The temperature should be within 15°-25°C (59°-77°F).
Then connect the AC adapter to recharge the battery.
Questions and Answers
Q: I can feel a mild heat next to the battery pack. Is this normal?
A: The battery will generate heat during recharging and discharging. There is a
protection circuit inside the notebook to prevent overheating. You do not need to
worry.
Q: My battery operation time is not as long as it should be. Why?
A: The battery is heat sensitive and can only be charged to its maximum if the
battery and its environmental temperature remain within 15°-25°C (59°-77°F). The
more the temperature deviates from this range during recharging, the less chance
there is for the battery to be fully charged. In order to recharge the pack to its full
capacity, users are requested to cool down the unit by unplugging the AC adapter.
Wait until it is cooled down. Then plug in the AC adapter to start recharging again.
Q: I did not use my spare battery for a few days. Even though it was fully
recharged, there wasn’t as much power left as a newly charged one. Why?
A: The batteries will self-discharge (1% per day for Li-ion) when they are not being
recharged. To make sure a battery pack is fully charged, recharge before use.
Always keep the battery inside the notebook and have the AC adapter connected
whenever possible.
Q: I did not use my spare battery for months. I am having a problem
recharging it.
A: If you happen to leave your battery pack to go through an extended period of self-
discharge, say more than three months, the battery voltage level will become too
low and needs to be Pre-Charged (to bring the battery voltage level high enough)
before it automatically (for Li-ion only) resumes its normal Fast Charge. Pre-Charge
may take 30 minutes. Fast Charge usually takes 2-3 hours.