Sager Battery Not Charging

[dragearen]

Hello there,

I just recently ordered a Sager NP7338 laptop from Xotic. The first battery I received with the laptop was defective, and would not hold a charge or run the computer at all. After troubleshooting that, I sent it in for a replacement. The replacement came with a 45% charge on it, and would both run and boot the computer. However, it did not charge. To test it, I ran the battery all the way down, and then plugged it in overnight with the computer off. The next morning, I booted up the computer, and it showed 2% battery. Software(Battery Eater Pro) shows that I do have an incoming voltage (~11V), but the current capacity will only go down, never up.

Now, I am in a special situation in that I will be leaving the country on Monday and will not be back for quite some time. Is there anything that I can do myself to further troubleshoot or (fingers crossed) actually solve this issue? If I can avoid sending my computer in for repairs, that would be the best, as I would rather avoid having to pay duties on a laptop I already own.

Thanks!

Edit: I should add that it shows as plugged in and charging, it just never actually charges. The computer runs fine off of the adapter.

 

[volcanoscout]

I think the problem is your adapter - your incoming voltage should be 19.5V at 6.15A. If it's below that, it may be enough to run the laptop plugged in, but will charge the battery very slowly (depending on the amps), or if it's too low it will not charge the battery at all. Best bet with your timeline is to buy a replacement adapter that's 19.5V/6.15A (120W) or as close to that as you can get. +/- 5% is okay, but if it's more than 5% make sure its on the lower side - more than 5% over rating may damage your system.

Something like this will work:

http://www.amazon.com/Adapter-Laptop-Charger-N550jv-Adp-120zb/dp/B00488M4TU/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1408112055&sr=1-1&keywords=120w+laptop+charger

Edit: You can contact Sager or your 3rd party retailer and arrange to have a replacement sent to a friend or family member to hold until you get back or they come visit you. Then you'll have a back-up adapter.

 

[dragearen]

I think the problem is your adapter - your incoming voltage should be 19.5V at 6.15A. If it's below that, it may be enough to run the laptop plugged in, but will charge the battery very slowly (depending on the amps), or if it's too low it will not charge the battery at all. Best bet with your timeline is to buy a replacement adapter that's 19.5V/6.15A (120W) or as close to that as you can get. +/- 5% is okay, but if it's more than 5% make sure its on the lower side - more than 5% over rating may damage your system.

Edit: You can contact Sager or your 3rd party retailer and arrange to have a replacement sent to a friend or family member to hold until you get back or they come visit you. Then you'll have a back-up adapter.

That is what my adapter lists on the back, though BE does not record that voltage coming in. Do you know of any other software I could use to double check my incoming voltage?

Unfortunately, that is not an option. =/ Thanks anyway for the idea.

 

[volcanoscout]

I think the problem is your adapter - your incoming voltage should be 19.5V at 6.15A. If it's below that, it may be enough to run the laptop plugged in, but will charge the battery very slowly (depending on the amps), or if it's too low it will not charge the battery at all. Best bet with your timeline is to buy a replacement adapter that's 19.5V/6.15A (120W) or as close to that as you can get. +/- 5% is okay, but if it's more than 5% make sure its on the lower side - more than 5% over rating may damage your system.

Edit: You can contact Sager or your 3rd party retailer and arrange to have a replacement sent to a friend or family member to hold until you get back or they come visit you. Then you'll have a back-up adapter.

That is what my adapter lists on the back, though BE does not record that voltage coming in. Do you know of any other software I could use to double check my incoming voltage?

Unfortunately, that is not an option. =/ Thanks anyway for the idea.

You can try the program linked below, but your current reading matches the observed behaviour - with the stock adapter, you should be getting 110-120V from the wall and ~19.5V at the laptop. If you're showing 11V anywhere, your laptop isn't getting the juice it needs from the adapter. Not sure why it's not an option - you can find comparable adapters at Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. - lots of local places. Just have to look.

http://www.passmark.com/products/batmon.htm

 

[dragearen]

You can try the program linked below, but your current reading matches the observed behaviour - with the stock adapter, you should be getting 110-120V from the wall and ~19.5V at the laptop. If you're showing 11V anywhere, your laptop isn't getting the juice it needs from the adapter. Not sure why it's not an option - you can find comparable adapters at Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc. - lots of local places. Just have to look.

http://www.passmark.com/products/batmon.htm

Sorry, I should have clarified. It's not an option to send it to someone in the US - it's pretty much a now or very expensive later situation.

I just tested it with the Passmark software, and received a reading of 10.7V. So, either the adapter is bad, as you say, or some connection with the battery isn't conducting properly. The adapter is probably more likely. I'll try picking up a replacement. Does it have to be 120W, or is the 19.5V 6.15A more important?

Also, this may be a question for someone else, but does anyone know if I will have to pay VAT on a computer being shipped to the EU from the US, if it is one that I own and is being serviced under the warranty?

 

[volcanoscout]

The wattage is a function of amps x volts (W=A x V), so 19.5V x 6.15A = 119.925 watts, rounded up to 120W. I have a travel charger (iGO) that outputs 19.5V/4.6A for a total of 90W. That's enough to run the NP7338 when plugged in or charge it when it's turned off, but not both. Because of the lower amperage, it will charge the battery slower than a 6.15A adapter. There's also a performance drop during gaming because the CPU and GPU have to run with less power when plugged in with a 90W adapter.

Most adapters that you'll find in the 90W-120W range will work, with those at the upper end working better. Check the amps and volts and don't get anything with an amp output of more than 6.4A OR a voltage output more than about 20V. You'll also need to make sure that the plug itself will fit the laptop, but most adapters that are not OEM (Dell, Toshiba, Sony, etc) are a standard size.

 

[volcanoscout]

"My goods were sent outside the EU to be repaired. Do I have to pay import duty and VAT when they are returned to me?

No duty and VAT will be payable if the goods have been repaired free of charge and you can provide a copy of the guarantee/warranty agreement to your shipping provider for presentation to customs.

If you have to pay for the repair, duty and VAT will be charged on the repair costs only.
If the goods have been replaced free of charge under guarantee or warranty, no duty is payable. However, VAT is payable on the full value of the goods because all replacement items are treated as new goods for VAT purposes."

From this site: http://www.dutycalculator.com/help_center/my-goods-were-sent-outside-the-eu-to-be-repaired-do-i-have-to-pay-import-duty-and-vat-when-they-are-returned-to-me/

 

[dragearen]

I finally got access to a voltmeter, and tested the power supply. It showed as 19.9V (though it wasn't a very high quality meter, so that's probably not that accurate). Looks like the power supply is fine. I must have fried the charging circuit or something by keeping the defective battery in the computer, so I'll send it in for repairs on Monday and just pay the shipping to the EU. Thank you for all the help.

 

[volcanoscout]

Sorry we couldn't come up with a simple fix. I doubt it was anything you did - there was probably a short in it when you got it. Hopefully the shipping isn't too painful. Have fun in Europe