Is it possible to reuse an old battery?

[dragos240]

An old laptop battery that is. It's a L18650-9TPI battery for the thinkpad i-series. The laptop itself is pretty cool, I got DSL installed on it. The ethernet port works. The only problem is, the battery will not hold a charge. Not for one second. Is there a way to make it usable again?

[Tipped OuT]

No.

[The Jinx]

unless you plan to take apart the batter and physically changed the battery cells, usually once a battery dies its dead

[dragos240]

unless you plan to take apart the batter and physically changed the battery cells, usually once a battery dies its dead

I wouldn't mind. I cant find my model battery anywhere!

[MasterNetra]

unless you plan to take apart the batter and physically changed the battery cells, usually once a battery dies its dead

Yea you have to change the cells or rather the fluid they use to store a charge. Dangerous stuff though, better off buying a new one.

[dragos240]

Yea you have to change the cells or rather the fluid they use to store a charge. Dangerous stuff though, better off buying a new one.

Any tutorials?

[MasterNetra]

Any tutorials?

Not that I know of, of course once you open up the battery you might not be able to close it anyway. lol better off buying a new labtop. Might be cheaper too, those emergency room visits could add up. Could just snag that cheap labtop from system76. It got more power then my overpriced Dell Latitude D530.

[The Funkbomb]

With all the stories of batteries catching fire and whatnot, I wouldn't attempt it.

I just googled "L18650-9TPI" and the first result was for a battery. They're expensive though.

[Tipped OuT]

Any tutorials?

Are you serious? This is not even recommended and if you don't know what you're doing you can get seriously injured or even die.

[alphaniner]

Any tutorials?

I'm a huge proponent of DIY, but I gotta ask...

Whatwhatwhaaaaaaaaaaat?

[MasterNetra]

Are you serious? This is not even recommended and if you don't know what you're doing you can get seriously injured or even die.

+1

The batteries are machine manufactured its unlikely you would be able to get it working properly and safely.

[dragos240]

Are you serious? This is not even recommended and if you don't know what you're doing you can get seriously injured or even die.

Adult supervision may help!

[handy]

Seeing as it is stuffed anyway, put it in strong plastic bag, & leave it in the freezer for about 6 hours or so.

Then see if it will recharge?

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes the battery splits.

You have nothing to loose imho.

[dragos240]

Seeing as it is stuffed anyway, put it in strong plastic bag, & leave it in the freezer for about 6 hours or so.

Then see if it will recharge?

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes the battery splits.

You have nothing to loose imho.

I'll try it.

[jflaker]

have you tried batteries.com?

[handy]

I'll try it.

Please let us know how it goes?

[afeasfaerw23231233]

Have a look at the seventh post of this link:
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/579009962631/m/527009557831

It is quite easy actually. I did the same thing for two old notebooks. But you have to do it fast and not to let the cell overheat or it will blow of your fingers. If you have some experience of soldering work I don't think it is a problem.

I think the most difficult part is breaking the outer case of the battery pack brutally.

[handy]

I didn't read the above post, but what I expect it is talking about (even if I'm wrong the following is valid) is the replacement of the dead batteries in the notebook battery pack.

The problem with doing it this way, is that you have to be an exceptionally good (almost impossibly good) technician.

To be able to solder the contacts onto the batteries without damaging the battery with the heat that is required to do the soldering.

Good luck. :)

[afeasfaerw23231233]

I didn't read the above post, but what I expect it is talking about (even if I'm wrong the following is valid) is the replacement of the dead batteries in the notebook battery pack.

The problem with doing it this way, is that you have to be an exceptionally good (almost impossibly good) technician.

To be able to solder the contacts onto the batteries without damaging the battery with the heat that is required to do the soldering.

Good luck. :)

No, it is just a very simple job!! You never need to be an "exceptionally good" technician to do this! The only thing you have to take caution is not to let the battery overheat. But if you have never done any soldering work I won't recommend it.

I never consider I have a lot of experience in that field. I am just an amateur but I did replace burst capacitors and burnt MOSFET on motherboards, computer power supplies and common switched-mode power bricks. 18650 lithium-cell is such a "big" guy while compared with electronic components. If you have ever soldered any tiny SMD on a PCB with a common 40-watt solder iron you must know what I am talking about.

Last week I had just DIY a 30-LED lamp and an adapter for it by following a guide in the internet. Replacing cells of a battery pack is so easy when compared with it. ;)

So I think any body who have ever soldered anything should be capable to replace the dead battery cells with new one by his/herself.

[handy]

More good luck to you. :)

Though I won't do as you say, & I was a reasonable technician.

Luck definitely helps...

[afeasfaerw23231233]

Everything has a risk. Just be careful and that's enough. Capacitors would explode too, but not as the scale of lithium battery explosion. If we are too afraid of taking risk then we have to ask technician whenever there is failure of home appliances. And there will be no DIY at all.

Last month I repaired the circuit breaker. If I called a technician I had to pay $80 (the cost of the new circuit breaker not included). DIY saves not only money but also the environment.

[schauerlich]

Keep some baking soda on hand in case you spill battery acid all over the place.

[gn2]

~ I cant find my model battery anywhere!

Try here (http://www.fedcobattery.com/b.cfm/ibm/thinkpad-1440i-1441i-1442i/Lithium-Ion-Battery-Packs_L18650-9TPI.htm) or here (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=L18650-9TPI&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB284GB284).

[amingv]

Funny, but ilustrative:

http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/bag_check.png

Working with batteries can be dangerous, I do electricity/electronics as a hobby, but I know there are some areas where a professional is needed (at least until I get my degree).
Even if you managed to open it and install new cells (correcly setting them in paralell/series, depending on the voltage/current you want to achieve), there's no obvious telling how they'd behave with your laptop's charger/charging process. They can leak afterwards, and even if they didn't do it on top of you it can cause permanent damage to other laptop components.

If the computer is worth the effort, I'd recommend getting a new battery pack. If it's not, then I guess you could plug it to the wall and sacrifice mobility.

Either way, think carefully before you do anything.

[nowin4me]

Here's a video on how to do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtqRvAu71Gw

Just please be careful.

[afeasfaerw23231233]

Sorry that I omitted the point that the OP's laptop is an IBM thinkpad. The protection circuit of IBM battery pack would lock the battery (no discharge/charge) for safety if it detects there is no voltage present. You have to parallel the circuit with a regulated power supply before you desolder the cells from the circuit.

If the protection circuit has locked the battery then it will be difficult to rewrite it unless you have a EEPROM reader, or buy a compatible circuit.

As far as I know only the battery packs from IBM notebooks have this feature. Other brands don't lock the battery up and you can simply desolder the old cells and replace them with the new one.