Dell 8500 manual Charging the Battery, Removing a Battery

Alow-battery warning occurs when the battery charge is approximately 90 percent depleted. The computer beeps once, indicating that minimal battery operating time remains. During that time, the speaker beeps periodically. If two batteries are installed, the low-battery warning means that the combined charge of both batteries is approximately 90 percent depleted. The computer enters hibernate mode when the battery charge is at a critically low level. For more information on low-battery alarms, see the Tell Me How help file. To access the help file, see page 104.

Charging the Battery

When you connect the computer to an electrical outlet or install a battery while the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, the computer checks the battery charge and temperature. If necessary, the AC adapter then charges the battery and maintains the battery charge.

If the battery is hot from being used in your computer or being in a hot environment, the battery may not charge when you connect the computer to an electrical outlet.

The battery is too hot to start charging if the light flashes alternately green and orange. Shut down the computer, disconnect the computer from the electrical outlet and allow the computer and the battery to cool to room temperature. Then connect the computer to an electrical outlet to continue charging the battery.

For more information on resolving problems with a battery, see page 51.

Removing a Battery

For more information about removing the second battery, see page 52.

CAUTION: Before performing these procedures, turn off the computer, disconnect it from the electrical outlet, and disconnect the modem from the telephone wall jack.

NOTICE: If you choose to replace the battery with the computer in standby mode, you have up to 90 seconds to complete the battery replacement before the computer shuts down and loses any unsaved data.

1Ensure that the computer is turned off, suspended in a power management mode, or connected to an electrical outlet.

NOTE: The AC adapter charges a completely discharged battery in approximately 1 hour with the computer turned off. Charge time is longer with the computer turned on. You can leave the battery in the computer as long as you like. The battery internal circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging.

Using Batteries and Module Bay Devices

47