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Using a Battery 49
Charge Gauge
By either pressing once or pressing and holding the status button on the
charge gauge on the battery, you can check:
• Battery charge (check by pressing and
releasing
the status button)
• Battery health (check by pressing and
holding
the status button)
The battery operating time is largely determined by the number of times it is
charged. After hundreds of charge and discharge cycles, batteries lose some
charge capacity—or battery health. That is, a battery can show a status of
"charged" but maintain a reduced charge capacity (health).
Check the Battery Charge
To check the battery charge, press and release the status button on the battery
charge gauge to illuminate the charge-level lights. Each light represents
approximately 20 percent of the total battery charge. For example, if the
battery has 80 percent of its charge remaining, four of the lights are on. If no
lights appear, the battery has no charge.
Check the Battery Health
NOTE: You can check battery health in one of two ways: by using the charge gauge
on the battery as described below and by using the Battery Meter in Dell QuickSet.
For information about QuickSet, right-click the icon in the taskbar, and click Help.
To check the battery health using the charge gauge, press and hold the status
button on the battery charge gauge for at least 3 seconds. If no lights appear,
the battery is in good condition, and more than 80 percent of its original
charge capacity remains. Each light represents incremental degradation. If
five lights appear, less than 60 percent of the charge capacity remains, and you
should consider replacing the battery.
Low-Battery Warning
NOTICE: To avoid losing or corrupting data, save your work immediately after a
low-battery warning. Then connect the computer to an electrical outlet. If the
battery runs completely out of power, hibernate mode begins automatically.
A pop-up window warns you when the battery charge is approximately 90 percent
depleted. The computer enters hibernate mode when the battery charge is at
a critically low level.
book.book Page 49 Monday, April 14, 2008 4:23 PM