Manuals

Back to Contents Page

AC Adapter and Battery: Dell™ Latitude™ C600/C500 User's Guide

	About the AC Adapter		First Low-Battery Warning
	Connecting the AC Adapter		Second Low-Battery Warning
	About the Batteries		Charging the Battery
	Removing a Battery		Detecting Battery Problems
	Installing a Battery		Battery Disposal
	Checking the Battery Charge

About the AC Adapter

The AC adapter kit includes two cables: the AC adapter cable and an AC power cable.

You can connect the AC adapter with your computer either turned on or off.

The AC adapter works with electrical outlets worldwide. However, power connectors vary among countries. Before you use AC power in a foreign country, you may need to obtain a new power cable designed for use in that country.

If the computer is docked to a Dell C/Port Family Advanced Port Replicators (APR) or C/Dock Family Expansion Stations, you can run the computer on AC power by connecting the AC adapter to the C/Port APR or C/Dock Expansion Station.

NOTE: If you are running your computer on AC power with a battery installed, the AC adapter charges the battery (if needed) and then maintains the battery's charge.

NOTICE: To avoid overheating the AC adapter when powering the computer or charging the battery, use the AC adapter in a ventilated area, such as on a desktop or on the floor. Do not use the AC adapter in a poorly ventilated environment, such as inside a carrying case.

---

Connecting the AC Adapter

1 AC adapter cable 2 AC adapter power cable 3 AC adapter

About the Batteries  

A lithium ion battery in the battery bay is standard with the computer, and provides power when an electrical outlet is not available. To double battery life, install a second battery in the modular bay.

CAUTION: Do not puncture, disassemble, or incinerate the computer's battery. The battery may present a fire or chemical burn hazard if mistreated. Do not expose the battery to temperatures above 60° Celsius (C) (140°  Fahrenheit [F]). Keep the battery away from children. Handle damaged or leaking batteries with extreme care. If the battery is damaged, electrolyte may leak from the cells and cause personal injury.

Lithium ion batteries are longer lived than conventional batteries and do not require replacement as often. There is no battery memory effect with a lithium ion battery—you can charge the battery whenever you like without fear of reducing its charge capacity, and you do not need to drain a lithium ion battery completely before recharging it.

Lithium ion batteries should not be disposed of with common household waste products. For battery disposal information, contact local authorities for the location of a chemical waste collection program nearest you.

Keep the following information in mind when you are running your computer from the battery:

• With a single fully charged, 8-cell lithium-ion battery, you can expect about 3 hours of battery life; with two fully charged lithium-ion batteries, 6 hours of battery life. Actual performance varies, depending on which power management features are enabled and which application programs are being used. 
  
  
• When two batteries are installed, the computer draws power from the battery with the higher capacity until both batteries are at the same charge level. Then it draws power from both.  The AC adapter first charges the battery in the battery bay.
   
• The integrated charge gauge lets you check a battery’s charge before you insert it into the computer.
   
• The battery’s self-test capability alerts you to battery conditions such as low charge.
   
• The battery has a life span of around 400 discharge/charge cycles, provided it is charged at normal room temperature.

Battery Usage

The battery is partially charged when you receive it. Dell recommends that you charge your battery to full capacity before using it to power the computer. For information on conserving battery power, see "Power Management Modes."

When you activate suspend mode (known as standby in the Microsoft® Windows® 98 and Windows 2000 operating systems), the computer can run on a fully-charged battery  for approximately one week.

If you are going to store the computer, disconnect all peripheral devices and turn off the computer. Remove the battery when you store your computer for an extended period of time. A battery will drain when not in use during prolonged storage. After a long storage period, recharge the battery fully before you attempt to run your computer from the battery.

Removing a Battery

CAUTION: Using the wrong battery type may present a risk of fire or explosion. Replace the battery only with the same or equivalent type purchased from Dell. You can use your computer's battery in any Latitude C-Family computer except for the Latitude CS or CSx computers. Do not attempt to use the battery in CS or CSx computers, and do not use a battery from those computers in your computer.

NOTICE: To avoid data loss, do not replace a battery while the computer is turned on unless the computer is connected to an electrical outlet or a second battery is installed. 

NOTICE: Only use lithium ion batteries in your computer. The computer does not support nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. If you install a NiMH battery, the battery status lights blink alternately green and amber.

NOTICE: If you choose to replace the battery with the computer in standby mode, you have up to 4 minutes to complete the battery replacement. After 4 minutes, the computer shuts down and you will lose any unsaved data.

1. Ensure that the computer is turned off, suspended in a power management mode, or connected to an electrical outlet.
   
   
2. If the computer is docked, undock it.
   
   
3. Close the display and turn the computer over.
   
   
4. Slide and hold the battery bay (or module bay) latch release on the bottom of the computer, and then remove the battery from the bay.

1 Battery 2 Battery bay latch

Installing a Battery

Slide the battery into the bay until the latch release clicks.

Checking the Battery Charge

To check the charge level, press the battery test button that is next to the lights (see Figure 2). The number of lights that appear shows an estimate of the remaining battery charge (see Table 1).

Figure 2. Battery Charge Gauge and Test Button

Table 1. Percentage of Charge

The battery charge gauge consists of five lights. Each light represents 20 percent of full charge. If only one light appears, recharge the battery before using it. 

NOTE: If the battery has a 0 (zero) percent charge, you cannot use the battery test button to check the battery's capacity. The battery gauge indicator will not light if the battery is completely drained.

A light that blinks rapidly when you check the battery’s charge level indicates a temporary failure or a potentially recoverable failure like overheating. Allow the battery to cool for several minutes before checking the charge level again. 

If the battery is experiencing a permanent failure, the lights do not appear  when you press the test button. If you install a failed battery into the computer, the amber battery light on the computer flashes rapidly (see Figure 3). To purchase a new battery, call Dell or access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com. Dispose of the old battery properly.

Figure 3. Status Lights

1  Power light 2  Drive access light 3  Battery light

NOTICE: When you see a low-battery warning, save your work immediately. Then replace the battery or connect your computer to an electrical outlet.

After the first low-battery warning, if no input/output (I/O) activity occurs within 75 seconds, the computer activates suspend-to-disk mode. Once suspend-to-disk mode is activated, no further power is consumed. If the computer has no suspend-to-disk partition, the computer enters suspend mode. The computer can preserve data for several hours in suspend mode.

NOTICE: Never turn off the computer while the drive access light is on. Doing so could cause data loss. Instead, close all of your application programs before you turn off the computer.

Second Low-Battery Warning

The second low-battery warning—a steady amber battery light—occurs when you have about 5 minutes of battery life left under current conditions and the computer is not connected to an electrical outlet.

After the second low-battery warning, if no further I/O activity occurs within 15 seconds, the computer activates suspend-to-disk mode. If there is no suspend-to-disk partition, the computer enters suspend mode. The computer can preserve data for several hours in suspend mode.

If the computer is already in suspend mode when a final low-battery warning occurs, the computer activates suspend-to-disk mode immediately. If suspend-to-disk mode has been disabled, the computer reenters suspend mode.

NOTICE: To avoid losing data (and possibly corrupting data areas on your hard-disk drive), save your work immediately after a second low-battery warning. Then connect your computer to an electrical outlet, or place the computer in suspend mode. If the battery runs completely out of power, the computer shuts off without properly closing any open files.

Charging the Battery

Each time you connect the computer to an electrical outlet or install a battery in a computer that is connected to an electrical outlet, the computer checks the battery's charge. The AC adapter charges the battery (if needed) and then maintains the battery's charge.

NOTE: For maximum battery performance, charge the battery only at normal room temperature.

NOTICE: If the battery is hot from being used in your computer or being in a hot environment, follow these precautions:

• A hot battery will not charge when you connect the AC adapter to the computer. This safety feature is important because charging a hot battery shortens the battery’s life span and may damage the battery and the computer.
  
  
• The battery is too hot to start charging if the battery light flashes alternately green and amber. If this occurs while the computer is connected to an electrical outlet, disconnect the computer from the outlet and allow the computer and the battery to return to room temperature. Then reconnect the computer to its electrical outlet and continue charging the battery. 
  
  
• If the computer is not allowed to return to room temperature, the battery stops charging before it reaches full capacity.

Charge Times

For lithium ion batteries, if the computer is turned off and connected to an electrical outlet through the AC adapter, the computer uses ExpressCharge technology to charge the battery. ExpressCharge takes about an hour to completely charge a fully discharged battery. If the computer determines that the battery is near full capacity, the battery trickle charges instead of using ExpressCharge.

If the computer is on, it takes about the same time to charge, depending on which devices you are using and which programs you are running. 

NOTE: You can leave the battery in the computer as long as you like. The battery's integrated circuitry prevents the battery from overcharging.

---

Detecting Battery Problems

A battery problem may prevent the battery from being charged to its full potential and can lead to unpredictable operation. To obtain a new battery, call Dell or access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com.

Dell suggests you follow these precautions when using the battery:

• To avoid installing a defective battery in your computer, check the battery's charge by pressing the battery test button (see Figure 2). The battery gauge light will not light if the battery is completely drained.

• If, after you insert the battery in the computer, the computer's battery status light (see Figure 3) flashes alternately green and amber, the battery is too hot to charge. Turn off the computer, and let the battery and computer cool to room temperature.
   
• If, after you insert the battery in the computer, the computer's battery status light (see Figure 3) flashes amber for 4 seconds when you connect or disconnect the AC adapter or when you press the power button, you need to replace the battery.
   
• If, after you insert the battery in the computer, the computer's battery status light (see Figure 3) flashes rapidly amber, the battery is defective and needs to be replaced.

Battery Disposal

When your battery no longer holds a charge, call your local waste disposal agency or environmental agency for advice on disposing of it. To purchase a new battery, call Dell or access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com. 

CAUTION: If your battery is damaged, or if it no longer holds a charge, dispose of it promptly and properly. Do not dispose of it along with household waste. Call your local waste disposal agency or environmental agency for advice on disposing of the battery.

---

Back to Contents Page