You're Not Mobile: Dell Replacement Laptop Batteries to Take Weeks to Arrive
Fastest replacement option is the recall process, says Dell, but be prepared to plug in for a while.
Laptop owners seeking replacements for recalled batteries will receive priority if they use the Dell special site set up to handle the recall, the company said today. However, users of many Latitude, Inspiron, Precision, XPS, and mobile workstation models may still be stuck with only AC power for a few weeks.
Dell has been "cranking battery production over the last couple of weeks" with its battery suppliers in preparation for this massive recall, says spokesperson Gretchen Miller. If you determine via the Dell Battery Recall site or by calling the company at 866-342-0011 that you have a potentially defective battery, Dell will send a replacement along with postage-paid packaging to return the old one. But it may take weeks to get the new battery, or longer for certain out-of-production models.
In the meantime, you can safely use the laptop with the AC power cord. But since replacement batteries are not available in stores, only from the Dell Web site, the recall process is likely your fastest option, Miller says.
The current recall follows a much smaller one in December of 22,000 batteries. All the cited laptop models from the 2005 recall are once again affected, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall notices. With 24.9 million batteries shipped during the current recall time period, according to Dell, this week's recall involves about 1 out of every 6 of that figure, or 16.5 percent of the batteries shipped.
Batteries with the same type of cells that were used in the recalled batteries are also in Sony Vaio notebooks, according to David Yang, a Sony spokesman, but there have not been any reports of any overheating with the Sony laptops. Different batteries that use the same type of cells can still configure them differently and use different safety controls, he says. Other notebook batteries also use the same cells, but Yang could not yet say which ones.
Sony manufactured the affected batteries, which were shipped with Dell laptops and also sold as replacement models between April 1, 2004, and July 18, 2006. Metal particles that accumulate during the manufacturing process are breaking through the barrier separating the electrode from the diode within a battery cell, according to Yang. When they reach the diode, they can cause overheating.
The metal particles are "one of those unavoidables, no manufacturing process is 100 percent perfect," says Yang. Sony has since changed to process to use a thicker barrier.
The CPSC is actively investigating whether other devices using Sony batteries are also at risk, says CPSC spokeswoman Patty Davis. "We know that lithium-ion batteries pack a lot of energy in a small space," says Davis. "There's a potential for injury with a device that has so much energy."
Lithium-ion batteries are widely used in music players, cell phones, and a range of other devices. The agency is actively investigating whether other devices using Sony batteries are also at risk, Davis says.
When damaged or defective, the batteries can overheat slowly or quickly, in a "venting with flame" situation, says Isidor Buchmann, CEO of Cadex Electronics, a Canadian battery testing equipment manufacturer. He says the larger laptop batteries pose a greater risk, since they contain more energy, but the threat isn't particularly large.
"If you consider the number of laptops that are out there, it's actually very seldom that an accident happens," Buchmann says.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has these tips for safer battery use:
- Dropping, crushing or otherwise impacting a battery can increase its risk of failing or overheating
- Avoid cut-rate batteries off auction or other Internet sites. Poorly made batteries can lack critical safety controls.
- Keep the battery from excessive heat and direct sunlight.
- Buy batteries, chargers and other power accessories from the same maker as the device to make sure they're compatible.
Erik Larkin, PC World
