iBook and PowerBook Battery Exchange

bobw · #1 May 20th, 2005, 12:25 PM

iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 Battery Exchange Program

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other international safety authorities, Apple is voluntarily recalling certain lithium ion rechargeable batteries that were sold worldwide from October 2004 through May 2005 for use with the following notebook computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4. These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea.

davidbrit2 · #2 May 20th, 2005, 02:50 PM

Question: is it safe to remove my iBook's battery while the computer is on and connected to the external power supply? I doubt my battery is affected (I got the computer around Sept. 2004), but it couldn't hurt to check.

adambyte · #3 May 20th, 2005, 08:00 PM

On and connected to the external power supply? Sure.

b16ef8300 · #4 May 20th, 2005, 11:13 PM

Dear Apple Customer,

Apple is voluntarily recalling certain lithium-ion rechargeable batteries that were sold worldwide, in systems and separately, from October 2004 through May 2005 for use with the following computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4, 15-inch PowerBook G4. These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea. Apple has initiated a worldwide exchange program and will provide you with a new replacement battery, free of charge. This program is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other international safety authorities.

Issue: The affected batteries could overheat, posing a fire hazard. Apple received six consumer reports of these batteries overheating. Apple urges you to stop using your battery and to order a replacement battery immediately. If you must temporarily use your computer with the battery, do not leave it unattended and check for signs of overheating.

Product: The recalled batteries include those with model numbers A1061, A1078, and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 through HQ507 and 3X446 through 3X510. To view the model and serial numbers labeled on the bottom of the battery, you must remove the battery from the computer. The battery serial number is printed in black or dark-grey lettering beneath a bar code.

Please use the chart below to match your computer with the affected battery model number and serial number range. If your battery's serial number does not match the requirements listed below, you do not have to exchange your battery.

Computer model Battery model number Battery serial number range
12-inch iBook G4 A1061 HQ441-HQ507
12-inch PowerBook G4 A1079 3X446-3X510
15-inch PowerBook G4 A1078 3X446-3X509

What to do: To begin the battery exchange process, go to the Apple website at www.apple.com/support/batteryexchange. You will be asked for the serial number of your computer, the serial number of your battery, and a ship-to address. After serial number verification, a new battery will be shipped to you free of charge. You may exchange up to three batteries through the website. When you receive the replacement battery, please use the same shipping packaging and the included prepaid shipping label to return the recalled battery to Apple. If you do not have access to the website listed above, you can call Apple at 800-275-2273 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., central standard time, seven days a week, for further assistance.

Thank you for your cooperation with this exchange program.

Apple

b16ef8300 · #5 May 20th, 2005, 11:20 PM

Well, I just noticed there was a post in the "rumors" section already. I did a search for "battery recall" before posting...go figure?!?!? Anyhow, I'll leave this here just in case for a while.

Mods no offense taken if this thread is deleted!

Thanks

Gig' · #6 May 26th, 2005, 06:22 AM

Something weird is happening

I got an iBook 12" for my wife which happened to be covered by apple recall (got the new one this morning i.e. 3 days after claiming for it) and after I plug in the Power supply to fully charge the battery : I get the orange ring i.o the green one eventhough it show as fully charged, it takes quite sometime for the battery status to calculate the time left and start showing over 8h00 (I wish) before settling down to a quite normal 4H30 based on my energy saver settings.

Anyone experienced the same ? Any idea where the catch ?

davidbrit2 · #7 May 26th, 2005, 02:04 PM

Hmm, try resetting the power manager. You should find instructions to do that on this page:

http://urth.acsu.buffalo.edu/~pld/La.../powermgr.html

gphillipk · #8 May 27th, 2005, 05:11 AM

Could somebody please help me understand how this program works? I happen to live in Namibia and the local Apple service center tells me I would have to incur the cost of shipping the battery to Namibia. I bought the computer in Singapore. I was under the impression that, place of purchase not being a factor, I could get the new battery free_of_charge. Unfortunately, Namibia is not one of the countries listed on the battery exchange site. How should I go ahead to get a new battery?