Strange battery charging issue

Spence99

Registered
I have an iBook G4 Mac laptop. It's a model that pre-dates the duel cores that are now standard.

I'm having an odd battery issue and I'm wondering if my battery is fried.

The other night the computer was run on battery power and was reduced to 25% capacity. Normally this is fine. We just leave it plugged in and the battery charges.

This time the battery is not charging. The ring around the power cord that connects the computer is staying green and the battery's capacity is at 28%. I left it plugged in over night and there has been no change in the battery's charge level. If I disconnect the power cord and re-connect it the light will turn orange to indicate it's charging, but a few seconds will go back to green or blink between green and orange.

I have re-started the computer twice. I have switched power outlets and have brought the laptop into the office to see if it was a power supply problem at my home. I even switched out power cords. I recently bought a spare cord when my original cord became frayed around the power connector.

Is this a sign my battery is finished and needs to be replaced?
 
It's not out of the ordinary for a battery that old to go bad after a few years.

First thing's first -- try calibrating the battery first before assuming it's dead. This means charging the battery all the way up (or as far as it will go), then using the computer until the battery runs out of juice and the system automatically sleeps. Then, plug it back in and charge it all the way up (don't use it while it's charging). If your battery is still good, this should clear things up.
 
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