Sudden death of an iBook battery after HD replacement

1. Yves - 2 December 2003

   I have a white iBook 600 14 inches. I recently had to replace the HD… what a wild job on these toys. It took me 4 hours!!!

   After rebuilding it, I started it on the battery: nothing. Next, I tried on the AC adapter. It works. Woawww!

   Now, the battery seems absolutely dead (one flashy led). This is quite strange as it was fully charged seconds before I removed it to fix my HD. Since rebuilt, it has been charging non-stop for 4 days, but I dont see any changes: the battery remains dead. There is even not enough energy to keep running the clock when I unplug the AC while the computer is OFF!

   It seems the contacts between the computer and the battery are OK; the battery icon, next to the clock changes when I remove the battery. I have re-opened the bottom of the iBook to check if the connectors are OK. Obviously, there is energy getting to the battery (between 14 and 15 volts, depending on the contacts).

   When checking the voltage on the battery connectors, I get between 0 and 4 volts.
   I opened the battery box with a cutter. All the elements show 4.11 volts.

   Could anyone tell me if this is a symptom that my battery is really dead? Is there a fuse? Could the electronic inside the battery case be out?
   And has anyone experienced a case of sudden death of a year and a half old battery? I have used it very little as it has always been on the computer connected to AC?

   Of course, I plan to try with another battery, but I have to find one for the test… before thinking to buy a new one…

   Thank you. -Yves.