FRUSTRATING charging problem with my HP....

[MykeyInChains]

  I have had enough of this. I need some help.

I have a HP Pavilion dv8305us 17inch laptop. Love it. It is completely stock, no changes. I have been having an issue with the charging system. I'm not sure where the problem resides.

So heres the deal: I'll be using my laptop, nothing too strenuous, with the AC Adapter plugged in and the battery in. Randomly, out of nowhere, the battery light and power light on the front of the laptop will start blinking simultaneously. The laptop then acts as if the AC Adapter isn't plugged in; the battery icon will show up on my task bar, and the screen will dim. My first instinct is to unplug the adapter and plug it back in, but still the same thing. I then observed that the laptop doesn't need to be on in order for this to happen. It will randomly stop charging as well when the AC Adapter is plugged in. I tried taking out the battery, starting up the PC and running it that way, but the computer will just randomly shut off, as if the AC Adapter was disconnect.

So I think I did what most would do in this situation. I went on eBay and bought 2 replacement AC Adapters, and the laptop ran and charged perfectly for a few days, then the same thing started happening again, with both of them. Its annoying because I use it for recording my band.

I searched these forums and over the internet, but no one seems to know what is up. HP tech support is completely useless to me unless I want to pay 50 bucks to diagnose. So I turn to you people. Any ideas? I will appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

-Mike

[Aegis]

How old is the system? 

I wonder if it is the battery?  Are you in a position to use or try / borrow / buy a different battery for it?

[Dairyman]

To my understanding, most rechargeable batteries need to be CALIBRATED to charge properly. If it doesn't get this "calibration", the system starts to forget where exactly 'full' is. Try a new battery, calibrate it, and see if it works then.

To calibrate:

1. Charge the battery pack fully.
2. Once the battery pack is fully charged, unplug the AC power, and let it flatten completely.
3. When battery pack is fully discharged, plug in the AC power, and let it charge fully again.

You'll need to set 'Turn Off Monitor', 'Turn Off Hard Drive' and 'System Standby' in order for this to work.[/color]

Good luck.

~ dairyman

[MykeyInChains]

First off, Thanks for the replies.

I bought the computer brand new in the beginning of 2007.

I'm sorry, I should have said that I already have done a calibration, although it is hard to get the computer to charge fully from time to time because of the disconnecting problem. When it does charge to 100%, it has decent battery life, not too much shorter than when I bought it. The computer will still shut off whenever it feels like with the battery out of the computer anyways, so thats what led me to believe it wasn't a battery issue.

I suppose I can put the money towards a new battery, but i'm leaning towards a problem inside the laptop. eBay is my friend so maybe I can find a deal. 

[Aegis]

Yes, it is unfortunate that it could be a problem in the laptop itself.  Strange things do happen.

[patio]

Sounds like you have overheating issues and the machine is shutting down to protect itself...