What's new

My SP6 dies at around 30 % battery - why?

Mastiff

Member
I don't mean going into Sleep or Hibernation. It just suddenly cuts out while I'm reading my online newspapers at night (which is when I use the battery, the thing is connected all day, when I'm working). This takes around 3-4 hours of just web browsing, nothing else. And when I connect it to the docking to get it starting again, the battery will show around 34 %. But it still won't power up withoug a power connection. Anybody knows what the heck is going on here?
 

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
You may need to exercise your battery. When a battery is connected most of the day and night, it may degrade the total capacity. But repeatedly allowing it to discharge to just above the 30% shutdown, charging again, then allowing it to discharge again, etc. should drive that shutdown number below 30%.

This is my experience with both of my Surface Book 2 units. They currently shut down at about 8% -10% battery remaining, but that is because I exercise them, despite generally being plugged in at night.

You can find lots of information about exercising laptop batteries on the Web.
 
OP
Mastiff

Mastiff

Member
Aha, thanks! Worth a shot. :) But it's not connedted at night, only from 8 to 16-22 (depending on the workday), and then taken out. But I will find a way to wear it out. I'll put logging on it so I can see when it stopped and on what percentage.
 
OP
Mastiff

Mastiff

Member
I do. I have drained it to around 35 % almost every night, with the hours of surfing (full brightness, full speed on the CPU, power saving is for wimps...). I did a Prime95 just now (in case you're not familiar with it it was very much used in overclocking when that was still a big thing, sort of making your CPU run a marathon in 100 meter sprint speed), and it died within 90 minutes! With the battery showing 40 % or so. Not very encouraging, but I'll do some more of those this week and see if somethign happens.
 

wpcoe

Active Member
I only found out within the last year that there's a setting in BIOS that lets you restrict battery charging to a maximum of 50%. That's intended for folks like me who use their Surface Pro like a desktop computer, i.e. plugged in for 90% of its use.
 
OP
Mastiff

Mastiff

Member
I have now done this everyday for almost a week (by reading my regular news in bed at night and then leaving the Surface running, standing up on the floor with the screen towards the wall), and it has not gotten any better. Actually last night it had stopped on around 40 %, not 30! Is it because I need more time doing this, or is the battery really dead? I have more than two years left on my warranty, so the only problem by sending it in for repair is that I need to buy another one to use in the meantime (I run my own translation business and can't be without a computer that can be hooked up to my Surface dock, which has all my necessary stuff like two monitors, dongles for different translation programs and so on). But I can probably find a used one. It would be nice with an SP 7 Pro+, with a replaceable SSD...
 
Last edited:

sharpuser

Administrator
Staff member
Battery needs to be replaced. You gave it a good try. Good on you for buying the warranty. I hope you can find a computer to use while yours is getting repaired

PM sent
 

Turbo4AWD

Active Member
I have now done this everyday for almost a week (by reading my regular news in bed at night and then leaving the Surface running, standing up on the floor with the screen towards the wall), and it has not gotten any better. Actually last night it had stopped on around 40 %, not 30! Is it because I need more time doing this, or is the battery really dead? I have more than two years left on my warranty, so the only problem by sending it in for repair is that I need to buy another one to use in the meantime (I run my own translation business and can't be without a computer that can be hooked up to my Surface dock, which has all my necessary stuff like two monitors, dongles for different translation programs and so on). But I can probably find a used one. It would be nice with an SP 7 Pro+, with a replaceable SSD...

Also, you can run the Battery Diagnostics built into Windows 10 and it will provide an accurate reading on your battery's life.
 
OP
Mastiff

Mastiff

Member
Thanks, I didn't know about that one! It does seem like there's not much left:


2020-12-28 - 2021-01-0435 970 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-01-04 - 2021-01-1138 910 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-01-11 - 2021-01-1838 910 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-01-18 - 2021-01-2534 312 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-01-25 - 2021-02-0135 786 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-02-01 - 2021-02-0836 722 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-02-08 - 2021-02-1536 098 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-02-15 - 2021-02-2235 915 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-02-22 - 2021-03-0133 820 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-03-01 - 2021-03-0833 820 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-03-08 - 2021-03-1534 648 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-03-15 - 2021-03-2233 765 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-03-22 - 2021-03-2933 795 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-03-29 - 2021-04-0533 299 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-05 - 2021-04-1235 220 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-12 - 2021-04-1936 749 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-1937 998 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2036 204 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2136 186 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2236 100 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2333 522 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2436 944 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2535 811 mWh 45 000 mWh
2021-04-2620 017 mWh 45 000 mWh
 
Top