Unable to use PineBook anymore
#1
Hi all,

I have got a PineBook 11", one of the older ones. It came with Ubuntu + XFce preinstalled. I've been using successfully it for a few years now.

Due to the fact that the HDMI port was not working at all (I was told that it would not work with that OS), I decided to burn another image.

So, I connected the power unit to the PineBook, and started the process. I did not worry about the battery anymore, I just assumed it would recharge. I tried another image successfully, but I removed the card before powering off the machine (erroneously thinking that it was working off RAM). So I had to start all over again, since the SD Card was now corrupted.

But then I experienced a problem, when trying to boot from the new image the machine would turn off itself. At the beginning, I though the SD Card was the problem, so I tried another OS, with the same result.

Finally I realized that the problem was the battery. Though still plugged, the PineBook was not lighting the yellow/green led at the side of the power connector, and with the SD Card out, now it was showing the image of an empty battery and turning off itself.

The situation now is that when unplugged, it does nothing pressing the on/off button. If plugged, now the on/off led light is turned on, and after a couple of seconds it turns off, and then on again, and so on...

I have tried to leave it plugged for a long time, to leave it unplugged for a long time... to no avail.

Any hint?
Thanks.
#2
(07-23-2019, 08:23 AM)baltasarq Wrote: I have tried to leave it plugged for a long time, to leave it unplugged for a long time... to no avail.

How long did you leave it to charge?
#3
(07-23-2019, 09:48 AM)tophneal Wrote:
(07-23-2019, 08:23 AM)baltasarq Wrote: I have tried to leave it plugged for a long time, to leave it unplugged for a long time... to no avail.

How long did you leave it to charge?

Hi,

I left it charging a whole night, and I also left it unplugged another night, before trying to turn it on again. Did not help.
#4
(07-23-2019, 11:41 AM)baltasarq Wrote:
(07-23-2019, 09:48 AM)tophneal Wrote:
(07-23-2019, 08:23 AM)baltasarq Wrote: I have tried to leave it plugged for a long time, to leave it unplugged for a long time... to no avail.

How long did you leave it to charge?

Hi,

I left it charging a whole night, and I also left it unplugged another night, before trying to turn it on again. Did not help.

Sounds like you might have to 'bite the bullet' and take the bottom panel off the pinebook and use a multimeter on the battery to find out what voltage is present.
Additionally, if possible, do a similar voltage measurement with the pinebook actually charging.

(whilst I have been 'inside' my pinebook it was only to upgrade the memory module, I don't recall noticing how the battery was 'plumbed-in')

That would confirm the battery is rescue-able if it measures more then 3v and that at least the charging circuit is working if the voltage rises during charging.
If the battery voltage is significantly below 3v then the battery will probably need replacing.
#5
See this thread https://forum.pine64.org/showthread.php?tid=4632 and similar ones on the Pinebook battery chip.
#6
All right, I've checked out the battery and it is indeed completely depleted. Unfortunately, looking at the Pine64's store, there does not seem to be a replacement.

The battery is marked as

Model name: PL5267103P*2P
NOM 3. 7v - 10000mAh 37Wh
Ref: PTI20160000001

Where can I find a suitable replacement?

-- Baltasar
#7
(07-25-2019, 12:01 PM)baltasarq Wrote: All right, I've checked out the battery and it is indeed completely depleted. Unfortunately, looking at the Pine64's store, there does not seem to be a replacement.

The battery is marked as

Model name: PL5267103P*2P
NOM 3. 7v - 10000mAh 37Wh
Ref: PTI20160000001

Where can I find a suitable replacement?

-- Baltasar

If you google that model number (PL...2P) you can find an exact match on Ebay from a Shenzhen vendor for $55 so it looks to be at least possible that way at least.
#8
(07-25-2019, 12:13 PM)neilman Wrote:
(07-25-2019, 12:01 PM)baltasarq Wrote: All right, I've checked out the battery and it is indeed completely depleted. Unfortunately, looking at the Pine64's store, there does not seem to be a replacement.

The battery is marked as

Model name: PL5267103P*2P
NOM 3. 7v - 10000mAh 37Wh
Ref: PTI20160000001

Where can I find a suitable replacement?

-- Baltasar

If you google that model number (PL...2P) you can find an exact match on Ebay from a Shenzhen vendor for $55 so it looks to be at least possible that way at least.

Thanks! I Googled the reference but not the model number...
#9
(07-25-2019, 12:01 PM)baltasarq Wrote: All right, I've checked out the battery and it is indeed completely depleted. Unfortunately, looking at the Pine64's store, there does not seem to be a replacement.

It *may* be worth trying to boot one of the ayufan images, as I've noticed with my 11" pinebook that newer os builds like manjaro, etc are not correctly configuring the charge PMIC, and it's not charging the battery at all. As I was trying them out on the SD card, I reverted to the older ubuntu 16.04 ayufan build on the eMMC, and charging resumed normal operation about 10 seconds into the boot. If you can get it to boot that far, you might have a chance of getting the battery to charge if it's still salvageable.
#10
(07-26-2019, 02:24 AM)pfeerick Wrote:
(07-25-2019, 12:01 PM)baltasarq Wrote: All right, I've checked out the battery and it is indeed completely depleted. Unfortunately, looking at the Pine64's store, there does not seem to be a replacement.

It *may* be worth trying to boot one of the ayufan images, as I've noticed with my 11" pinebook that newer os builds like manjaro, etc are not correctly configuring the charge PMIC, and it's not charging the battery at all. As I was trying them out on the SD card, I reverted to the older ubuntu 16.04 ayufan build on the eMMC, and charging resumed normal operation about 10 seconds into the boot. If you can get it to boot that far, you might have a chance of getting the battery to charge if it's still salvageable.

Too late! I ordered a new battery yesterday, and threw the old battery in the recycling bin in my way to work...

Thanks anyway.


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Not booting anymore from SD oloturia 0 395 09-29-2023, 10:18 AM
Last Post: oloturia
  Dead Pinebook - fix it or spare parts? oloturia 2 2,209 03-19-2023, 03:38 PM
Last Post: oloturia
  Broken bottom case of PineBook 14 Mick 1 920 02-22-2023, 05:49 AM
Last Post: Mick
  Original 14" Pinebook an Orphan? vdicarlo 2 1,259 01-05-2023, 10:42 AM
Last Post: jezek
  Pinebook Users are a nobody leperotero 13 12,593 09-06-2022, 09:29 PM
Last Post: zapper
  Does anybody repair pinebook pro laptops for a fee? Tsvi Bar-David 0 956 09-05-2022, 07:49 PM
Last Post: Tsvi Bar-David
  Pinebook with a broken screen and 2 eMMC's for sale. UK ONLY. frank-zappa 0 1,596 03-08-2022, 10:14 AM
Last Post: frank-zappa
  Pinebook to Pinebook Pro-esque upgrade kit sebboh 5 7,499 08-18-2021, 11:01 PM
Last Post: Corkonian
  new pinebook help ron_burgundy 5 7,684 12-17-2020, 04:54 PM
Last Post: ron_burgundy
  Few questions about flashing to a MicroSD card on the Pinebook Pro SanjevR 6 9,608 12-07-2020, 04:02 PM
Last Post: SanjevR

Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)