Lithium Battery FAQ & Care Tips

spur · 10-28-2006

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding lithium batteries in general, which is why I have written this post in an attempt to clear some common misconceptions. The information is gathered, edited and taken from the Battery University, a trusted and knowledgeable source for battery information. Please do not repost my compilation and edits of the information, rather do it yourself or link to this post. Thank you and I hope that this information will provide value to you.

Lithium Battery FAQ & Care Tips

There is only one way to charge lithium-based batteries. Charge the battery often. The battery lasts longer with partial rather than full discharges.

Lithium-ion is a very clean system and does not need priming as nickel-based batteries do. The 1st charge is no different to the 5th or the 50th charge. Stickers instructing to charge the battery for 8 hours or more for the first time may be a leftover from the nickel battery days (ignorance).

Unlike nickel and lead-based batteries, a new lithium-ion pack does not need cycling through charging and discharging. Priming will make little difference because the maximum capacity of lithium-ion is available right from the beginning. Neither does a full discharge improve the capacity of a faded pack, avoid full cycle because of wear. 80% depth-of-discharge recommended. Recharge more often. However, a full discharge/charge will reset the digital circuit of a 'smart' battery to improve the state-of-charge estimation (make battery indicator more accurate).

How should I prepare my new battery?
Li-ion comes partially charged. You can use the battery right away and charge it when needed.

Can I damage my battery if incorrectly prepared?
No; Li-ion is forgiving to partial and full charge. No priming is needed when new. Loses capacity due to aging whether used or not.

How do I prepare a battery with charge indication?
Fully charge and discharge battery once every 30 charges or so. Repeat when readings get inaccurate.

Should I use up all battery energy before charging?
No, it is better to recharge more often; avoid frequent full discharges. On batteries with a fuel gauge, allow a full discharge once a month to enable reset

Should I charge my battery partially or fully?
Does not matter. Charging in stages is acceptable. Full charge termination occurs by reading the voltage level and charge current. Charging a full battery is safe and does not cause harm.

Should I remove the battery from the charger when full?
It does not matter. The charger automatically cuts the charge current when the battery is full. A laptop may be connected to the AC when not in use.

superstar · 08-11-2007

Really good tips. But what should one do with the battery when you first purchase a product out of the package? Should you waste it than fully charge or???

toneoner · 08-11-2007

u should waste it

Err0r · 08-11-2007

Doesn't matter, I just use it out of the box.

Da_Tinker · 08-12-2008

I know that with phones that use this battery, it's best to 'kill' the thing, then
turn it off and let it fully charge over-night. This conditions the battery and
makes a huge difference in how well it holds a charge.
As to the players that use them, so far I have had no issues with they hold a
charge at all.

DrinkingStar · 11-13-2008

This is a real newbie question, but here it is. Can the Internal LI-ion battery in the MP4 players be replaced if they malfunction/die or if I wanted to replace it with one that has a great mAh rating? Will a greater mAh rating in a given unit increase the playback time of that unit if I can and chose to replace it?

I ask these questions because I know the Insignia Pilot battery can be replaced. Also based on my reading of batteries, the greater the mAh of a battery, the more storage capacity it has.

Da_Tinker · 11-15-2008

Not they can't be 'replaced'.