MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Troubleshooting Kindle PW5 Gen 11 wont turn on (Help!)

symondo · 03-05-2023, 11:24 PM

Hi All, Posting here in the hope of rescuing a kindle Paperwhite 5 gen 11.

I brought the near new kindle with the following fault:

Battery symbol screen with exclamation mark.
Previous owner tried charging for a few days to no avail.

My Testing and observations:

The Kindle unplugged gives no sign of life. But if you plug it into USB charger / Laptop the amber charge light comes on, Stays on for approx 30min then turns off. If you try holding the power button on (while connected to power) the led turns green, Then flashes twice green, Followed by 5 x amber flashes. If you continue to hold the power button it will cycle through the same with a short flash of the screen back lighting in between.

I assumed from the beginning a battery issue. Dissasembled and disconnected the battery. no voltage was measurable on the terminals so I suspected battery protection ic had isolated the battery from over discharge.

I applied a gradual charge voltage and slowly recovered the battery over a couple of days. Eventially reaching a teminal voltage of 4.2v. I applied a load of 170mv accross teminals (Test light bulb) which the battery appeared ok with.

I reconected the battery and tried to perform a 40+ sec reset. there is no response to the power button. However if I do the same with usb power connected I get the 3 green / 5 amber flashes repeating. It is like the kindle refuses or does not see the battery. I tried the same with battery disconnected with usb power. No response. So the battery is being used in circuit to some degree.

Battery is a ST32 58-000426 Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd
Connections: P-, NTC, ID, P+ plus two NC termonals (not connected)

My next reluctant step is to remove some sheilding (Hot Air station) to measure components underneath.

Ever hopeful someone here may shed some light on what else to do or if you are experiencing the same?

Any input welcome.

03-05-2023, 11:24 PM	#1
symondo Junior Member Posts: 9 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tauranga, NZ Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle PW5	Kindle PW5 Gen 11 wont turn on (Help!) Hi All, Posting here in the hope of rescuing a kindle Paperwhite 5 gen 11. I brought the near new kindle with the following fault: Battery symbol screen with exclamation mark. Previous owner tried charging for a few days to no avail. My Testing and observations: The Kindle unplugged gives no sign of life. But if you plug it into USB charger / Laptop the amber charge light comes on, Stays on for approx 30min then turns off. If you try holding the power button on (while connected to power) the led turns green, Then flashes twice green, Followed by 5 x amber flashes. If you continue to hold the power button it will cycle through the same with a short flash of the screen back lighting in between. I assumed from the beginning a battery issue. Dissasembled and disconnected the battery. no voltage was measurable on the terminals so I suspected battery protection ic had isolated the battery from over discharge. I applied a gradual charge voltage and slowly recovered the battery over a couple of days. Eventially reaching a teminal voltage of 4.2v. I applied a load of 170mv accross teminals (Test light bulb) which the battery appeared ok with. I reconected the battery and tried to perform a 40+ sec reset. there is no response to the power button. However if I do the same with usb power connected I get the 3 green / 5 amber flashes repeating. It is like the kindle refuses or does not see the battery. I tried the same with battery disconnected with usb power. No response. So the battery is being used in circuit to some degree. Battery is a ST32 58-000426 Sunwoda Electronic Co. Ltd Connections: P-, NTC, ID, P+ plus two NC termonals (not connected) My next reluctant step is to remove some sheilding (Hot Air station) to measure components underneath. Ever hopeful someone here may shed some light on what else to do or if you are experiencing the same? Any input welcome.