Troubleshooting Kindle DXG battery drain

Jedidiyah · 01-03-2014, 10:56 PM

I fully charged my Kindle DXG and turned it off (double checked that) before leaving for a week. When I came back the battery was completely drained and there was a message on the screen: Battery Critical. Is this normal? Does it mean that I have to replace the battery?

Other than that it works ok, although the battery does drain by about 30% a day when I use it. I have jailbreak, launchpad and librerator installed, and I adjust zoom and jump between pages a lot. I also have Nook Classic, and the battery was at the same level as when I left.

ThomasC · 01-04-2014, 02:58 AM

I do not have any of the applications that you seem to have but my backup dxg in standby mode with 3g off seems to last forever. I top it up every month or two just to make sure.

My regular use dxg (again no extra applications, just stock firmware) get's about 1 hr per day e-book reading (just normal Kindle/amazon books) and I get ~1 week between charges with 3g off.

If I have my 3g wireless turned on and use it's web browser or download a few books (like when I am away on holidays) it can go down ~20-25% per day.

So maybe some of your applications are either very power intensive and maybe draw power even in standby mode, or you are leaving on your 3g. Don't really know?

I guess it could be the battery, esp. if you have routinely let it get down to the critical warning too often. Over-discharging these lithium polymer (or lithium ion) type batteries does reduce their life. I try not to let mine get below ~25% before recharging and so far even my 3 year old dxg battery still seems fine.

Jedidiyah · 01-04-2014, 11:20 PM

I can go for 3-4 hours a day and I do push a lot of buttons, but I almost never use wireless. What alarmed me the most is that the Kindle was completely turned off when the battery drained, it wasn't on stanby!

I usually recharge when the charge drops below 60%, but I bought a used Kindle and don't know what the previous owner did. It did arrive with the critical warning on the screen when I bought it, and presumably he turned it off before shipping. How is it possible for a battery to drain when all contacts are disconnected?

ThomasC · 01-05-2014, 01:19 AM

In your case I'd guess it is a bad battery, probably miss-used by a previous owner. Do a bit of googling and I'm sure you will locate a dxg replacement battery.

pidgeon92 · 01-05-2014, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedidiyah

How is it possible for a battery to drain when all contacts are disconnected?

The same way all batteries eventually die, whether or not they have been used at all. Regular alkaline batteries have a shelf life of perhaps 8-10 years unused. My rechargeable AAs tend to drain within a couple of weeks after a full charge even if they haven't been used.

The lithium-ion batteries that are used in Kindles can last for a few of months without a re-charge if unused. The older they get, the shorter that time period, as the chemicals are continually breaking down (whether used or not) until they can no longer hold a charge at all.

Here's a replacement battery for a DXG:

http://www.newpower99.com/Amazon_Kin...20graphite.htm

Before I'd replace the battery, I'd make sure the Kindle isn't stuck indexing one or more books. That can cause the battery to drain quickly. Go to the home screen, and try searching on some gibberish, like haldjhdlk. If it comes up with results, those books are stuck indexing. If there are no results, it's probably your battery that is bad.

Bricorn · 01-05-2014, 04:46 PM

I had a DXG that discharged in a day or so, a new battery didn't help. Eventually I bought a cheap one with a broken screen and swapped the front panel over - so I'm really using the cheap one with my old screen. I never actually found out what was happening, I suspect something in the software kept running.

In post 1 you mention turning it off and in post 3 you say wireless. You can't turn any e-ink Kindle off (you can have standby with a picture, or standby with a blank screen, but not off) and the DXG is 3G only, no wireless. No offence meant, but are you sure it's a Kindle DXG that you have?

ThomasC · 01-05-2014, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bricorn

and the DXG is 3G only, no wireless. No offence meant, but are you sure it's a Kindle DXG that you have?

The older 3G kindles refers to it as wireless. I think you are thinking about Wifi (which the dxg does not have), which is also often referred to as wireless.

Bricorn · 01-05-2014, 06:46 PM

Sorry, I forget that you Americans have your own variety of English. Yes I meant Wifi.

Jedidiyah · 01-06-2014, 04:52 PM

It's definitely DXG, see attached picture. It does say wireless in the menus, but displays 3G in the header before the bars appear. Also the user's guide says "When your Kindle is asleep, you will see an image on the screen. To turn off your Kindle completely, slide and hold the power switch for seven seconds, then release. The Kindle screen will go blank and the device will turn off." That's what I was referring to, but you have a point, if it is turned off "completely" how can it then display the critical warning message?

I did a search with a gibberish phrase and it came up with No Items. I tried MP3 player once, but I thought a restart turns it off. Thanks for the battery link, I might have to do it, but I am not sure how to "swap the front panel" if it doesn't work. If there is some software running in the background would hard reboot kill it?

pidgeon92 · 01-06-2014, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedidiyah

That's what I was referring to, but you have a point, if it is turned off "completely" how can it then display the critical warning message?

Because the eink screen will display whatever was on it last when it runs out of any kind of charge. It's sort of like an etch-a-sketch that way.

My best guess is that they battery is kaput.

Dr. Drib · 01-07-2014, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jedidiyah

I fully charged my Kindle DXG and turned it off (double checked that) before leaving for a week. When I came back the battery was completely drained and there was a message on the screen: Battery Critical. Is this normal? Does it mean that I have to replace the battery?

Other than that it works ok, although the battery does drain by about 30% a day when I use it. I have jailbreak, launchpad and librerator installed, and I adjust zoom and jump between pages a lot. I also have Nook Classic, and the battery was at the same level as when I left.

I did the same thing you did with my DX-G, but had it turned off for two weeks (15 days). When I came back, the charge was completely full.

I suspect you have a bad battery.

Jedidiyah · 01-30-2014, 02:06 PM

I replaced the battery with newpower99.com version, but it didn't make any difference. It still drains at about 10-15% per hour with wireless off. It also drains when the kindle is turned off although slower. Basically, the same as with the old battery. I checked the indexing again by using a gibberish search phrase, which returned no items, and did long recharges and restarts to no effect. I have to keep it hooked to an outlet all the time except when using.

Any chance factory reset will help? And could someone elaborate on "swapping the front panel". At this point I'll try anything.

ThomasC · 01-30-2014, 05:11 PM

Maybe just try a settings/reset with your dxg plugged into your power adapter first and see if this helps. Not sure if a factory reset will do anything, but maybe worth trying anyway. Just remember to save your files first. Also, make sure you do not have any jailbreak hacks installed. Uninstall them properly.

01-03-2014, 10:56 PM	#1
Jedidiyah Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 27450 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kindle DX graphite	Kindle DXG battery drain I fully charged my Kindle DXG and turned it off (double checked that) before leaving for a week. When I came back the battery was completely drained and there was a message on the screen: Battery Critical. Is this normal? Does it mean that I have to replace the battery? Other than that it works ok, although the battery does drain by about 30% a day when I use it. I have jailbreak, launchpad and librerator installed, and I adjust zoom and jump between pages a lot. I also have Nook Classic, and the battery was at the same level as when I left.

01-06-2014, 04:52 PM	#9
Jedidiyah Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 27450 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kindle DX graphite	It's definitely DXG, see attached picture. It does say wireless in the menus, but displays 3G in the header before the bars appear. Also the user's guide says "When your Kindle is asleep, you will see an image on the screen. To turn off your Kindle completely, slide and hold the power switch for seven seconds, then release. The Kindle screen will go blank and the device will turn off." That's what I was referring to, but you have a point, if it is turned off "completely" how can it then display the critical warning message? I did a search with a gibberish phrase and it came up with No Items. I tried MP3 player once, but I thought a restart turns it off. Thanks for the battery link, I might have to do it, but I am not sure how to "swap the front panel" if it doesn't work. If there is some software running in the background would hard reboot kill it? Attached Thumbnails

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01-04-2014, 02:58 AM	#2
ThomasC Thunder Down Under Posts: 210 Karma: 29154 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: kindle dxg, K3, K4nt, iPhone	I do not have any of the applications that you seem to have but my backup dxg in standby mode with 3g off seems to last forever. I top it up every month or two just to make sure. My regular use dxg (again no extra applications, just stock firmware) get's about 1 hr per day e-book reading (just normal Kindle/amazon books) and I get ~1 week between charges with 3g off. If I have my 3g wireless turned on and use it's web browser or download a few books (like when I am away on holidays) it can go down ~20-25% per day. So maybe some of your applications are either very power intensive and maybe draw power even in standby mode, or you are leaving on your 3g. Don't really know? I guess it could be the battery, esp. if you have routinely let it get down to the critical warning too often. Over-discharging these lithium polymer (or lithium ion) type batteries does reduce their life. I try not to let mine get below ~25% before recharging and so far even my 3 year old dxg battery still seems fine.

01-04-2014, 11:20 PM	#3
Jedidiyah Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 27450 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kindle DX graphite	I can go for 3-4 hours a day and I do push a lot of buttons, but I almost never use wireless. What alarmed me the most is that the Kindle was completely turned off when the battery drained, it wasn't on stanby! I usually recharge when the charge drops below 60%, but I bought a used Kindle and don't know what the previous owner did. It did arrive with the critical warning on the screen when I bought it, and presumably he turned it off before shipping. How is it possible for a battery to drain when all contacts are disconnected?

01-05-2014, 01:19 AM	#4
ThomasC Thunder Down Under Posts: 210 Karma: 29154 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: kindle dxg, K3, K4nt, iPhone	In your case I'd guess it is a bad battery, probably miss-used by a previous owner. Do a bit of googling and I'm sure you will locate a dxg replacement battery.

01-05-2014, 04:46 PM	#6
Bricorn Addict Posts: 289 Karma: 7788748 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Fun Town, Thailand Device: Kindle DXG	I had a DXG that discharged in a day or so, a new battery didn't help. Eventually I bought a cheap one with a broken screen and swapped the front panel over - so I'm really using the cheap one with my old screen. I never actually found out what was happening, I suspect something in the software kept running. In post 1 you mention turning it off and in post 3 you say wireless. You can't turn any e-ink Kindle off (you can have standby with a picture, or standby with a blank screen, but not off) and the DXG is 3G only, no wireless. No offence meant, but are you sure it's a Kindle DXG that you have?

01-05-2014, 06:46 PM	#8
Bricorn Addict Posts: 289 Karma: 7788748 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Fun Town, Thailand Device: Kindle DXG	Sorry, I forget that you Americans have your own variety of English. Yes I meant Wifi.

01-30-2014, 02:06 PM	#12
Jedidiyah Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 27450 Join Date: Aug 2013 Device: Kindle DX graphite	I replaced the battery with newpower99.com version, but it didn't make any difference. It still drains at about 10-15% per hour with wireless off. It also drains when the kindle is turned off although slower. Basically, the same as with the old battery. I checked the indexing again by using a gibberish search phrase, which returned no items, and did long recharges and restarts to no effect. I have to keep it hooked to an outlet all the time except when using. Any chance factory reset will help? And could someone elaborate on "swapping the front panel". At this point I'll try anything.

01-30-2014, 05:11 PM	#13
ThomasC Thunder Down Under Posts: 210 Karma: 29154 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: kindle dxg, K3, K4nt, iPhone	Maybe just try a settings/reset with your dxg plugged into your power adapter first and see if this helps. Not sure if a factory reset will do anything, but maybe worth trying anyway. Just remember to save your files first. Also, make sure you do not have any jailbreak hacks installed. Uninstall them properly.

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