Dell Inspiron 3800 - Manual (Page 36)

Percentage of Charge
When you press the battery test button, the number of indicators that light up shows an estimate of the remaining battery charge:
l If one indicator lights up, the battery has 1 to 20 percent of its charge remaining.
l If two indicators light up, the battery has 21 to 40 percent of its charge remaining.
l If three indicators light up, the battery has 41 to 60 percent of its charge remaining.
l If four indicators light up, the battery has 61 to 80 percent of its charge remaining.
l If five indicators light up, the battery has 81 to 100 percent of its charge remaining.
First Low-Battery Warning
The first low-battery warning —a blinking amber battery status indicator—occurs when you have about 15 minutes of battery life left under current
conditions and the computer is not connected to an electrical outlet. Figure 5 shows the battery status indicator.
Figure 5. Status Lights
After the first low-battery warning, if no input/output (I/O) activity occurs within 75 seconds, the computer activates S2D mode. If the computer has
no S2D partition, the computer enters standby mode. The computer can preserve data for several hours in standby mode.
1 Test button
2 Charge-level indicator
NOTES: An indicator that blinks rapidly when you check the battery’s charge level indicates a temporary failure or a potentially
recoverable failure like overheating. Allow the battery to cool for several minutes before checking the charge level again.
If the battery is experiencing a permanent failure, when you press the battery test button, you will see no indicators. If you install such a
battery into the computer, the amber battery status indicator on the computer flashes rapidly. To purchase a new battery, call Dell or
access the Dell World Wide Web site at http://www.dell.com. Dispose of the old battery properly.
NOTE: When charging a nickel-metal hydride battery, there may be a sudden jump in the reported charging percentage
from partially charged to fully charged.
1 Power indicator
2 Drive access indicator
3 Battery status indicator
NOTICE: When you see a low-battery warning, save your work immediately. Then replace the battery or connect your
computer to an electrical outlet. If your computer uses a nickel-metal hydride battery and you ignore the first low-
battery warning, the computer may activate S2D mode before displaying a second low-battery warning.