Replacement battery for Dell E1505 laptop?

Hey PC cags,

I don't usually post over in this forum, but I thought a CAG might have a good suggestion. My dad has had a Dell Inspiron laptop E1505 for about 18 months. The battery it came with now only holds it's charge for about 30-35 minutes. Reading on dell.com, this is pretty common for this model. Is there a good non-Dell battery that will work that anyone is aware of? Replacements from dell run about $130 and are known to fail within 12-18 months. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[quote name='coolz481']Hey PC cags,

I don't usually post over in this forum, but I thought a CAG might have a good suggestion. My dad has had a Dell Inspiron laptop E1505 for about 18 months. The battery it came with now only holds it's charge for about 30-35 minutes. Reading on dell.com, this is pretty common for this model. Is there a good non-Dell battery that will work that anyone is aware of? Replacements from dell run about $130 and are known to fail within 12-18 months. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]

To be honest, you shouldn't buy a non dell battery because you will be SOL if the battery damages your laptop.

That being said, I also own an E1505. My original battery still holds a decent charge (1-2 hours) but I also have the extended 9-cell battery which will last upwards of 4 hours depending on my power scheme.

Here's my recommendation. Pony up the cash for the 9-cell and make sure you use good battery saving techniques to prolong the life of the battery. Here's a quick list of the things I do to keep my battery kicking. (Forgive me if mention anything you are already doing.)

1) If you plan on using the laptop with AC for long periods of time, leave the new battery out. Let your original battery bear the brunt of the recharge damage.

2) Try to completely deplete the battery before recharging (yes, I know, this is very difficult but every little bit helps)

3) Take advantage of the Dell QuickSet battery profiles. They really do prolong battery life.

4) Dim the screen brightness. This one, in particular, works wonders for me.
3)

5) Disable the wireless network adapter whenever possible


There are a few others that I can't remember right now. Regardless, getting a new battery (and keeping it in prestine condition) is really the smartest choice for you right now. I know it sounds expensive but the returns far outweighs the investment.

Damn, 30-35 minutes is pretty weak. I am starting to have the same problem. I have the same Laptop, with a 9 cell battery, and have had it for around 15 months. The battery last for around 1 hour and 35 minutes- it used to last for around 3:30ish(with everything on low). Recently it has been giving me this message.

"Your battery is able to charge normally. However it is reaching the end of its usable life. Your can experience a longer operating time with a new battery. Your might want to consider purchasing a replacement battery now."

I have the regular 2 year warranty. Does it cover the battery in any way?

Where on Dell did you find the information about the bad batteries? The reviews?