View Full Version : my X5L 30 GB is dead. can't charge. please help!
hello
I am asking your help after reading posts in the forums and trying different solutions, but still no success. It is very frustrating since I am flying for a vacation tomorrow and I wanted my X5 with me.
I would appreciate your help very much!
Yesterday my X5L30GB battery was drained while it was connected to my computer and I'm not around. when came back and noticed that, my X5 was off and I couldn't turn it on.
A few hours later, I tried to charge it but it didn't respond (it should indicate on the screen). I tried to turn it on and it showed "low battery" for 2 seconds and went off again.
I tried to charge it on different electric plugs in the house and also through USB - nothing helped.
I read MANY posts in the forum in the same subject and some of them wrote that tech support asked them to do the following:
1. disconnect the x5 from everything. 2. try to turn it on (probably won't do). 3. reset the x5 4. charge it for at least 3 hours.
I have done that - it didn't help - the x5 just doesn't respond.
Please, see if you can help me.
Thanks a lot
guy
Konechiwa
09-17-2005, 09:41
Ok i might sound a little offensive, but did you check to see that:
a) the subpack is COMPLETELY in the connector port?
b) Their is power on the plugs?
so you say you have charged it for 3 hours, but still no response.
sorry i don't know what to say...
thanks for your answer.
I did check that the subpack is completely in the port and I checked that something else gets power from those plugs.
it doesn't seem to be that kind of a problem.
I did read about the battery going into a defensive state and I think this is the case here but I don't know how to solve this.
I wrote to COWON, but I don't think that the answer will be quick enough that I will solve it by tomorrow's flight, so I am trying to get help from someone who has been in this situation before.
please respond if you have any info.
thanks
guy
duhriddler
09-17-2005, 10:53
This might possibly be the problem. ( From http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm )
Some lithium-ion batteries fail due to excessive low discharge. If discharged below 2.5 volts per cell, the internal safety circuit opens and the battery appears dead. A charge with the original charger is no longer possible. Some battery analyzers (Cadex) feature a boost function that reactivates the protection circuit of a failed battery and enables a recharge. However, if the cell voltage has fallen below 1.5V/cell and has remained in that state for a few days, a recharge should be avoided because of safety concerns. To prevent failure, never store the battery fully discharged. Apply some charge before storage, and then charge fully before use.
does anyone have any idea of how to solve this?
duhriddler
09-17-2005, 18:43
Get a new battery. There is no way to "solve" it. Of course something completely different may have happened to your battery, and it may be repairable, but what you described sounds a lot like that safety circuit problem, in which case you're screwed. Note that I am by no means an expert, and generally listening to my advice alone without a second opinion is a very bad idea. Proceed with caution.
I have my new x5. no problem with x5, or only x5l has this problem?
duhriddler
09-18-2005, 12:10
I have my new x5. no problem with x5, or only x5l has this problem?
This is a problem specific to this person and his battery, not to the X5L line as a whole.
summerblink
09-21-2005, 00:47
holy crap, i have the EXACT same problem . . . any luck with that?
duhriddler
09-21-2005, 04:36
Since nobody has proven me wrong (yet...), I guess my logic is correct. Summerblink: There's a pretty good chance that you're screwed.
summerblink
09-22-2005, 03:13
noooooo!
what if i get a new battery? i recently lost all my mp3s due to a laptop failure - the ONLY place i have them backed up (for the most part) is on my x5 . . .
duhriddler
09-22-2005, 04:43
Yes, getting a new battery should work. All of the data is still on the X5 hard drive, you just can't access it without a battery that works. The problem is that if you RMA it you may lose all of the data on there, being that in says in the manual that you are responsible for backing up all of the data on there prior to RMAing the unit. So if they had to format the hard drive to make it work, then all of your mp3s would be lost. You might be able to buy a new battery seprately, but opening the unit to install it would void the warrenty and possibly make it ineligible for service even if you would have to pay for the service. Also you might mess up some stuff if youy installed it yourself. All factors combined, I'd say that you are screwed. If you are still able to run the X5 with the power cable plugged in, then you could still back up all of the data (assuming that you have somewhere to back it up to). Disclaimer: I am not an X5 expert, so any/all advice that I give might be wrong. As such, follow my advice at your own risk.
This describes my problem too. I have x5l 30gb
My x5 froze while listening back to a line in recording. I left it over night and the battery was dead in the morning. I cannot charge it through usb. The "connected" icon or the red charging light don't come on. I have tried it out with a number of computers and I have checked all the connections etc.
If it is a serious battery problem as outlined above what can I do to rectify things?
so is this problem likely to happen to any x5 when the battery runs down while running? if so it seems like a pretty serious product failure to me if you cant even let the battery run down without fear of breaking it!
this sounds serious. i recently bought an x5l and i wouldn't want this to happen. how widespread is this problem?
duhriddler
09-23-2005, 16:42
so is this problem likely to happen to any x5 when the battery runs down while running? if so it seems like a pretty serious product failure to me if you cant even let the battery run down without fear of breaking it!
It isn't just limited to the X5, it's ALL lithium-ion batteries. Just don't leave the X5 with a low charge for too long, and you'll be fine.
how widespread is this problem?
Well, I've heard of 3 cases so far, so take 3, divide it by the number of X5 owners, and times that by 100. Then you'll probably find that the number is less than 1 percent. Like I said above, don't leave any lithium-ion powered products with a low charge for too long and nothing bad should happen.
so is this problem likely to happen to any x5 when the battery runs down while running? if so it seems like a pretty serious product failure to me if you cant even let the battery run down without fear of breaking it!
It isn't just limited to the X5, it's ALL lithium-ion batteries. Just don't leave the X5 with a low charge for too long, and you'll be fine.
how widespread is this problem?
Well, I've heard of 3 cases so far, so take 3, divide it by the number of X5 owners, and times that by 100. Then you'll probably find that the number is less than 1 percent. Like I said above, don't leave any lithium-ion powered products with a low charge for too long and nothing bad should happen.
hold on a second, i thought you had to fully discharge the batteries every now and again to fully maintaint them properly?
I have been through the whole X5 forum when I got mine (about 5 days ago now) and I seem to remember a post in which the op had the same problem and contacted cowon about it. Cant find it anymore.
If I recall correctly, the battery (or the device?) puts itself in a protective mode when extremely low on power. Resetting it was the proposed solution, which seemed to work for the op.
I am very interested in the solution of your problems, guyor9 or cathal, as it is probable i will get into the same situation at least once, and I don't have easy access to support. Could you give us updates on this?
duhriddler
09-23-2005, 19:59
so is this problem likely to happen to any x5 when the battery runs down while running? if so it seems like a pretty serious product failure to me if you cant even let the battery run down without fear of breaking it!
It isn't just limited to the X5, it's ALL lithium-ion batteries. Just don't leave the X5 with a low charge for too long, and you'll be fine.
how widespread is this problem?
Well, I've heard of 3 cases so far, so take 3, divide it by the number of X5 owners, and times that by 100. Then you'll probably find that the number is less than 1 percent. Like I said above, don't leave any lithium-ion powered products with a low charge for too long and nothing bad should happen.
hold on a second, i thought you had to fully discharge the batteries every now and again to fully maintaint them properly?
Yes, you do, but the problem lies in leaving it that way for any extended period of time.
true. but... it seems like this "extended" period of time is pretty subjective. personally, i feel that it's a very short window... i mean, it seems like guyor and cathal's problem was that they left the battery totally drained for about a day at the very most.
duhriddler
09-24-2005, 10:50
true. but... it seems like this "extended" period of time is pretty subjective. personally, i feel that it's a very short window... i mean, it seems like guyor and cathal's problem was that they left the battery totally drained for about a day at the very most.
Which is exactly what you shouldn't do. If you are planning a full discharge/recharge, then you should be there to monitor it. I recommend using it normally (not intentionally trying to run down the battery by letting it play movies overnight) until the battery gets semi low. At that point turn it off and leave it that way until you get to a charger and you have a few hours to burn. Then you should run some movies to run down the battery as quickly as possible. Once it's completely run down, plug it in IMMEDIATELY to the charger. Doing it this way will make it very unlikely for any battery problems to occur while still giving you the ability to maintain the battery.
Disclaimer: I really don't know what I'm talking about. The previous statement was based off of logical and educated guesses. As I have no experience with this kind of situation, my advice should be followed with extreme caution. Following my advice is at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage to anything tangible or intangible resulting from any following of my advice. Use of my advice constitutes agreement with this disclaimer.
Disclaimer: I really don't know what I'm talking about. The previous statement was based off of logical and educated guesses. As I have no experience with this kind of situation, my advice should be followed with extreme caution. Following my advice is at your own risk. I am not liable for any damage to anything tangible or intangible resulting from any following of my advice. Use of my advice constitutes agreement with this disclaimer.
like the disclaimer :)
as for your theory about the battery, i am still not sure i buy it. i have lots of devices whihc run on lithium ion rechargeable batteries whihc get discharged all the time and then not fully recharged for days, and this problem never seems to occur with them. and surely if this were the case they should write on the manual dont not leave fully discharge in big bold writing as a warning. and what about when you first get it, it could have been sitting fully discharged on a shelf for weeks and it still works
Konechiwa
09-24-2005, 13:20
my iriver H10 had a completely discharged battery all the time, and sometimes i wouldnt charge it for hours, and it was fine.
Iaudio_God
09-24-2005, 13:48
hello
I am asking your help after reading posts in the forums and trying different solutions, but still no success. It is very frustrating since I am flying for a vacation tomorrow and I wanted my X5 with me.
I would appreciate your help very much!
Yesterday my X5L30GB battery was drained while it was connected to my computer and I'm not around. when came back and noticed that, my X5 was off and I couldn't turn it on.
A few hours later, I tried to charge it but it didn't respond (it should indicate on the screen). I tried to turn it on and it showed "low battery" for 2 seconds and went off again.
I tried to charge it on different electric plugs in the house and also through USB - nothing helped.
I read MANY posts in the forum in the same subject and some of them wrote that tech support asked them to do the following:
1. disconnect the x5 from everything. 2. try to turn it on (probably won't do). 3. reset the x5 4. charge it for at least 3 hours.
I have done that - it didn't help - the x5 just doesn't respond.
Please, see if you can help me.
Thanks a lot
guy
Please try this:
Alot of the people are right in this thread, the battery has gone below a certain voltage level triggering it to go into a safety mode. So even when you plug the ac adaptor to your device you will not see anything displayed at all, but the x5s battery may still have some type of reaction when plugging in the device to the ac, you just wont be able to see it. So to take it out of its safety mode you would insert the ac and slide a pin into the reset hole and hold it there for about 5 seconds I believe. Then from what my engineers have told me, you will have to leave the ac adaptor connected to the unit for a very very long time, I think he said 24 hours atleast. Sorry If I sound uncertain but we had this issue last week and its early in the morning for me.
duhriddler
09-24-2005, 14:36
See, I told you that my advice sucked! :)
Hello everyone. I am sorry I didn't respond earlier. as I wrote, I flew for a vacation.
I want to make it clear that I have left my X5 for only one hour. I am certain that this is a problem with the battery management and should be taken care of urgently.
I got an answer from COWON to send them my order number and get RMA.
Though, this is not my preffered solution as I don't live in the US and I have a problem sending it for replacement.
I did try a week ago to solve it as "Iaudio_God" suggested, but for only 15 hours so I am trying that again now after another reset.
I will update you all with any development.
thank you all and have a nice week.
guy
Iaudio_God
09-25-2005, 13:07
Hello everyone. I am sorry I didn't respond earlier. as I wrote, I flew for a vacation.
I want to make it clear that I have left my X5 for only one hour. I am certain that this is a problem with the battery management and should be taken care of urgently.
I got an answer from COWON to send them my order number and get RMA.
Though, this is not my preffered solution as I don't live in the US and I have a problem sending it for replacement.
I did try a week ago to solve it as "Iaudio_God" suggested, but for only 15 hours so I am trying that again now after another reset.
I will update you all with any development.
thank you all and have a nice week.
guy
If all else fails of course the only solution is to send it in for a replacement. If you are under the 1 year factory warranty Im sure we will replace it for you. In which country do you reside in?
I bought my X5 3-4 months ago from COWON America's internet site , so I am still under warranty.
I live in Israel.
1-2 months ago BUG, which I think is COWON's agent in Israel, started offering iAudio's products.
I am afraid your advice didn't work and I would like to get your help replacing it in Israel via BUG, which sells iAudio's products.
can you help me with that, please?
thanks a lot
guy
oi. so there is no other choice then... other than completely replacing the battery.
psyscott
09-27-2005, 20:15
I just had the same thing occur, under some not-very-unusual circumstances.
I left my X5 (Not an X5L) connected to my computer using the USB. (I'd turned off the USB charging option this weekend when I'd plugged it into another computer through a hub.) I returned in about 6 hours and the X5 screen was dark and the computer showed the typical warning, that I'd disconnected the storage device without 'safely removing' it.
Now, I plug in the charger, and get no response. This is after only about 6 hours on a battery that probably was only about half discharged before I left it!
I've followed the instructions of Iaudio_God. I plugged in the charger and pushed the reset, holding it in for 5+ seconds. Now, I'll leave it charging for a while and see what happens.
HAS THIS 'RESET AND 24-HOUR CHARGE PROCEDURE WORKED FOR ANYONE?
In my opinion, having this problem occur from leaving it for an afternoon could be a SERIOUS DEFECT! (Unless the reset+long charge works, in which case it's not so serious.)
So, duhriddler figures "Then you'll probably find that the number is less than 1 percent. Like I said above, don't leave any lithium-ion powered products with a low charge for too long and nothing bad should happen." So, is SIX HOURS really too long? Even if it were nearly discharged (and it wasn't), to call that 'too long' would be ridiculous. I don't know that a 1% failure rate is anything to brag about, but I also think that rate is will go up over time (By duhriddler's figuring, it's up to 1.3% now). In my case, I just forgot to turn on the USB charging option and left it plugged in (to the computer but NOT the AC charger) for an afternoon. Could that happen to you?
If the reset+long charge works, this is a relatively minor defect (but still a problem). If it doesn't work... I'll tell you know tomorrow.
PS
What happened with your X5, summerblink?
summerblink
09-28-2005, 03:09
still dead . . . i called Cowon yesterday and they were VERY nice about it . . . i got an RMA number and i'm sending mine in. also got some resolution on the Suntec issue, but i'll post that in the appropriate thread . . .
duhriddler
09-28-2005, 04:44
Look psyscott, I never claimed that I was right and that my word is law. What is 'too long' can vary by person and perception. All I know is that I'm being careful with my batteries, and I suggest that everyone else do the same. Now, you say that 6 hours isn't long, but was the screen on the whole time, or did you remember to turn it off? If the screen and the backlight were on the whole time, then I could definitely see a X5 battery being dead after 6 hours (from half charge).
psyscott
09-28-2005, 09:37
GOOD NEWS for me, and maybe others who encounter a similar problem: IT LIVES.
When I got to the office this morning, my X5 was charged and working OK. I'm not sure that it had suffered the same kind of problem as others, where the battery switches to a 'safety mode.' However, last night it did not come alive when I plugged in the charger, even after an hour or two. But, after a reset and overnight charge, it's OK. Also, I'm not sure the reset was necessary in this case. (Sorry it didn't work for you, summerblink - probably a different, hardware problem.)
Sorry, duhriddler, I know that was just your opinion, not law. I didn't mean to sound so critical (& I agree with your reply.). At the time, I was frustrated and a little shocked. And no, I did not remember to turn off the screen. Since I was too dim to turn on the USB charging option, would I be bright enough to turn off the screen? My lesson, to share with others, is simply that having the X5 connected to a computer, with the USB set to Hub rather than Computer/Charge, and with the screen on, can drain the battery surprisingly (to me) fast, considering there was no other activity and the X5 was left so dead. I know better now, so that's something I'll be careful to avoid in the future.
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