Travelmate P6 TMP614 battery drains to zero at about 5% each day when powered off and unplugged

JT2000

The battery of my new Acer Travelmate P6 TMP614 drains at a rate of about 5% each day when unplugged, even though the laptop is completely shut off.

Acer Support suggested the following fixes, but none resolved the issue:

  1. Turn off USB power (via Acer Quick Access app) and disconnect all devices.

  2. Reset the battery (pinhole reset).

  3. Turn off "Fast start-up" (in Power Options).

  4. Check the battery health (powercfg/batteryreport).

  5. Turn off the laptop through the Start/Power/Shut down menu. 

 

None of the above “fixes” resolved the problem: the battery continues to drain every day, even though the computer is entirely shut down.

At the current 5% per day rate, the battery is completely drained at about 20 days.  

What could be the problem, or is this daily drain normal for Acer laptops? All my other non-Acer laptops hold their battery charge for several months before dropping to zero.

And if this is normal for Acer laptops, does this not cause accelerated battery deterioration?

Thread was edited to add model name to the title

billsey

The first thing we will need to find out is if the issue is the battery actually going down, or just the number that Windows keeps for the remaining battery? In almost all cases like this it's Windows (and the battery) getting confused and thinking there is less power available than there really is. The battery reset is a good way to start, since if it's done properly the internal data stored on the battery goes back to stock.

Typically you need more than just pressing the reset button though. First disconnect everything, including power. Next press and hold the button for 15-30 seconds. Release the button and wait 15-30 minutes then plug power back in. Wait again until the charge indicator says the battery is full then turn it back on.

The next step is to force a Windows calibration. It takes a few times through to get it fully calibrated, but even a time or two will help a bunch. Disconnect the charger and run in Windows until the system shuts down due to the low battery. That's typically at 10% or less. With it down reconnect the charger and wait for the full battery indication. That is one calibration cycle, so do it again once or even a few times. Each time it will get better...

If it's still showing battery loss take a look at the USB ports and what is plugged in. On many newer models one port is designated as available for offline charging, That means it's powered even when the laptop is completely off, so anything plugged in can draw down.

JT2000

Thank you, Billsey, for the suggestions.

You wrote to check the USB ports re: offline charging, but I have already disabled that (see my original post, paragraph #1).

You also suggested a battery calibration procedure, but this does not address battery drainage when turned off. Calibrating the battery can improve the Windows OS reading of the battery capacity - which is not the issue (see my original post, paragraph #4). The battery report shows the capacity is near factory specifications, as one would expect from a new laptop.

billsey

Offline charging possibly isn't able to be fully disabled, since it isn't software controlled. What happen when you have nothing connected to any port?

Battery calibration, both the battery reset and the Windows calibration, are helpful if the current battery status is incorrect. The battery report uses different data for it's report. If the calibration is off enough to (for instance) make Windows think the battery is 20% lower than it actually is, or think it's going away while sleeping you will see the same symptoms as a offline drain on the battery will present.

JT2000

As I stated in my original post, paragraph #1, there is nothing connected to any USB port.

Regarding calibration: every article about calibration that I can find online says calibration can help with the amount of power a battery shows is remaining, and how much is actually left. Example: "... your laptop’s battery might show a good 75% (which means your laptop could last for at least 2 hours) but, surprisingly, it quickly drops down to 10%, and soon your laptop shuts off."

This is not the problem I am having. When my laptop runs on battery power, it runs for several hours, as is expected of a fairly new laptop.

Can you please post a link to an article that discusses calibration will help with batteries draining in a few days while the laptop is completely shut off?

billsey

Where I was going with the calibration, was the possibility that the perceived drop was in the poor calibration, rather than in actual battery drain. I'm running out of ideas, so it's likely best for you to contact Acer support.

JT2000

Thanks for your note Bill - yes, this one is quite the conundrum. Then again, there are plenty of similar posts (Acer battery draining while shut off) in the other Acer laptop forums, so I am beginning to think this is a systemic bug in the Acer firmware (?) given it's not a Windows OS problem. My Dell laptops don't drain to zero in a few days when turned off - only the Acer one does.

I've already contacted Acer Support, and they want me to ship the laptop back to them (at my own cost ...).

But I'm trying to avoid/delay shipping it back (at my own cost ...) for as long as possible, meaning for as long as the laptop is under warranty, as I use the laptop on a regular basis and don't want to wait for weeks/months until they fix the problem.