ACER Switch SA5-271 Battery Bulge Does ACER replace the faulty battery?

Leeham

My Switch SA5-271 has been excellent since I purchased it new from Costco in 2016, except for the screen popping up about a year after the warranty expired. I've now learned that it's caused by a battery defect. The battery also gets extremely hot and smells like an electrical fire. Does ACER replace the faulty battery? Is this a safety hazard?

Here's the information on my computer:

Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6200U CPU @ 2.30GHz  2.40 GHz

Product ID 00325-95959-88913-AAOEM

Thank you for helping.

[Edited the thread to add issue detail]

billsey

I don't believe so, IIRC the battery is used to power the motherboard and the charger is only used to charge the battery. If you are not able to replace the computer with a newer one then the best step is to replace the battery, even if it's only with a compatible replacement.

billsey

Acer used to replace the batteries on a case by case basis even after the warranty expires. I don't know if they still do that, but it would surprise me, since they are so old now. A replacement battery isn't too expensive though, and if you are careful you won't damage the cable that runs between the motherboard and the keyboard connector when removing the case half... (Don't ask me how I know. :))

Leostat

If its bulging and smells it is a bit of a fire hazard though! Id keep it away from anything flamable incase it pop's

billsey

I'd guess they likely will no longer do that, just because of the age of the machine. The Switch Alpha 12 came out in the US in April of 2016, so it's close to seven years old now. It's not too expensive to replace the battery though, so if you want to continue using it I'd take the new battery route. I see them on Amazon for around $30-50...

Leeham

Hello everyone. I’m not comfortable replacing the battery since the new ones I found are all from unknown brands. It also seems Acer, though admitting the battery is defective, is unwilling to send me a replacement.

Is it possible to operate the Switch Alpha 12 without a battery? I don’t mind having it plugged in whenever I’m using it.

billsey

I don't believe so, IIRC the battery is used to power the motherboard and the charger is only used to charge the battery. If you are not able to replace the computer with a newer one then the best step is to replace the battery, even if it's only with a compatible replacement.