Acer Chromebook Spin 514 battery not charging

FloridaArt
FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

Tinkerer
in Chromebooks
Bought this Chromebook last month and love it.  Now it won't charge.  I've tried the reset procedure (unplug, hold power button 15-seconds) and it does not fix the problem.  I do not see a battery reset pin-hole that some Chromebooks have.  When plugged in (with the Acer adaptor), the indicator says "13% - Calculating..." but it never finishes calculating.  How do I fix this problem?

Answers

  • Tachi13
    Tachi13 Member Posts: 135 Skilled Fixer WiFi Icon
    Hi @FloridaArt

    Do a reset. Try holding the reload button (4th button from the top left) and turn on the computer (press and release power). Unit should turn on, if not, Hold ESC and reload and turn on the unit, if unit turns on, Try Ctrl + D, then tap ENTER, Space, ENTER as per the prompts to reset the unit. that should fix it.
    Please click on "Yes" if you find this answer helpful. :):)
  • FloridaArt
    FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Hi Tachi13 - The Chromebook turns on OK.  However it will not charge.  With charger plugged in, the orange light is on, steady.  But the % never goes up.  Here is what I've tried so far, but the problem persists:

    1)  Tried the "hard reset" as described on this page: https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/3227606

    2)  Tried "reset battery percentage" as described on this page, and let it sit overnight for Step 4:  https://chromeunboxed.com/news/acer-chromebook-r11-batter-not-charging

    3) Tried "battery calibration" by running the Chromebook on the battery until the battery was exhausted and the unit shut down automatically.  Plugged in the charger, orange charge light comes on as it should, let it sit for an hour.  Still on charger, power the unit on and battery indicator shows "1% - Calculating..."

    4) Your suggestion (ESC+RELOAD+POWER, followed by CTRL-D) appears to put the machine into Developer Mode and wipe the machine clean.  The message says: "You are attempting to enable developer mode.  This involved erasing all data from your device..."  I prefer NOT to take that drastic step just yet.

    Since the machine is new (purchased Jan 7, 2022), I wonder if I should just get it replaced at Best Buy.  If I go that far, I'll need to Powerwash anyway.

    For now I will continue to search for a less drastic fix.  I appreciate any help from anyone.  Thank you.
  • Easwar
    Easwar Member Posts: 6,727 Guru
    Hi @FloridaArt,

    Are you getting any light indication when charger is connected.
  • FloridaArt
    FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Hi Easwar.  It has gotten worse since my previous post.  Now the Chromebook will not turn on at all.  With the charger plugged in, there is an amber light (steady) as there should be, but the battery does not charge and the Chromebook will not turn on at all.  

    I contacted Acer support and they will repair it under warranty, after I mail it in.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,206 Trailblazer
    Let us know if they fix it, especially if they say what they replaced...
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • FloridaArt
    FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Hi Billsey -- I'll be happy to provide a follow-up after getting it back from Acer Service.
  • FloridaArt
    FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    Hello Acer Community!  Here is a follow-up to my Chromebook problem.  Brief recap:  My Acer Spin 514 would not hold a charge, and once the battery went to zero, the Chromebook would not turn on at all even with the factory charger plugged in.

    Since it was only about 6-weeks old, Acer paid for shipping both ways.  It was sent to the Acer repair center in Temple (Waco) TX.  Shipped 2/24/22 and arrived Acer 3/1/22.  Repair completed and shipped back 3/14/22.  Received it back yesterday evening, 3/18/22.  The paperwork shows a replacement of the battery (3-cell polymer 4820MAH).  They also provided a new factory charger (adapter 45W USB Type-C 20V 3-P).  Finally, they Powerwashed and tested it.

    It arrived fully charged.  Today I start from scratch, setting it up and loading my apps.  Overall I am pleased with Acer service!
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,206 Trailblazer
    Good to k now. It had sounded like an issue with the battery itself and ii looks like that had the same opinion. :)
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • ChromebookLover
    ChromebookLover Member Posts: 1 New User
    FloridaArt said:
    Hello Acer Community!  Here is a follow-up to my Chromebook problem.  Brief recap:  My Acer Spin 514 would not hold a charge, and once the battery went to zero, the Chromebook would not turn on at all even with the factory charger plugged in.

    Since it was only about 6-weeks old, Acer paid for shipping both ways.  It was sent to the Acer repair center in Temple (Waco) TX.  Shipped 2/24/22 and arrived Acer 3/1/22.  Repair completed and shipped back 3/14/22.  Received it back yesterday evening, 3/18/22.  The paperwork shows a replacement of the battery (3-cell polymer 4820MAH).  They also provided a new factory charger (adapter 45W USB Type-C 20V 3-P).  Finally, they Powerwashed and tested it.

    It arrived fully charged.  Today I start from scratch, setting it up and loading my apps.  Overall I am pleased with Acer service!
    Hey there @FloridaArt - Bought my Acer Spin 514 refurbished by Acer on eBay a few days ago and LOVE it but unfortunately seem to have run into the same problem. The amber light glows when the charger is plugged in but I can tell it’s not charging because the brick doesn’t even get warm and when I checked with my Kill-a-Watt, no power is being drawn when laptop is plugged in. 

    I’m going to contact Acer support in the morning.
  • billsey
    billsey ACE Posts: 34,206 Trailblazer
    Yes, likely your best choice... IIRC the refurbs have a 90 day warranty so they'll get you fixed up.
    Click on "Like" if you find my answer useful or click on "Yes" if it answers your question.
  • FloridaArt
    FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer

    Hey ChromeBookLover, glad to hear you like your Spin 514 as much as I like mine! I've become involved with a couple of condo committees that have required me to share my screen on a large TV monitor in the meeting room. Glad I got the Spin 514 version with the HDMI port. Works great. I also have an HDMI adaptor that uses the USB-C port to drive an HDMI monitor. Also works flawlessly.

    And I've been doing Zoom meetings with the Spin 514. Works well with camera, Zoom, and several other apps running. This is a powerful machine!

    By the way, my battery charging has been completely normal since Acer Support replaced the battery. It's amazing how many hours (actually days of use) I get on a battery charge. I try not to let it drain below about 20-percent. I also try not to let it stay connected to the charger for more than about 24 hours. Old wive's tales? What is best practice here for preserving the life-cycle of a laptop battery?

  • wascas
    wascas Member Posts: 1,228 Overclocked Contributor WiFi Icon
    edited August 2022

    @ FloridaArt,

    I can give you some advice on how to preserve the life of your battery. In fact, a state of charge of 40-80% is best for Li-Ion batteries. However, in practical use, this is hard to achieve unless the device offers an adjustable charge limit of 80%. I think Lenovo has something like that built in. Smartphones from Samsung and Apple also offer this option, although the question is whether something like this makes sense for smartphones, since many people want to use the device all day and therefore rely on a full charge. In addition, these batteries are cheap and can be replaced quickly. The 80% charge limit is by all means no nonsense. Tesla, for example, recommends only charging the battery up to 80% and only going to 90% in exceptional cases. Since these batteries are much more expensive than batteries in smartphones and laptops, a long lifetime is naturally desirable here. Deep discharge cycles, constant charging at 100% and too high temperatures also put unnecessary stress on the battery and lead to higher wear.

    So, do not leave your device with built-in battery permanently connected to the power supply and carry out regular charge and discharge cycles, i.e. disconnect the device from the power supply, discharge the battery and charge it again. And do not expose your device to excessive heat.

  • junctionmario
    junctionmario Member Posts: 2 New User

    From M. Rodriguez - New User:

    I initiated my comment earlier today - My ACER Chomebook Spin 514 will NOT charge. It practically brand new. Basically what I'm seeing is this thread of comments is a common problem and no one seems to have an answer. So…my first experience with an ACER Product is it's garbage…and it's wrought with complicated problems, starting with a laptop that can not hold a charge.

    I tried to follow the complicated list of suggestions…nothing seems to work.

    Anyone else got a clearer suggestion for fixing this problem?

  • FloridaArt
    FloridaArt Member Posts: 7

    Tinkerer
    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1254621#Comment_1254621

    Hello M. Rodriguez! I had the same problem with my Acer chromebook when it was new. Battery would not charge no matter what I tried. Since it was brand new and under warranty, I contacted Acer and sent it in for repair. They replaced the battery and even sent me a new charger. All at no charge. My chromebook has worked flawlessly since then.

    Although the battery failure and the two-week turnaround time were annoying, I am very happy that early problem was resolved. Would I buy an Acer chromebook again? Yes!

    Please let us know how your situation gets resolved. Will you be sending it in for repair or replacement?

Categories