T61 Battery: Charge dropped from over 2 hours to roughly 2 seconds in one day

[k_a_u67]

I have a Lenovo T61 which I purchased in July of 2008.  Two years later I still have the same battery ( a 9 Cell), I always leave it in the optimize battery life setting and almost always leave the computer pluged in.  This week I used the computer sans the powercord and was getting roughly 2 and a half hours depending on my screen brightness.  The next day I turned on my computer (again sans power cord) and the computer would not turn on not even for one second. So I plugged in the computer.  It now lists the battery as 73% charged but as in poor condition.  My computer will not remain on at all if the cord is removed.  I am well aware that batteries lose power over time, however I find it incrediably suspcious that a battery would have a 2 and a half hour charge one day and then die the next day.  Is there a way reboot the battery?  Or at the very least can someone explain the massive one day detriaton of the battery?

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T61-and-prior-T-series-ThinkPad/NEW-Battery-Tip-Applicable-for-some-T-X-...

have you checked this?

[k_a_u67]

Yes, my battery is a 42t4530 and was not recalled.  As such Mark_Lenovo always relplies that one must by a new battery.  What Mark never addressed from the posts I have read is: How can a battary go from a near 3 hour charge to 100% dead in less than 24 hours. 

What  I did find was this

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Hi,     I had purchased a T61 in May last year. I purchased extra battery to get more juice for my machine (the ones that protrude at the back). I had almost 5-6 hours of backup when the battery was new. I maintain my batteries well and till last week I had 4 hours of backup, but suddenly one morning the battery went dead. The indicator is blinking yellow and battery went from 4 hours to 0 in a single day. I checked with recall program tool, and I am not a part of it, but I am sure that something is wrong with my battery and it is not natural decay of the battery. I have tried unplugging and putting the battery back in. The power manager gives message "A battery error has occured"     Battery Details:  Cycle Time: 157  Bar Code:1ZEA684FVX9  FRU part: 42T4530     Can someone help me on what options do I have? I called up customer care and they said I am out of warranty since April, so they cant do anything. But I am sure going from 4 hours to 0 in 1 day is not natural death of the battery.  

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As well as this

http://forums.lenovo.com/t5/T61-and-prior-T-series-ThinkPad/Battery-Issue-with-T61-Sudden-loss-of-po...

[lead_org Microsoft MVP Contributor]

the sudden death of battery could be due to the safety circuitry kicking in. 

[k_a_u67]

That makes sense, but what would have triggered it just age?

[ajkula66 Guru]

Not necessarily age-related. A couple of blown cells would most likely trigger the shutdown when discovered by the aforementioned circuitry.