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I have an out-of-warranty Dell Latitude E7250 which sometimes shuts down suddenly when on battery:
- only when being physically handled/moved
- battery installed, not empty
- has happened while idling, so no issue with heat and unlikely to be software issue
- no warning or error, just instantly off
- no problems powering back on
The power/battery indicator also has blinked battery error codes when the laptop has been handled similarly with the AC adapter plugged in.
Other notes:
- BIOS reports the battery is in excellent condition
- the AC adapter is the original Dell unit
- BIOS diagnostics have reported no problems
The BIOS event log sometimes registers a not-very-descriptive error after these shutdowns.
I ran memory tests when I got it over a year ago, with no errors reported. The laptop has been reliable in general, but I'm afraid to handle or move it when doing anything important. It is very inconvenient to experience shutdowns even when data loss is not a worry.
My best guess is that it is due to some contact issue, since it happens when handling the laptop in a way that presses on the exposed battery pack on the bottom front area.
I don't notice anything wrong with the laptop's battery contacts, and the battery pack does not appear damaged or bloated.
Is there any known issue with the E7250 or its battery pack? Any ideas how to troubleshoot and solve this?
adatum
Posted 2020-01-21T02:25:50.327
Reputation: 101
Another answer (has happened to me a while back) is a small break in a circuit board trace on the motherboard. This will manifest itself in most / all of the symptoms above. – John – 2020-01-21T02:31:01.860
@John How difficult was it to spot such a break in a trace? I'm not sure I want to completely disassemble the laptop at the moment, but if/when I do, I'll keep this possibility in mind and try to inspect carefully. – adatum – 2020-01-21T02:38:08.287
My laptop back then was in warranty, and the technician said he was able to flex the board and cause the issue. The board was sent back and I got a replacement board. It would be very difficult to spot the break especially in a two or three layer board. You would need special circuit testing equipment to test the top or bottom surfaces – John – 2020-01-21T02:40:35.250
@John Oh, I see. Makes sense. One problem is that I have not been able to reproduce the shutdowns at will, despite the patterns I've observed. The Dell warranty is expired so I can't get service there without paying a significant fraction of its current value. I bought it refurbished and while I just realized the reseller's warranty may still be in effect, I'm not sure what can be done if I cannot demonstrate the problem. – adatum – 2020-01-21T03:15:10.700