How do I replace the BIOS battery?

Hi!

I have Packard-bell 450M+/4x4 computer and after 13 years of service,
the BIOS battery has died, causing all sorts of start-up problems.

How would I go about replacing the battery?

The onboard battery is likely to be a NiCad rechargeable. The computer will
charge it when powered on. Therefore you could try leaving the computer on
for a few days to see if the battery will come up, especially if has been
sitting.

Eventually, it wears out. I've got an Axcel 386SX-16 still running on its
original soldered NiCad, and it looks good--no sign of leakage or age. So
the lifetimes vary somewhat...

What you need may be a little hard to come by. The onboard battery is likely
a 3.6V unit, probably with a colored plastic wrapping around its body. You
may wish to try and remove it, as it can leak and then you will have all
kinds of problems. Anyway, the replacement battery you need is typically a
black rectangular package with a wire lead coming out of it. A four position
plastic plug will be attached to this, but only two positions at each end
will have a wire in them. One wire is - and the other +.

I'm sure that someone is still selling them, somewhere. Used to be that all
the regular suspects (battery makers) had one. I've seen them from
Ray-O-Vac, Duracell and Energizer. Tadiran also marketed one. If you can get
one, it's a plug and go affair, as long as the connector gets plugged in the
right way.

William

Hi!

Its a bit a revelation to know that I can use AA batteries as I was I
had a set a idea that only watch batteries can be used to power the
BIOS. Can they indeed be safely used and how long to AA Alkaline
batteries last? Can I substitute other concoctions of batteries like
lithium or titanium AA batteries?

Just get some good quality AA batteries if you want to do this. No sense in
getting all spendy on them. Locate them where any leak won't hurt anything.

Since you're only going to have 3 volts coming into the circuit from these,
the clock may run somewhat slowly. However, it may not be too bad, as these
things usually keep time going up to the bitter end of the battery's life.

For some more "advanced" tinkering, see these:

http://www.walshcomptech.com/ps2/dallasrework.html
http://greyghost.mooo.com/ds1387rework/

Your computer probably doesn't use one of those. Later PB systems did.

William

Hello William !

"William R. Walsh" m
wrote in message

Just get some good quality AA batteries if you want to do this. No sense
in
getting all spendy on them. Locate them where any leak won't hurt
anything.

Since you're only going to have 3 volts coming into the circuit from
these,
the clock may run somewhat slowly. However, it may not be too bad, as
these
things usually keep time going up to the bitter end of the battery's life.


Why? Why would the clock run slow ?

You know Bill, I tend to do a little research before I answer questions,
'cause I really dislike being wrong.

Some Packard Bell's use a Pansonic BR1225 3V bat on the motherboard.

http://parts.digikey.com/1/parts/123...m-br-1225.html

If you were actually here, I would point to various Packard Bell
motherboards with this battery on the motherboard. Some used a bat holder
with 2 1.5V AA bats, which my math equals 3V. Have some of those too.

I looked around the internet, and most if not all references were to a 3V
bat on his and other "older" motherboards. Before I responded to the
question.

Taking into consideration the "skill level" of the OP, I carefully
considered my answer, and figured my response would be the easiest course of
action. I could have come up with lots of other ideas, some of them
involving Plutonium U-238 or U-239, and even some Anti-matter suggestions.
But I decided that KISS would get the job done.


For some more "advanced" tinkering, see these:

If I have to come all the way down to Texas to straighten you out again, I'm
bringing DooM, my cat, and you're not gonna like it !

bobwatts


--
bobwatts

Watts Carburetion Service
WhizzBang Computers
" collector of Asian transfat plastic trinkets ! "
EartH // KlaXXoN

Hi!

Hello William !

Better late than never.

Why? Why would the clock run slow ?

You know Bill, I tend to do a little research before I answer questions,
'cause I really dislike being wrong.

I don't know that I'm right. :-)

But I know what I've seen on similar vintage PB systems, in the "3x3"
case...and that's a rechargeable, 3.6 or so volt NiCad package battery. If I
still had that 486 board, I'd shoot a picture of it. I'm not sure I can get
at the Accel machine right now, which has a Yuasa brand NiCad onboard.

Run a 3.6V clock on 3V and it might run a little slow. Or maybe not, if the
design can tolerate the battery voltage dropping. That's what I was coming
from, in light of what I knew. I tend to favor things that I've seen
firsthand as valid experience, as long as I understood what was there.

I've seen two other methods, what I'd call later and latest. The "later"
method is a Dallas clock module, and the latest is a CR2032 battery. My
mother's Legend desktop has a Dallas clock module. I am pretty sure that
I've got a P150 tower with a CR2032 battery in it.

If I have to come all the way down to Texas to straighten you out again,
I'm
bringing DooM, my cat, and you're not gonna like it !

You have a cat named DooM?

I may not like meeting this cat, but I sure DO like its name!

William

William R. Walsh wrote:
Hi!

Hello William !

Better late than never.

Why? Why would the clock run slow ?

You know Bill, I tend to do a little research before I answer questions,
'cause I really dislike being wrong.

I don't know that I'm right. :-)

But I know what I've seen on similar vintage PB systems, in the "3x3"
case...and that's a rechargeable, 3.6 or so volt NiCad package battery. If I
still had that 486 board, I'd shoot a picture of it. I'm not sure I can get
at the Accel machine right now, which has a Yuasa brand NiCad onboard.

Run a 3.6V clock on 3V and it might run a little slow. Or maybe not, if the
design can tolerate the battery voltage dropping. That's what I was coming
from, in light of what I knew. I tend to favor things that I've seen
firsthand as valid experience, as long as I understood what was there.

I've seen two other methods, what I'd call later and latest. The "later"
method is a Dallas clock module, and the latest is a CR2032 battery. My
mother's Legend desktop has a Dallas clock module. I am pretty sure that
I've got a P150 tower with a CR2032 battery in it.

If I have to come all the way down to Texas to straighten you out again,
I'm
bringing DooM, my cat, and you're not gonna like it !

You have a cat named DooM?

I may not like meeting this cat, but I sure DO like its name!

William



By the time PB started shipping Pentium systems, it also began using a
lot of Intel branded boards, all with CR2032. It took a long time for
the personal computer industry to standardize on CMOS batteries... Ben Myers

Hi William !

"William R. Walsh" m
wrote in message

You have a cat named DooM?

I may not like meeting this cat, but I sure DO like its name!

William



Of COURSE you would like meeting DooM ! He's neato. So is his brother
Hammer. Maverick is still skittish as hell ( for reasons unknown ), and
Josie you might have some trouble with. I have seen her hurt some people
pretty bad. O.C. ( outside Cat ) is ambivalent.

All strays, all in perfect condition.

DooM of course was named after the Greatest P.C. Game in History.

Hammer was named in honor of Mike Hammer.

D2 ( daughter two ) named Josie and Maverick.

O. C. is obvious. :-)

Stop in around feeding time, always a hoot !

bob