I had to remove the battery from my chromebook because it swelled up.

I’d like to get a new battery. I only need enough juice to survive being unplugged for a few minutes without shutting down abruptly.

The chromebook was about $60 to buy. With shipping and tax, a new battery is priced $40-80.

I like the device, I have put the time in to getting linux functioning how I like, so I’d rather not start fresh with a new chromebook. And I have no money.

Is there some kind of vendor that sells old batteries that don’t have much power in them? I was hoping to spend about $20. Maybe some sort of recycler.

location: Canada

part #: gm02xl

Secondary questions:

  • Is it possible to bypass the battery as a power source when plugged in so that they don’t get swollen in the future? I would rather just leave devices plugged in all the time.

  • Is there a way to make the USB power more securely attached so it doesn’t disconnect at the slightest movement? Super glue?

  • reboot@lemmy.worldOP
    1·
    9 days ago

    There are organizations that “recycle” donated electronics by getting old devices working and selling them at relatively low cost. One of them might have an old battery. Most run locally, or work through other organizations to get the devices to people who need them.

    I know a couple such organizations locally. I’ll check their listings and try emailing them in case they happen to have the part around. The market was flooded with this model of device a few years ago… I think some large educational system upgraded all at once and someone bought them in bulk to sell as refurbs pretty cheap. There must be lots of them around; the trick is to find one.

    You might be able to get a used chromebook off marketplace or craigslist for cheaper than buying a new battery. You might even be able to find a similar model to get the battery.

    It’s a good idea I’ll have a look. Just from getting Linux up and running I know one issue with these devices is that there are a lot of variations of the model, and models that have names sounding similar, look same from the outside, but with slightly different components. There’d be some risk of getting a slightly wrong model so I’ll have to see what’s available, what’s the price, and decide how lucky I feel.

    The laptop will probably run without a battery at all. Do you really need it to run while unplugged?

    It needs power from somewhere, either a battery or an AC adaptor. Since I have removed the battery, it has no backup. Any slight jostling of the very sensitive USB port that interrupts the power even for a moment results in abrupt shutdown. I just need a little bit of backup to be able to tolerate short gaps. I don’t think this thing even has a CMOS battery!

    The port can probably be replaced by someone who knows how to solder. However, have you tried different usb cables to determine if it’s the cable or port that is the problem?

    Yes it’s definitely the port. Tried different cables, and the same cable on other devices which don’t have the problem.

    If it is the port then you might be able to gently squeeze the female port with pliers to make it tighter. Don’t over-do it or you’ll fold it closed completely.

    I understand what you mean. I’ll have a look at it and see if I can determine where the looseness is. I will try to squeeze it if it looks safe. Put something in the port to brace it probably.