Dell Knew about Battery Problems

[Shof]

Dell's recall of 4.1 million fire-prone laptop batteries takes the heat off the company for now, but a former Dell technician says Dell has known about the problem for more than two years.

Robert Day, Dell's lead acoustic technician from 1997-2005, said the computer company received hundreds of laptops that were charred or melted as a result of the defective battery, which Dell is now recalling.

Day shared hundreds of photos of laptops with ConsumerAffairs.Com that he downloaded prior to leaving the company in January 2005. His lab was next to the Product Safety Investigations lab (PSI).

Day says Dell tried to hide the problem from the public for years. "They didn't want anyone to know how serious of a problem it was," Day said.

The photos are from one of PSI's technician's archives. By 2005 there were 14 technicians in that lab.

The findings of each lab, including the PSI, were submitted monthly to executives, so Day said there is no way many of the senior executives at Dell have not known about this problem for years.

He said after Dell started using the Sony batteries in 2003, the PSI started receiving so many charred laptops that Day's lab, located next to the PSI, had to store many of the laptops.

Day said he didn't know how many charred laptops Dell received as a result of the batteries, but said it was, "in the hundreds."

Day sent ConsumerAffairs.Com over 300 photographs of about 100 different laptops. It appears that about 12 of those melted laptops were the result of the battery while the rest were from various other electrical shorts and CPU fan failures. He said there were many more battery-burned laptops than that, but he only had access to one technician's archives.

Day now works as a technician for Apple and said he left Dell after he turned in a Dell executive involved in a sex scandal. Dell did not return two phone calls.

More infomation and source can be found on this site:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006...es_history.html

Dell Denies It Knew of Overheating Battery Problem for Years

A published report says Dell might have known about a problem regarding overheating laptop batteries at least two years before the computer goliath issued a safety recall. The company denies it.

A person identified as an anonymous Dell insider leaked scores of documents to CRN, a computer industry publication, that indicated Dell knew of a dangerous battery malfunction for two years before a shocking video of an exploding laptop forced the company to recall batteries for about 22,000 laptops.

The source told CRN that the documentation, which included photographs of charred and melted laptops, was distributed to Dell executives years ago.

More Infomation and Source can be found here:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006..._batteries.html

[dagamer34]

This is becoming more a PR scandal than an technical issue. It's all over the nightly news and Dell is getting bad rep for it.

Does anyone know exactly how these laptops start ablaze? If people are leaving them on carpets (and there have been videos of such acts before) then all blame lies on the laptop owner. I'm not thinking that this laptops randomly catch on fire, otherwise this is more serious than Dell claims it to be (oh, and say good bye to some market share too).

[Shof]

a few times when i left my dell laptop on for a few days, it was alitte hotter then normal and was on a wooden table

I am surpised my laptop is not affected by this recall

[I am Reid]

I dont think the problem is only dell. Its just that they sell so many computers the number is going to be huge compared to other companies. If anything the blame should be on sony for making a ****ty battery.

[zeroday]

Does anyone know exactly how these laptops start ablaze?

It happens because of a short circut in the battery, it can also happen when the laptop is off:

Does this happen only when the notebook is on?

It's more likely to happen while browsing the Web or playing a game, but it can also happen while the notebook is turned off, Norrod said. When the notebook is on and using the battery, the cell is changing because it's either charging or discharging, and that can alter the cell enough to work the metal particle through the last little bit of the insulator, he said.

Full Story: http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6105977.html

[Allan]

I dont think the problem is only dell. Its just that they sell so many computers the number is going to be huge compared to other companies. If anything the blame should be on sony for making a ****ty battery.

One of the main reasons I absolutly hate Sony products now. They were good in the late 80s early 90's (the best Disc Man of the time!) But they have grown too damn cocky with themselves, and think they are the shizzle. Sony only did a good game console. I amost bought a Viao, but after it wouldn't install a fresh install of MY copy of Winows, and it wouldn't allow me to delete some sony software, and wouldn't allow Logitech SetPoint I got my money back.

[biatche]

https://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/

[+mrbester MVC]

An old Latitude I had in a previous job used to keep my lap nice and toasty warm in the winter...

[yukycg]

Dell+Sony = Nightmare?

[Randolph]

Day now works as a technician for Apple and said he left Dell after he turned in a Dell executive involved in a sex scandal

LOL. But I can't believe they knew about this for years. :crazy:

[DrunkenMaster]

Now I know that the Dell batteries are made to Dell specs by Sony. But its funn, becuase I don't remember ever reading about Sony batteries ever being recalled in last two years. Now the specs might be different but I would think the materials and construction methods, machinery is all the same.

You go to this link, and the US CPC is reviewing the Sony batteries now too.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=206...&refer=home

Someone is lukcy a laptop battery hasn't burned down their house. Methinks I'm not buying any laptop (of any brand) and not leaving my desktop on unattended anymore.