spontaneous reboot while charging

A few months ago, my N810 started spontaneously rebooting when it is plugged
into the charger. I haven't updated any software on it in over a year and made
no major configuration changes to it in over a year. It doesn't spontaneously
reboot when not plugged in. When plugged in, it sometimes does and sometimes
doesn't spontaneously reboot. When it does, it will go through several (about
a half dozen) reboot cycles and then stop. It sometimes stops in a powered on
state and sometimes stops in a powered off state.

Separate from this, I have noticed some strange behavior of the battery charge
indicator on the home screen. Often, it will indicate a full, or almost full
charge, and then after a very brief period of use, switch to indicating a very
low level of charge. Sometimes so low that it switches off. Then I plug it in
and reboot and unplug and it indicates a full charge again after being plugged
in only briefly. But this means that I can't reliably take it with me in my
pocket and use it for several hours a day as I have done for much of the past
year and a half.

I thought that the battery might need replacement since it is the original
battery from when I bought the N810 a year and a half ago. I purchased a
non-Nokia battery that claimed to be compatible (BP-4L I think). When I put it
in and plug the charger in, it always power cycles and begins a reboot about a
half dozen times in a row (it doesn't finish the reboot before spontaneously
power cycling) then eventually stops in a powered off state. The battery never
charges.

Any ideas? Should I try a new Nokia battery? Should I try a new charger? Is it
likely a software problem or a hardware problem? Except for the
charging/battery problem, it works as reliably as it has since I purchased it.
I rely on my N810 as a pocketable laptop (with a bluetooth keyboard) on almost
a daily basis. But I don't want to purchase a new one since I plan to purchase
the N900/Rover when it comes out.

Jeff (http://www.ece.purdue.edu/~qobi)

Jeffrey Mark Siskind wrote:
> A few months ago, my N810 started spontaneously rebooting when it is plugged
> into the charger. I haven't updated any software on it in over a year and made
> no major configuration changes to it in over a year. It doesn't spontaneously
> reboot when not plugged in. When plugged in, it sometimes does and sometimes
> doesn't spontaneously reboot. When it does, it will go through several (about
> a half dozen) reboot cycles and then stop. It sometimes stops in a powered on
> state and sometimes stops in a powered off state.

Hi Jeffrey,

Charging is possible when device is booted normally to desktop {i.e. you
use it and then plug the charger in while it is on) or there is special
charging only mode when you plug in the charge when device is off. I'm
not sure which of those two ways of charging you use.

I guess those reboots happen in charging only mode but I am not sure. If
this is so, try to plug the charger in only when the device is turned on
to avoid that special charging only mode. If battery is low and device
turns itself off before fully booted, turn it on via power button and
plug the charger in immediatelly after screen lights up.

>
> Often, it will indicate a full, or almost full
> charge, and then after a very brief period of use, switch to indicating a very
> low level of charge. Sometimes so low that it switches off.

This may indeed be a sign of poor battery.

> When I put it
> in and plug the charger in, it always power cycles and begins a reboot about a
> half dozen times in a row (it doesn't finish the reboot before spontaneously
> power cycling) then eventually stops in a powered off state. The battery never
> charges.
>
> Any ideas? Should I try a new Nokia battery? Should I try a new charger? Is it
> likely a software problem or a hardware problem?

I'd guess it is a software problem (and reflashing may help as a last
resort). Same problem was also discussed in thread "N800 Power cycles"
last month in maemo-developers.

Frantisek

On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 11:20 AM, Jeffrey Mark Siskind<qobi@purdue.edu> wrote:
> A few months ago, my N810 started spontaneously rebooting when it is plugged
> into the charger. I haven't updated any software on it in over a year and made
> no major configuration changes to it in over a year. It doesn't spontaneously
> reboot when not plugged in. When plugged in, it sometimes does and sometimes
> doesn't spontaneously reboot. When it does, it will go through several (about
> a half dozen) reboot cycles and then stop. It sometimes stops in a powered on
> state and sometimes stops in a powered off state.
>
> Separate from this, I have noticed some strange behavior of the battery charge
> indicator on the home screen. Often, it will indicate a full, or almost full
> charge, and then after a very brief period of use, switch to indicating a very
> low level of charge. Sometimes so low that it switches off. Then I plug it in
> and reboot and unplug and it indicates a full charge again after being plugged
> in only briefly. But this means that I can't reliably take it with me in my
> pocket and use it for several hours a day as I have done for much of the past
> year and a half.
>
> I thought that the battery might need replacement since it is the original
> battery from when I bought the N810 a year and a half ago. I purchased a
> non-Nokia battery that claimed to be compatible (BP-4L I think). When I put it
> in and plug the charger in, it always power cycles and begins a reboot about a
> half dozen times in a row (it doesn't finish the reboot before spontaneously
> power cycling) then eventually stops in a powered off state. The battery never
> charges.
>
> Any ideas? Should I try a new Nokia battery? Should I try a new charger? Is it
> likely a software problem or a hardware problem? Except for the
> charging/battery problem, it works as reliably as it has since I purchased it.
> I rely on my N810 as a pocketable laptop (with a bluetooth keyboard) on almost
> a daily basis. But I don't want to purchase a new one since I plan to purchase
> the N900/Rover when it comes out.
>
>    Jeff (http://www.ece.purdue.edu/~qobi)

I've been having battery and charging issues with my N800 for a while
now, and have experienced the same symptoms you describe. I bought a
new genuine Nokia battery but it didn't make any difference. The most
annoying thing is that it stopped charging from anything but the
factory charger. I can't charge in the car (unless I use an inverter
with the factory charger) or from a USB port any more.

Mine came out of the reboot cycle after I took the battery out and
left it out for a long time a couple of times. After a bunch of
attempts it finally booted with the charger plugged in.

It was really scary because the battery was almost dead and every time
I plugged in the charger it immediately went into the reboot loop. I
now have a spare battery...

Mark

>
> ok...am having the same problem....i'll try taking out the battery for a minute.

thanks

>
> >
> > ok...am having the same problem....i'll try taking out the battery for a minute.
>
> thanks
>



oddly enough this works!