Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

[Behemot]

Got this iPad with the word it charges only to some 16 %. Based on search, it looks like these fucking adapters go bad like hell. It looks like they have insufficient power to charge beyond some point.

What the heck, doesn't this crap cost so much they can at least bundle that with some charges which wont go to hell after few weeks?

Anybody already tried to discover what the problem is? Are they using some cheapo generic crap PSU's capable of delivering 0,1-2,1 A depending on luck or the actuall mood of these things?

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

Sounds more like an issue with the charge control circuit, which I would expect to be in the iPad. Apple used to be pretty fussy about requiring power supply vendors to use good quality caps and such. And their power group had pretty good engineers and techs. That was a while ago, though.

[Behemot]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

Yeah, this looks like the case. Although I really found quite a number of people with the same problem solving it by using new adapter, here it does not help, it still stops at 16 % charge.

Will have to find some guide how to open that. Do you think it will have separate circuitry? It may have because of the cells soldered inside directly, although most of these batteries have the controller directly on their body thus changing only cells may help.

[PeteS in CA]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

I'm not much of a Gadgeterian (and am a bit Deciduo-phobic), so my best suggestions are to see if Apple has a SW update for the iPad, and if not, contact their tech support (or visit an Apple Store if there is one near you that has in-store tech support). Also, there may be a problem with the batteries no longer taking a charge.

Stupid question (sometimes electronics do "stupid" things) ... I assume you are seeing a message that the battery is at 16%, but does it really shut down in a time consistent with that message?

[Behemot]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

Well when I got that it displayed something about low charge, it was arround 5 % IIRC. I have seen it charging up to 16 % so I guess something is damaged there.

Original service would be expensive, I am sure of that. Yeah, owner of this thing IS stupid for doing uncertified repair when it STILL WAS under warranty. But the damage is done, now I can only offer cheaper repair or suggest expensive apple service center.

[rogfanther]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

based in some limited experience with apple notebooks, I wouldn´t put past the adapter to be weak after some time of use. If you can find another to make a test, you could eliminate that possibility.

[digge]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

If they have more then one cell in series it might be that one cell have gone bad, that might keep it from charging over the 16%.

Just a guess of coarse, just throwing it out there.

[Behemot]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

Well it is 3,6 V in 3 pieces, so either every one is 1,2 V in series, or (more likely) each one has three cells in series, totaling in 9 cells. That's close to 16 %.

rog: already wrote I tried different adapter, still stops at 16 %.

[tom66]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

No, it is two 3.7V Li-Ion cells in parallel.

[Behemot]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

First generation got two-cells of 3,7 V, this one has three 3,8V cells. But yeah, it seems Li-Pol has native voltage of arround 3,7 V so these are whole cells, nothing small packed inside them.

[shovenose]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

Well...
Apple adapters have NEVER been reliable!

[SIDMX]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

I think digge's post maybe correct and the problem might be with the battery or the circuitry inside the battery pack and not the charger, I have seen several times before this same problem in laptops, notebooks and netbooks, all of them refused to fully recharge the batteries and get stuck at some % point, new batteries resolved the problem in all of them so try with another battery and see if that makes it.

[Behemot]

Re: Whats wrong with these stupdi apple adapters?!

Yeah. I think I will suggest professional service for the owner, they are not THAT much pricier (I can do it for like over 1000 CZK, service gets like 2000). The thing is, they do it all the time, I never opened this thing and acording to manuals many things can go wrong. In the end I can ass well be the one who will pay damaged ipad…