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I was listening to some MP3 files on my eReader while shopping at a hardware store, looking at a power generator. I previously checked the battery's percentage and it told me that it was at 80% approximately. Then, ten minutes later, it told me that it was shutting down because the battery was very low, so I was shocked to see that. My reader shut down after that, then I started feeling something warm, so I took the reader out of my pocket and noticed that the case was a little hot, so I immediately popped the lid open and shook out the battery. A strange, plastic-like smell was emanating from the battery, and I immediately dropped it. I didn't pick it up until it had cooled down.

I thought at first it was because the battery itself had shorted, but then started thinking that maybe being near the generator caused it to malfunction in some way, even though the generator was off since it was on display.

Eight hours later, I put the battery back into the reader, and it told me the battery level was approximately 54%. So, what could have been going on?

Battery specifications

Type: Lithium polymer
Dimensions:

  • Length 40 mm
  • Width 75 mm
  • Height 20 mm
  • Capacity 1500 mAh

Source: https://tech.aph.org/bt_info.htm

Russell McMahon
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HeavenlyHarmony
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    Very unlikely to be the generator if it was off, but there may have been other electrical gear in the store that interfered with your eReader which caused it to crash and consume excessive power from the battery. If you feel brave you could return to the store and repeat the experiment. – Steve G Apr 08 '19 at 11:08
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    That's quite an expensive device, and sorry, I didn't realise you are blind. The best advice is to take it up with the manufacturer since this is potentially a dangerous problem. – Steve G Apr 08 '19 at 11:22
  • Perhaps the unit delivered a high current for a short amount of time and then the float voltage slowly recovered from some voltage below 3.6V. Perhaps degraded components as a possible cause? – TestDeviant Apr 08 '19 at 12:35
  • I just called them and they told me that this was the first time anybody's reported that happening, so they got my contact information in case they had any more questions, but since this has never happened as far as they know, there was not a solution they could provide. – HeavenlyHarmony Apr 08 '19 at 13:22
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    **THIS DEVICE IS AN eREADER INTENDED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND**. This may assist people with answers or comments. – Russell McMahon Apr 08 '19 at 21:33
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    Based on your description of smoke and smell, this battery is permanently damaged and no longer safe to use. **DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHARGE IT** - you need to seek instructions for safe disposal and replacement from the manufacturer. Beyond that, because this is not an electronic *design* question and there are no design specifics, it does not really fit here. – Chris Stratton Apr 08 '19 at 21:35
  • How old is the rader and / or battery The problem that a reputable vendor **SHOULD** provide is to replace the eReader and battery. The odds are that it is a battery fault due to a manufacturing defect (likely) or an eReader fault due to a design or manufacturing defect. – Russell McMahon Apr 09 '19 at 01:13
  • Actually, I got this eReader second-hand at a swap shop mailing list, so I have no idea how old it is. One thing is certain, though, is that they first came out in 2011. – HeavenlyHarmony Apr 09 '19 at 13:48

1 Answers1

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It is likely but not certain that the battery was AND IS faulty and that you risk destruction of you eReader if you continue to use this battery. LiIon (Lithium Ion) batteries have a mode euphemistically known as "vent with flame" - which well enough describes the failure mode. Usually such events destroy the battery, and often also the device they are used in. It is possible that your battery had a marginal failure that discharged it at a high rate but did not 'quite' cause destruction.

A less likely reason is a fault in the battery connection system. A look at the "insert battery" section of the manual indicates that this is possible but highly unlikely.

The next most likely reason is that there is a fault in the reader which caused a temporary short circuit of the battery. If so, the short may have been destroyed by the incident but this can not be depended on. If it happens again the device could be destroyed.

Regardless of the reason for the failure, it represents a manufacturing or design fault in the system and a reputable manufacturer should at a minimum replace the battery at no cost, and the e-Reader if there is any suspicion whatsoever that it is the cause of the problem. Manufacturers such as Apple have replaced many millions of dollars of just-maybe-faulty product on the basis of a fraction of a percent of overall failures.

The only exception to the above is if you have charged the battery with a non-standard charger. LiIon batteries can be damaged by the use of incorrect charging methods and (less likely) by unmatched LiIon chargers.

Russell McMahon
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