Soldered 2032 laptop battery

[johnrobert]

I tried to replace a 2032 battery in a laptop but it has soldered wires on each side that plugs into a socket.
I tried with several new batteries but they won't accept solder, I tried with the old one and that does
so the battery metal must be different.

anybody had experience with this.

 

[River Valley Computer]

You have to rough up the surface a little to get the solder to hold. It's a pain.

 

[River Valley Computer]

You have to rough up the surface a little to get the solder to hold. It's a pain.

 

[backwoodsman]

Are you sure it's a regular CR2032 and not a rechargeable? I would think it would be a really bad idea to put a CR2032 where a rechargeable is supposed to be.

 

[Moltuae]

I tried to replace a 2032 battery in a laptop but it has soldered wires on each side that plugs into a socket.
I tried with several new batteries but they won't accept solder, I tried with the old one and that does
so the battery metal must be different.

anybody had experience with this.

You may need a different flux, or silver solder. BUT, you should really just buy one that has solder tabs.

Be VERY careful if you do try to solder the battery directly; it could explode in your face if you get it too hot.

 

[Larry Sabo]

I think @Moltuae is right - silver solder is the key. See this post and related discussion.

 

[mikeroq]

If the laptop has a battery that's not a standard CR2032, I just get the correct battery. I don't try to rig something up. Only exception are really old computers that have odd batteries.

What model?

I always research stuff like this before hand to know what I am getting into if I'm not familiar with the model.

 

[NviGate Systems]

If I recall, Toshiba is well known for using rechargeable batteries as no doubt other models.

You should never replace a battery with something that doesn't match the specs of the original. In this case imagine if the laptop tries to charge the 2032, it will eventually fail, possibly rupture and leak battery acid all over the logic board.

That's gonna be a tough repair and a tough conversation with the client.

 

[backwoodsman]

If I recall, Toshiba is well known for using rechargeable batteries as no doubt other models.

You should never replace a battery with something that doesn't match the specs of the original. In this case imagine if the laptop tries to charge the 2032, it will eventually fail, possibly rupture and leak battery acid all over the logic board.

Yep... or, theoretically at least, burst and ignite.

Frankly, all this talk of soldering wires on a battery to replace a wired cell, when we don't even know yet whether it requires a rechargeable, is a little alarming. One would've liked to hope that professionals would know better, or at least be a bit more cautious.

 

[Larry Sabo]

If the original is marked CR2032 it's not rechargeable. If it's marked LIR2032, it is. Sure, it's always best to replace with OEM batteries but I see nothing wrong with replacing batteries with ones to which I have soldered leads, so long as they have the same type/spec as the original.

 

[phaZed]

There's still plenty of systems that come with regular 2032's or other "regular" button cells.

If it's rechargeable, then the potential for a fire or leaking or whatever is very low.

The charge controller IC will not charge non-rechargeable batteries as the voltage/current curves won't match AND the battery has to be above 3.2v to even start charging (Which is impossible for the CR2032 3.0v battery).

MCP73832 Single Cell, Li-Ion/Li-Polymer Charge Management Controller

 

[Diggs]

You may need a different flux, or silver solder. BUT, you should really just buy one that has solder tabs.

Be VERY careful if you do try to solder the battery directly; it could explode in your face if you get it too hot.

My thoughts also. Clean aggressively with lacquer thinner or MEK (or the like) and use a separate flux, not just what comes with the solder.

 

[backwoodsman]

There's still plenty of systems that come with regular 2032's or other "regular" button cells.

Of course, but all the ones I've seen with wires are rechargeable.

If it's rechargeable, then the potential for a fire or leaking or whatever is very low.

Of course, but he's apparently talking about putting a non-rechargeable CR2032 where a rechargeable battery belongs.

The charge controller IC will not charge non-rechargeable batteries as the voltage/current curves won't match AND the battery has to be above 3.2v to even start charging (Which is impossible for the CR2032 3.0v battery).

You're misinterpreting that chart. The only 3.2v I see is the undervoltage lockout stop threshold. That's input voltage, and has nothing to do with output voltage, which is also listed on your chart as well over 4v. The maximum charge current works out to around 2.5w, which is definitely enough to do some damage to a 3v non-rechargeable CR2032. Of course, all that is assuming that's the right chart, and we still haven't heard from @johnrobert whether the original battery is in fact rechargeable, so it could all be completely irrelevant to the current case.

But, in case it is relevant, I repeat: It is a BAD IDEA to replace a rechargeable LR2032 with a non-rechargeable CR2032.

 

[Markverhyden]

Let's make note the OP hasn't commented on make and model of the laptop.

 

[nlinecomputers]

If the battery IS a CR2032 why not put a battery socket in?