[ndon70]

had my playbook for 3 months and just got a rapid charger yesterday and after using it twice to charge up the playbook, i now have the kiss of death 2 red flashing led wink:-) i'm well aware of all the reset methods, etc. but no success. wondering if there is a correlation between the two? anyone else experience this issue when using the rapid charger the first few times?
.................dreading the thought of sending it in for repair.

[Chaddface]

When exactly did it fail? Where you using it or just didn't wake up?
I have been using the rapid charger for some time without issue.

[FF22]

Clarify - the DOCK rapid charger or just the rapid charger with the wired magnetic plug? Both can give a false Lightning Bolt but not be charging so the pb might have run out of power.

Using the regular charger, leave it on charge for 4 or 5 hours. Then try the various methods - hold power button 10-15 seconds.

To REBOOT:
Press and HOLD all three keys for about 10 - 20 seconds: PowerOn, VolUp and VolDown. Start with the PowerButton. If you hear a shutter type sound, you've taken a Screen Shoot and probably missed the PowerButton.

Try the Debrick method....

1) Turn your playbook OFF by holding down the power button
2) Let your playbook sit for about 10 minutes as earlier suggested.
3) After letting the PB sit (and still powered off) open up the Blackberry Desktop Software (the latest version)
4) Once the Blackberry Desktop Software is opened, use the USB Cable and hook the PB to the PC.. THEN power on the Playbook
5) A screen will show on your computer showing that the device cannot be found
6) Click on Update. It will take awhile

[osubass1]

Clarify - the DOCK rapid charger or just the rapid charger with the wired magnetic plug? Both can give a false Lightning Bolt but not be charging so the pb might have run out of power.

Using the regular charger, leave it on charge for 4 or 5 hours. Then try the various methods - hold power button 10-15 seconds.

To REBOOT:
Press and HOLD all three keys for about 10 - 20 seconds: PowerOn, VolUp and VolDown. Start with the PowerButton. If you hear a shutter type sound, you've taken a Screen Shoot and probably missed the PowerButton.

Try the Debrick method....

1) Turn your playbook OFF by holding down the power button
2) Let your playbook sit for about 10 minutes as earlier suggested.
3) After letting the PB sit (and still powered off) open up the Blackberry Desktop Software (the latest version)
4) Once the Blackberry Desktop Software is opened, use the USB Cable and hook the PB to the PC.. THEN power on the Playbook
5) A screen will show on your computer showing that the device cannot be found
6) Click on Update. It will take awhile

definitely follow the steps listed here.

this exact same thing happened to my girlfriends PlayBook and we were able to resolve it by just connecting it to the regular charger.

the rapid charger, for whatever reason, would not charge it after it had completely died.

[ndon70]

When exactly did it fail? Where you using it or just didn't wake up?
I have been using the rapid charger for some time without issue.

failed about 2.5 hours ago, using it at home and had playbook turned off while charging. went to turn it on after it was fully charged(steady green light) and got the 2 flashing led wink. glad to hear you're not having this issue.

[ndon70]

@ F2: the rapid charger with the wired magnetic plug. i'll try leaving it plugged in as you said with the charger that came with the playbook. thanks for your input.

[Chaddface]

If you had the steady green light it should be fully charged. I don't think you can get a false steady green like with the lightning bolt icon. Your right near the end of your free tech support. Don't hesitate to call RIM if it doesn't come back on right away.

[spike12]

Is the spring malfunction occuring on the charger side or the pb side? I bought the charging stand and wasn't a big fan, I prefer the cord, but will keep an eye out for debree falling inside.

[FF22]

Hope you don't need it but:

Rim Support
Tel:
Canada Toll Free: 1-877-644-8405
United States Toll Free: 1-877-644-8410
Puerto Rico Toll Free: 1-855-651-4936
Email: [email protected]

[FF22]

The spring-loaded pins on the PLUG (not socket) seem to be the issue with what I've taken to call the "false" lightning bolt. It seems to occur because one of the spring-loaded pins is lower than its partners. It does not make good/full contact into the socket apparently. Due to my Otterbox case, I can generally replicate this bad result by running the rapid charger wire off to the right - plug is now angled and does not make full contact but the Lightning Bolt shows up.

HEY, Peter (he'll be by!): I wonder do you have probes or something where you can try connecting one, two, three pins in differing orders and get a Bolt but no charging? I don't have proper electrical probes to try it.

[ndon70]

Is the spring malfunction occuring on the charger side or the pb side? I bought the charging stand and wasn't a big fan, I prefer the cord, but will keep an eye out for debree falling inside.

no spring malfunction occuring and the magnetic piece of the charger secures well to the playbook.

[ndon70]

Hope you don't need it but:

Rim Support
Tel:
Canada Toll Free: 1-877-644-8405
United States Toll Free: 1-877-644-8410
Puerto Rico Toll Free: 1-855-651-4936
Email: [email protected]

i ended up calling and not confident in hearing the same things we all know here about the different ways of resetting the device. my pb is still dead. i had to terminate the call, but will call back tomorrow hopefully to find a resolution. not optimistic tho.

[peter9477]

The spring-loaded pins on the PLUG (not socket) seem to be the issue with what I've taken to call the "false" lightning bolt. It seems to occur because one of the spring-loaded pins is lower than its partners.

HEY, Peter (he'll be by!): I wonder do you have probes or something where you can try connecting one, two, three pins in differing orders and get a Bolt but no charging?

I applied a small strip of electrical tape to each pin on my cradle, one at a time:

1. left pin covered: lightning bolt, no charging, shows "CRADLE" in Battery Guru
2. middle pin covered: as though charger not present
3. right pin covered: as though charger not present

So if you don't have all three pins making contact, you won't get a charge, but it will show the false lightning bolt if the left pin alone is not making contact, and it won't charge. This is a design flaw, with too little margin for error in the positions of the pins. A bad spring, some dirt, or just a slight misalignment during soldering in the factory can be enough to throw it off.

If you think I should add an audible alarm for this condition to Battery Guru, please "like" this Facebook comment.

By the way, for the newcomers, we've pretty much analyzed this to death in the past, where I reported on how I repaired my rapid charging cradle (the "dock"), and where F2 got his non-cradle rapid charger replaced. Photos were posted in both threads, to help others analyze their own situation to see if it's the same thing.

[hpjrt]

So there I was, confident that my rapid charger was doing what it was supposed to do because of reading "cradle" on my battery guru!

That said, so far, I haven't run into a problem of my PB not charging in the rapid charging dock ... yet.

I did go to facebook and "like" the suggestion of an alarm.

I do like Battery Guru, by the way, although I confess I don't always understand the import of the data I'm reading in the cvs files.

[FF22]

I applied a small strip of electrical tape to each pin on my cradle, one at a time:

1. left pin covered: lightning bolt, no charging, shows "CRADLE" in Battery Guru
2. middle pin covered: as though charger not present
3. right pin covered: as though charger not present

So if you don't have all three pins making contact, you won't get a charge, but it will show the false lightning bolt if the left pin alone is not making contact, and it won't charge. This is a design flaw, with too little margin for error in the positions of the pins. A bad spring, some dirt, or just a slight misalignment during soldering in the factory can be enough to throw it off.

If you think I should add an audible alarm for this condition to Battery Guru, please "like" this Facebook comment.

By the way, for the newcomers, we've pretty much analyzed this to death in the past, where I reported on how I repaired my rapid charging cradle (the "dock"), and where F2 got his non-cradle rapid charger replaced. Photos were posted in both threads, to help others analyze their own situation to see if it's the same thing.

Glad you never go on vacation!

Ah, good experimental method - I like it.

US non-dock, free-plug rapid charger users don't have a left/right orientation. That's why I refer to wire right or wire left as the magnetic plug attaches to the pb. - OH, presuming that the ports are on the bottom and the screen is facing the user!!! (well, you can't take too many chances)

[peter9477]

US non-dock, free-plug rapid charger users don't have a left/right orientation. That's why I refer to wire right or wire left as the magnetic plug attaches to the pb.

Oh, good point. I had my brain tricked into thinking it didn't matter because the PlayBook, of course, is the benchmark for left and right. Forgot that flipping the non-cradle charger plug around is going to reverse the pins that matter...

I'll retest with that charger after someone here gets tucked into bed.

[peter9477]

Okay, so same results (as expected).

Our "standard" orientation for the charger cable will be with the cord running off to the left, blocking the USB and HDMI ports. In that orientation, the pins match the ones on the rapid charger, so I'll talk about "left" and "right" based on that. If you reverse the direction of the cord, the "left" pin will now be the rightmost one, but it's always the pin closest to the cord.

The left pin and the middle pin both read 12V relative to the right pin, same as on the cradle charger.

Covering the left pin (again, the one to the side where the cord runs) results in the false lightning bolt and no charging.

I suspect it's simply this which results in the bad connection when F2 tries to charge with the Otterbox case on, and the cord running to the right. That (I believe he's written elsewhere) results in the connector being slightly turned, and tends to keep the culprit pin just far enough away from the PlayBook that it doesn't quite make contact.

[FF22]

Thanks, Sherlock, er, Peter. Yes, that explains my results with the cord running off to the right. It is forced to a slightly canted position due to the case and so that LOW pin does not make contact (I cannot see if but suspect no contact). Odd that the pb will show the Lightning Bolt with only two pins connected but will not be charging. I don't know enough electricity to understand what is being carried via that third pin.

I am not sure Rim really understands the issue either. I know when I spoke with them, it was one of the early complaints about the rapid charger and I am not sure I conveyed the issue, although I sent them my photos and explained the lack of charge but BOLT showing.

I guess as long as we can share the info here when folks complain, it may help someone.

[ndon70]

I did have the rapid charger plugged in with the wire to the right and pb turned off. It was a snug fit and the light was flashing yellowish green. 2 hours later it was fully charged with a steady green light. Unplugged it and turned it on to the 2 flashing red light and black screen. Oh joy!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[peter9477]

ndon70, you definitely need to contact RIM about it. They'll have you jump through some hoops with a few tests, then will finally let you return it for repairs or replacement...

[manofice1]

i jusr got the rappid charger, hope i dont run into any problems

[FF22]

i jusr got the rappid charger, hope i dont run into any problems

If you got the NON-dock rapid charger it is easy to look at the plug and see how well the 3 pins align with one another. If one is a bit lower, just make sure that when you attach it, it seems well seated in the socket. I had the charger in the corner of a dark room and had no problems attaching it in the dark without even looking. With the magnet, it generally just homes in on the socket and couples easily.

[peter9477]

If you got the NON-dock rapid charger it is easy to look at the plug and see how well the 3 pins align with one another.

And it's equally easy with the dock/cradle rapid charger.

Best done with a magnifying glass, but if you've got decent close-in eyesight just stick your eye right in there, looking at the pins from in front at a shallow angle, and the bad one will stick out like a sore thumb.

Actually, it won't stick out: that's the point. It will be lower than the other two, by some fraction of a millimetre. If you're having problems, and the difference in height is noticeable, there's a good chance you just found the probjlem.

[ndon70]

UPDATE: I DID A SYSTEM RESTORE(windows7) BACK TO THE DAY I KNOW WHEN MY PLAYBOOK AND DESKTOP MGR COMMUNICATED AND VOILA! IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VIRUS(adult websites...yes i went there! lol) OR INTERNET EXPLORER 9 WHICH WAS THE LAST THING I INSTALLED BEFORE THE DRAMA. HOPE THIS SOLUTION WORKS FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL STUCK AT THE 2 RED LED FLASHING WINK AND BLACK SCREEN. THANKS ALL, FOR YOUR INPUT!

[peter9477]

A full wipe or debrick, or in your case I guess a restore, is one of the things the tech guys would have had you try. Glad to hear it worked out!