Tried everything - PlayBook won't charge or debrick no matter what

Hi Berry Addicts,

I'm trying to fix a friend's PlayBook. Once plugged into the Premium Charger (charger that came with PB). Have charged it over night - no LED lights during this "charge".

Read on various threads of how to fix it.

Have tried:
- Holding down power button for over 10-15 seconds
- Tried Power and the + sign for over 22 seconds
- Tried Charging overnight (with no LED lights or any indication)
- Tried Stack Charging (6 times charge/no charge for no more than 2 minutes)
- Tried taking it apart and detached the battery snap, then re-attach (as the video on YouTube shows)

Please help.

Maybe a dumb question, but have you tried with a different plug?

A more elaborate Stack charge process

Locked, bricked Stack Charge Charging

More Mapsonburt:

Don't keep trying if you get the Red light/5 Yellows... you'll soon drag the battery down past where you can start it again. Leave it off, plug it in and let it charge (with at least a 1.8A charger). Once you get the flashing (once every few seconds) green light, you can power it up - on the charger. If you do drag it down below the red flash/5 yellows, plug it in for 1 minute, unplug (at the wall) for a second or so, plug it back in and repeat for 20-30 minutes. You'll eventually get the red/yellows and then leave it plugged in (and off) until you get the flashing green. It's a PITA but the PlayBook has a very conservative charging algorithm when the battery is below 2.67 Volts to prevent explosions (I'm guessing). I've never been unable to start one with that method.

Mapsonburt:


The PlayBook OS currently shuts down at 3.5 volts. When the battery gets below 2.67V it won't show power lights or even try to start because there isn't enough juice to even power the processor to run the code on the BIOS. The BIOS is software hard coded on a chip within the PlayBook that tells it how to load the PlayBook OS and is coded such that it only recognizes signed PlayBook boot images (which is why it is so hard to root and that nobody has been able to get one to boot Android or WebOS. The BIOS software also contains some charging algorithms for when the OS is not running - ie device is powered off but plugged into a charging source. This code ONLY runs when the battery is above 2.67 volts because the processor can't run below that.

The root of the problem is that this design issue prevents the device from accepting any charge longer than 60 seconds when the battery is too low to run the charging algorithms on the BIOS or on the OS (one runs before the device is powered on and one runs afterwards). RIM did this because Lithium Ion batteries have a nasty habit of catching fire if not charged properly so they wanted to ensure that the processor could be in control of the charging. Makes perfect sense and they probably thought they were avoiding situations like where early Li Ion batteries on laptops were catching on fire. The problem is they were a bit too aggressive in dealing with the problem at design stage. If the battery is below 2.67Volts their protective algorithms can't run but you also can't put enough charge into the battery to charge it! Hence all the reports of people having success with stack charging.

Unfortunately there are a lot of wrong ways to do this floating around out there and getting repeated everyone someone posts a new thread on the issue. It really should be made a sticky. What is the right way?

1) ONLY use a source that provides 1.7Amps or more of charge. The original charger provides this. The rapid chargers provide a lot more. Your phone charger only provides a fraction of this. Anything less is going to take forever to charge the battery above 2.67 volts and may not have enough juice to charge the battery AT ALL once the processor starts to run above 2.67Volts or even worse once the OS starts to run above 3.5Volts. Forget about using your computer to charge it when the OS isn't running as the computer looks for the hardware to identify itself and won't put out a full charge current unless the device indicates it can accept. Once the OS is running, you'd often CAN get enough power from the USB on the computer but that is because the OS has signaled it is OK for the computer to send it. When the OS/BIOS isn't running, the PlayBook won't take much/any charge from a computer. The rapid chargers are best as they quickly charge but more importantly do not use the (too) flimsy USB port. A lot of problems are caused by this port getting wobbly over time and the device not getting a charge at all. Everyone should have a rapid charger.

2) Until you get your device WELL above the 3.5Volts that let's the PlayBook boot, do NOT try to start it. Every attempt drags the battery down some more and that attempt sucks much more charge from the battery than you can put in in those 60 seconds before the hardware shuts down the charging. How can you tell where your battery is? Well if you are getting no lights on the playbook on your first charging attempt you are below 2.67volts. If lights go on and then it doesn't start the OS it is below 3.5Volts. If it loads the OS and then dies it is just above 3.5Volts. If the device loads the OS it is somewhere below 5.0Volts. Depending upon where you start (how low the battery is) various techniques work best. They are: REAL stack charging (plug in for 60 seconds, unplug, plug in for 60 seconds, repeat until the processor starts accepting charging (the big battery symbol on the screen). Again, DO NOT try to turn the device on until then. You are just working against yourself and it will take much longer. You should get the charging symbol within 20-45 minutes of repeated REAL stack charging. Forget you ever heard of plugging in for 2 mins and then off for 2 mins and similar as those 2 mins of off time are COMPLETELY worthless. I have put a multimeter on the PlayBook in this state and it NEVER takes more than a minute of charge when under 2.67volts but will accept another minute of charge after a short (1-2 second) disconnection. Just do it right.

3) Once you see that charging screen leave it plugged in to the charger (stop stack charging) for at least an hour before you try to start the PlayBook. If you don't you may end up in a situation where the attempt to start drags that battery back down below 2.67V and you have start stack charging again. Be patient, you are almost there!

4) Fully charge your Playbook after this to ensure your PlayBook gets back to 100%.

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot RIM can do about this now. It's a hardware design issue. I'd be interested in knowing if the fixed it with the 4G versions. I don't think I've ever seen that complaint with one of those but I've "fixed" both of mine a few times (the kids keep trying to power them on after letting them shut down on low battery despite me saying time RUN not walk and put it on a rapid charger when ever it hits the flashing red battery signal (9%). I've also helped many friends and people on the web and NOBODY who has followed the instructions has failed to get their PlayBook to charge.

I'm convinced this fault is the reason so many PlayBooks are returned to the stores and through RMA. RIM has been very good about this but it should never have happened. Happy Charging!


........................
The battery is likely below 2.65 volts. That happens if the PlayBook has sat for a while. Plug your charger into the playbook (make sure it's the stock charger and not a computer or other charger as you need to pump in lots of amps - more than 1.7amps - the more the better). The rapid charger is even better as it can go to 5 amps.

LEAVE the charger plugged into your PlayBook. Unplug it from the wall (to save the fragile micro-USB port) every minute for a few seconds and plug back in. You'll see lots of references on the web to plug in for 2 minutes and unplug for 2 minutes. Ignore those. I took the PlayBook apart and put a multimeter on mine when it was doing this. If the battery is below 2.65 volts, the PlayBook charging circuit charges for about 1 minute and then shuts down. NO AMOUNT of continued charging makes any difference. As soon as you unplug it (at the wall) and power it back up, it will take charge again for another 45-60 seconds. Repeat.

Keep doing that for as long as it takes to get the screen to show the charging display. If it is just below 2.65volts, it will take somewhere between 20-45 minutes as the battery only takes a little bit of charge each cycle and you need to get that voltage up over 2.65 volts (at which point it will show the charging display and take a full charge). It may take more... but keep at it. Every time you plug it in for 60 seconds, you are adding a bit more power to the battery.

DO NOT try to power the device on until the device has a full charge. You will just risk getting it into a situation where it can't fully boot before it drags the charge down below 2.65 volts again and you'll have to start all over.

This works... and saves you from having to jump start it like I did the first time I got mine into this situation.

----------------------

KB27705-BlackBerry PlayBook battery power charge, discharge characteristics, and guidance on extending battery life

Great information F2. Thank you!

I'm glad I bought the rapid charger and dock as I've had a couple of instances of low charge and the PB not turning on. A day on the stand fixes the problem and I never knew why. Thanks for explaining the reasons.

Posted via CB10 v1.4.2 on my Zed10 10.1.0.273 on Rogers

I never use the charger that came with the PlayBook. I had so many problems with it I use the charger from my torch charge it overnight and have not had any more problems

Posted via CB10

Originally Posted by SweetNAMese

Hi Berry Addicts,

I'm trying to fix a friend's PlayBook. Once plugged into the Premium Charger (charger that came with PB). Have charged it over night - no LED lights during this "charge".

Read on various threads of how to fix it.

Have tried:
- Holding down power button for over 10-15 seconds
- Tried Power and the + sign for over 22 seconds
- Tried Charging overnight (with no LED lights or any indication)
- Tried Stack Charging (6 times charge/no charge for no more than 2 minutes)
- Tried taking it apart and detached the battery snap, then re-attach (as the video on YouTube shows)

Please help.

Since you are a long time forum member and at least at one time owned a PB hard to know where to start. Assume you checked the KB article referred to in the previous posts. Assume you checked the micro usb port for damage and are plugging in the charger correctly. Are you saying that you got no lights when held down the buttons? What led to the failure of the the PB that it required fixing? Do you still own a playbook and are you using which charger?

Hi there,

you wrote your rapid charger solved it and one night on the stand everything was all right.
While leaving it on the stand, was it giving you LED signals? If yes which ones?

And, in what state did you put it on the stand? Totally off? With blinking LEDs? Or while trying its messed up booting?

Mine while show the Red battery with lightning symbol on screen after the red LED comes on....show tehe red battery for around 10 - 30 secs, then blink yellow/green once, and then nothing for a minute. After that it tries to boot:

1. If I let it boot, it will stop after minute 2 or 4
2. If I take it off the rapid charger booting cancels and screen goes black
3. Does pressing the power button have a different effect on the playbook than cancelling the boot by taking it offf the charger? What I tried is take it off the charger just before it starts the booting...leave it off for a couple of seconds and put it on the charger again.

Unfortunately after doing this a hundred times or so...no change.

Time for fresh ideas. BTW: Debrick does not work either as battery is too low....

PLEASE HELP....
Maybe RIM replaces even if the warranty is over??
THX so much

You can call rim and see if they will tackle your issue after the official warranty is over

The PB has a one year warranty to the original purchaser. It also has 90 free Tech support. I do not know how Rim deals with "quasi-tech support v. warranty"

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] (this route generally does not work and a call is necessary)

(UK Support) 0800 096 2805

Playbook French Support
Smartphones BlackBerry Z10 - Tous les T�l�phones Portables BlackBerry - FR - France
Phone : 0800 914 533 (within 90 days from activation)

BlackBerry� Customer Support Center
Austria:0800-297-476
Belgium:800-77-980
RIM (Brasil Support toll free number): 0800-022-3161
Bulgaria: 00800-118-1115
Denmark: 802-50198
France: 800-914-533
Germany: 800-181-6530
Italy: 800-789-272
Luxembourg: 800-2-2187
Netherlands: 800-022-7316
Norway: 00-1-647-426-7058
Poland: 00-800-112-43-59
Portugal: 800-827-760
Russia: 8-800-100-9643
South Africa: 0800988892
Spain: 900-866-969
Sweden: 02-079-4448
Switzerland: 0-800-802-492
United Kingdom: 08000962805

Phone-Numbers of BlackBerry PLAYBOOK- Helpdesks...

Germany: 0800 1816530 (Geb�hrenfrei)

North-America: 1 877 255 2377 (Toll Free)

UK: 0808 100 7466 (Toll Free UK only)

Outside UK: +44 1753 558400

Worldwide: 1 519 888 6181

[email protected]

(BTW: Helpdesk for BlackBerry devices -except PlayBook- for Germany:
0180 3302626)

Hi there,

I think now the RIM- Option is gone as I opened up the PB and charged the battery with a LIPO-charger. I m quite happy it didnt burst into flames, buuuuut...still same problem:

Hi there,

got almost the same problem.
When tryiing to debrick I follow all the steps:
Start BB Desktop
connect PB in off state
PB fails to connect, but REPAIR option appears
I click repair
Update is downloaded and when after that BB Desktop tries to install the Software by connecting to my PB,
PB light goes from green to red and starts boot,
while Software update gets stuck on this screen-

Attachment 202998

Originally Posted by F2

You can call rim and see if they will tackle your issue after the official warranty is over

The PB has a one year warranty to the original purchaser. It also has 90 free Tech support. I do not know how Rim deals with "quasi-tech support v. warranty"

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] (this route generally does not work and a call is necessary)

(UK Support) 0800 096 2805

Playbook French Support
Smartphones BlackBerry Z10 - Tous les T�l�phones Portables BlackBerry - FR - France
Phone : 0800 914 533 (within 90 days from activation)

BlackBerry� Customer Support Center
Austria:0800-297-476
Belgium:800-77-980
RIM (Brasil Support toll free number): 0800-022-3161
Bulgaria: 00800-118-1115
Denmark: 802-50198
France: 800-914-533
Germany: 800-181-6530
Italy: 800-789-272
Luxembourg: 800-2-2187
Netherlands: 800-022-7316
Norway: 00-1-647-426-7058
Poland: 00-800-112-43-59
Portugal: 800-827-760
Russia: 8-800-100-9643
South Africa: 0800988892
Spain: 900-866-969
Sweden: 02-079-4448
Switzerland: 0-800-802-492
United Kingdom: 08000962805

Phone-Numbers of BlackBerry PLAYBOOK- Helpdesks...

Germany: 0800 1816530 (Geb�hrenfrei)

North-America: 1 877 255 2377 (Toll Free)

UK: 0808 100 7466 (Toll Free UK only)

Outside UK: +44 1753 558400

Worldwide: 1 519 888 6181

[email protected]

(BTW: Helpdesk for BlackBerry devices -except PlayBook- for Germany:
0180 3302626)

You guys think it is still a battery related problem? the highest voltage I got my battery to, with the LIPO charger is 3.96Volts on the mainboard connector and 4.12Volts on the battery charging points where you connect the lipo-charger.

If my Playbook shuts off during booting does it still mean its not sufficiently charged?
Really do not know how to get the voltage any higher though as Stack charging does not work with the Rapid charger either.

Please help!!

Originally Posted by Maslowest

You guys think it is still a battery related problem? the highest voltage I got my battery to, with the LIPO charger is 3.96Volts on the mainboard connector and 4.12Volts on the battery charging points where you connect the lipo-charger.

If my Playbook shuts off during booting does it still mean its not sufficiently charged?
Really do not know how to get the voltage any higher though as Stack charging does not work with the Rapid charger either.

Please help!!

Did you manage to solve this? I have the same problem. I plug in the charger (just bought a new rapid charger) and red light comes on for about 10seconds. Then the battery with lightening bolt for 10-30 seconds and then a yellowish/greenish light for 5 seconds then a black for 1min and then it automatically boots (BB logo comes up) for about 4 mins this is on and then automatically turns off.

I tried stack charging for 1 hr - put in charger, red light comes on, then yellow and then I take it off and repeat procedure. But after an hour of doing this same problem after the logo it just turns off.

I know people say do not turn the PB on when charging, but how can I control this, it comes on by itself.

Even after I hold the power button down for 20 seconds and make it turn off, after I plug in the charger it tries to boot up by itself after a minute.

My warranty ran out 2 weeks ago :-(

Originally Posted by Maslowest

You guys think it is still a battery related problem? the highest voltage I got my battery to, with the LIPO charger is 3.96Volts on the mainboard connector and 4.12Volts on the battery charging points where you connect the lipo-charger.

If my Playbook shuts off during booting does it still mean its not sufficiently charged?
Really do not know how to get the voltage any higher though as Stack charging does not work with the Rapid charger either.

Please help!!

Seems like battery at 3.96 volts should be plenty high to allow booting and the problem may be elsewhere. Stack charging is used when the voltage falls below 3.53 volts to get it to the point where full charging can start and is useless if the battery voltage is as high as you say.

Do you get any light flash signals'

Sent from my Nexus 7 using CB Forums mobile app

Originally Posted by Tuttiman123

Did you manage to solve this? I have the same problem. I plug in the charger (just bought a new rapid charger) and red light comes on for about 10seconds. Then the battery with lightening bolt for 10-30 seconds and then a yellowish/greenish light for 5 seconds then a black for 1min and then it automatically boots (BB logo comes up) for about 4 mins this is on and then automatically turns off.

I tried stack charging for 1 hr - put in charger, red light comes on, then yellow and then I take it off and repeat procedure. But after an hour of doing this same problem after the logo it just turns off.

I know people say do not turn the PB on when charging, but how can I control this, it comes on by itself.

Even after I hold the power button down for 20 seconds and make it turn off, after I plug in the charger it tries to boot up by itself after a minute.

My warranty ran out 2 weeks ago :-(

Call BB anyway. F2 has posted a list of the support numbers many times.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using CB Forums mobile app

Ended up calling BlackBerry support (which is awesome I might add) they fedexed me a box to put the PlayBook in to send for repairs 7 days later got a new one in the mail! Wooo!

I was out of warranty to but they didn't even ask about that.

I have a slightly different problem...my Playbook doesn't seem to ever STOP charging: initially, I had inadvertently run it down to about 8% and when I came to charge it a couple of hours later, I got nothing but the red light and then the red charge icon with lightning bolt.

I followed the instructions for the quick stack charge (plug rapid charger until red led goes off, remove and repeat). After about twenty times, I left the charger on and lo and behold, I got the pulsating yellow-green led so it thought it was charging.

However...the pulsating yellow-green led is still pulsating nearly 48hours later! I tried to start the Playbook up but only got the red led followed by battery/thunder bolt icon again. Another stack charge and the led started pulsating yellow green again.

So why is the led showing the Playbook charging but in reality, there doesn't seem to be a charge going in? Do I need to wait a couple of more days? I wasn't able to find a single reference to anyone else having a is similar issue .

Are there any other steps I can take? I'm using the magnetic rapid charger