Power Cover Not Charging 100% 0% 100% ???

Anonymous
2016-08-27T11:39:33+00:00

I've seen many post, but no answers?  Surface Pro Classic and just bought a Power Cover.  Power Cover is recognized as both a keyboard and a battery under devises.  All firmware ever pushed is there and updated. Battery #1 and Battery #2 show in the battery menu...but not charging or maybe 100% charged is completely depleted. 

Once the internal battery reaches 80% (or so) the Power Cover charge goes from 0% to 100% and not charging.  Once the internal battery is depleted, the Surface shuts off and the Power Cover sits there happily doing nothing to help. 

Has Microsoft just ignored the many people that this problem has occurred to, or is there not a fix.  I'm trying to hold out till the Surface Go, but this battery thing is annoying to deal with.

Please don't add the gif. of how the batteries charge or how the blue fills the keyboard and monitor, please please don't answer with that.

Surface | Surface Pro | USB-C

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-10-11T04:46:44+00:00

    Unfortunately no, the only way to gain access is to cut the fabric on the rear cover, under there is an aluminium plate covered in a thin plastic and held down with about 20 screws, once that is lifted there are 4 cells connected in series-parallel.

    Ill take some pics of the cover and mark where to cut if you are interested.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-10-11T04:21:06+00:00

    Fantastic! I was just wondering if something like that was possible today. Which leads are to the different cells? Did you just measure the output voltage of the interface on the surface?

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-10-11T04:02:10+00:00

    So I bought a NOS power cover on ebay and had the same issue as everyone here, having knowledge of li-ion batteries I suspected that the batteries self discharged below the cut off voltage (generally the cut off voltage is 2.2-2.9V/cell) in the charging circuitry that then permits the cells to charge. So with my knowledge of electronics and sense of adventure I managed to gain access to the cells and found that they were discharged down to 1.85V, I applied a small amount of current to each cell raising the cell voltage to about 2.8V, put it all back together and it is now working perfectly. Doing this voids all warranties and as some people will tell you that this is risky if you don't know what you are doing.

    So in summary, the problems everyone here are having is due to the cells self discharging and the Battery Management System (BMS) is not allowing the battery to take a charge.

    More information regarding "sleeping Li-Ion cells" can be found here:  

    http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/low\_voltage\_cut\_off

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-10-09T19:06:17+00:00

    Exact same problem here with brand new power cover. Thanks for thoroughly describing. Microsoft, PLEASE don't make me buy an ipad!!!

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-10-05T22:02:18+00:00

    just got the new power cover in and it has the exact same issue...even tried it with another surface that has a power cover and it doesn't work and their working power cover works on mine

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