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I need some help finding a replacement PRAM battery for a PowerBook G4 DLSD (Li-Po)

CircuitBored

Well-known member
I got a rather lovely PowerBook G4 15" (high-res) in today and my first port of call was to take it apart and inspect the lithium polymer PRAM battery. As feared, it has become quite a spicy pillow.

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Has anyone here ever successfully replaced one of these? I did some searching based on the labelling on the battery but came up short. I'm not sure which of the various codes listed are the part numbers and which are just manufacture codes.

I fear lithium polymers like little else in the electronics world so I really, really don't want to get this wrong.

If you happen to know where I can get a replacement for this part, please let me know!

Many thanks,
CB
 

mdeverhart

Well-known member
302030 is the size code, which looks to be a pretty common size based on a quick web search. You’d be looking for one that’s the same size and also 3.7V (which is the normal LiPoly voltage). The connector might be the hard part - you might need to take the connector off of this one and put it on the new one. Make sure you buy one that has the little protection circuit board at the top of the battery where the wires attach.
 

CircuitBored

Well-known member
302030 is the size code, which looks to be a pretty common size based on a quick web search. You’d be looking for one that’s the same size and also 3.7V (which is the normal LiPoly voltage). The connector might be the hard part - you might need to take the connector off of this one and put it on the new one. Make sure you buy one that has the little protection circuit board at the top of the battery where the wires attach.

This is great, thanks!

I found this battery and it seems to meet the specifications of the original. You were right about the connector though.
 

mdeverhart

Well-known member
No problem! I’d probably move the connector from the old battery over to the new one (carefully!). I’d recommend using good heat shrink tubing over the solder joints to make sure they can’t short - electrical tape has a bad habit of unsticking over time.
 

CC_333

Well-known member
HiRes PowerBook G4s have these? UGH!

Now I have another potential bomb to defuse in my storage unit....

However, are Lithium-based batteries (infamous Red Maxell Logic Board Destroyers notwithstanding) less prone to exploding when they're dead?

c
 
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