Dell Vostro 1720 Battery

While working on the system, I had a fire extinguisher and metal bucket filled with sand next to me, just in case the battery decided to go rogue. It would be put into the bucket anytime I smelled the sickly-sweet, metallic odor of the battery's electrolyte or if the battery got hot or sparks came out. In case of a fire, it's important to remember to never use water, because it stands a good chance of reacting with the lithium inside the battery, making the fire burn longer and hotter.
bucket-and-extinguisher
Before I did anything, I needed a replacement battery. There are several places online to buy a new battery whose specs match the original for about $70. However, I managed to track down a $50 used battery from Chromebook Parts. The company strips old Chromebooks down to their parts, selling them to DIYers, like you and me. The site has a variety of parts for this and other Chromebooks available.
You won't need much in the way of tools, just a small Phillips screwdriver and a spudger tool. I've found that having a small tweezer and magnifying glass on hand can help with getting the small ribbon cables to seat properly. From start to finish, the process takes about 20 minutes to complete. While these directions are specific to the Asus Flip C213SA, the general process should work with just about any Chromebook. Without any further adieu, let's get started.
Because of the battery's condition, the safest approach is to totally discharge it. Unplug the system, turn it on and let the battery run down until the machine turns off. Then, try to turn it on, and if the system starts up, let it run down again, just to be sure.Unscrew the nine bolts on the bottom of the case using a small Phillips screwdriver. It's a good idea to use a magnetic tool to catch the screws, which are easier to lose than replace. Put them into a nearby bowl.
Flip the system over and insert the spudger tool just to the right of the Backspace key. Loosening the keyboard takes a little patience, but you'll need to wiggle it up and down as well as right to left to loosen the keyboard lid. Work the spudger around the lid's edge, prying it free. If any place holds, go back and forth under the lid at that spot until the lid snaps open.
Gently pull the lid off from the base. Be careful because there are two ribbon cables that attach the keyboard and touchpad to the system's electronics. Disconnect them if they haven't worked free on their own.Unplug the battery pack and unscrew the battery bolts. The battery I'm taking out is puffy, swollen and roughly double its original thickness, so it goes right into the sand bucket, just to be on the safe side.
Plug in the replacement battery and place it with the label facing down into the battery bracket. Make sure it fits correctly and seats properly; then, screw the battery bolts back in.After feeding the keyboard and touchpad ribbon cables through the rectangular hole in the main board, plug them in. The magnifying glass and tweezers can help you align these cables prior to locking their brackets.
With everything plugged in, put the keyboard lid back in place and press it around its perimeter until it snaps into place. Make sure it sits flat and is locked in. Next, screw the back panel on. Finish up by replacing the screws that go into the lower part of the system's case.
After a few seconds, the C213SA started up fine. It looks and works exactly as the Chromebook did before the battery swap. Itn fact, it is the same system, only with a different battery. The system now runs for over 12 hours of video playback, about what the machine was capable of before the battery started going bad.
The final thing to do is to safely dispose of the old battery. While a damaged lithium battery isn't considered hazardous waste, it is a fire danger, so it should never end up in the trash. I took the Flip's original battery to my county's collection site for hazardous waste disposal. If there's nothing like this facility where you live, check your local electronics stores; many, such as Best Buy and Staples, take old batteries for safe disposal and recycling. Finally, the websites for Call2Recycle and Earth911 offer databases that contain a good list of recycling locations. You're sure to find one that's close to you.

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