# Please HELP! Battery won't show charge past 70%.



## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Hi Guys,

I have spent days researching this, and have read dozens of forum posts, but nothing has worked. Here's the problem- I bought a used verizon Galaxy Nexus off of Craigslist. The phone looks great and seems to work well. But, it won't show a charge beyond about 70%.

I thought the battery might be the issue, so i bought an a new OEM extended battery, but the new battery didn't make any difference. It still won't show a charge above 70% no matter how long I leave it on the charger (with the phone turned on or off). I have done probably* 20* discharge/recharge cycles, but nothing changes.









Next, I bought an external charger. When I fully charge the battery in the external charger and pop it in the phone, it still shows around 70%. So, it is definitely an issue with the phone (not the batteries).

I've also tried four different ROMs, as well as all the black-magic "battery calibration" tricks found in the forums, but nothing helps.

I am totally stumped! Is there anyway I can fix this?

Thanks!

Slim


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## hazard209 (Aug 1, 2011)

As far as I can tell, it sounds like a hardware issue to me. There are two more things I would suggest trying.

1) Is it still only charging to 70% when the phone is off and charging? If you haven't tried it, maybe give it a shot.
2) Buy an external battery charger, charge the battery until the light turns green, put the battery in and see if the phone still reads it as having a 70% charge. If it does, then two things are probably happening. Something is causing the battery to discharge rapidly by thirty percent or you're phone can't read the charge state of the battery.


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## AuroEdge (Aug 2, 2011)

Find out the battery health in the phone dialer or spare parts app. I bet you have an end of life battery


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## EvoXR1 (Jan 8, 2012)

It could be because the actual battery port might have some condensation damage.

I've had this problem and currently do right now. Mine charges up to 97% after I take the charged out and put it back in it will sometimes go up to 100. I took it to Verizon and had them replace it, I had to jump through hoops to make sure they didn't charge me the equipment fee because they said I cause water damage to the battery charging port.

Little did I know it was because my 1 year puts my phone in his mouth port first.

Maybe the previous owner did something similar?


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for all the feedback, guys!

To answer some of the questions/suggestions:
Is it still only charging to 70% when the phone is off and charging? Yes. When it is turned off and charging the little white battery never goes all the way full. The last battery segment never fills up.
Buy an external battery charger, charge the battery until the light turns green, put the battery in and see if the phone still reads it as having a 70% charge. I did this as well. I bought the OEM Samsung dock with new battery. The battery is fully charged in the dock charger it still only show about 70% in the phone. So, it is definitely a phone issue and not a battery or charger issue. For some reason, the phone can't read the correct charge state of the battery.
Find out the battery health in the phone dialer or spare parts app. I have a brand new OEM battery. Also, the stock battery it came with shows good health.
It could be because the actual battery port might have some condensation damage. Hmmm. Hadn't thought about that. i just checked the moisture indicator sticker in the phone. The sticker has a bunch of purple or red x's all over it. I think that means it is good.
Mine charges up to 97% after I take the charged out and put it back in it will sometimes go up to 100. I have tried "bump charging" it, both turned on and off. It does not help.
Little did I know it was because my 1 year puts my phone in his mouth port first. Maybe the previous owner did something similar? Since he is not a little kid, i hope he wasn't putting the phone into damp, dark places! I really don't even want to think about that!









Thanks for all the great suggestions. Please keep them coming. I'd really like to keep this phone!


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

Well how long does your phone last on a full charge? If you are getting average use out of it, the phone might just be reading the battery level wrong. I would try two things. First, charge it up all the way (for you to the 70%) and use it normally until it drains down. Take a screenshot of the battery usage and we can compare it to ours. Second, find someone or go to a verizon store and put your battery in a working phone, though from what you've shared I would imagine it would show over 70% in a different phone but it doesn't hurt to rule out the battery.


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks, hlaalu. Please see the screenshot below. This is running the phone off the 2100-mAh battery. You can see that it starts at around 70%. With light usage over a few hours, the battery is already down to 21%.


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

What's the screen on time? These phones are relentless for using battery when the screen is on.


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Everywhere there is a major dip- that is where the screen was on. The screen definitely burns battery fast!

I can live with the screen battery drain. But, I know that Android does not let the battery truly fully discharge because that is bad for the battery. So, when Android says the battery is at 1%, the battery might actually still have 20% charge. Since my phone's stats are so messed up, what I am concerned that I'm missing out on 30% charge on each battery cycle.

I guess I'll take it into a Verizon store just to see what they say. I'm sure I'm SOL since I bought the phone used, though.


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## hazard209 (Aug 1, 2011)

You may still have Samsung's manufacturer warranty?


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

I wish. I'm pretty sure this phone is more than 12 months old. Also, the Samsung warranty says _"you must provide the sales receipt or comparable proof of sale showing the original date of purchase, the serial number of the Product and the seller's name and address._" I don't think buying it off of a swindler on Craigslist will qualify. He is ignoring my emails and text message.

I will probably still bring the phone into Verizon, but I'm pretty sure I'm SOL.


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

If Verizon doesn't do anything, sell it on eBay. Someone will take it for parts or whatever. Then you can buy another one from a reputable seller on eBay as well. It's a great phone, would be a shame if you miss out on using one that works!


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## shiznic (Jun 2, 2012)

in some kernel settings there is a max charge setting that will only allow your batter to charge to a certain level. i use franco kernel updater. under custom kernel settings.
you can also view your battery and phone stats by dialing *#*#4636#*#*


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## EniGmA1987 (Sep 5, 2011)

I dont think any kernel defaults to a max of 70%, but as shiznic said if you are running a custom kernel you need to verify that your "battery Life Extender" is set to 100


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Really? It can be set it the kernel?!? I didn't know that. I will give that a try tonight.

Thanks !


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## Xious (Dec 24, 2011)

When your battery goes to zero, does the phone turn off? And if it does, can you turn the phone back on? Do you get a big red battery indicator when you press the power button (after being powered down)? I know a friend of mine has an extended battery in his that refuses to report the correct percentage. After an hour or two, his phone says the battery is about to die. However, he can continue using it all day without it actually powering down. I haven't the slightest clue how to fix it, though. Although, come to think of it, I think his regular battery works fine, so I guess your situation is not the same. But some things to thing about, I guess.

X


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Hi Xious. When the phone hits "0%" it shuts down. I can power it back on, but as soons as it reboots it will power itself down again. I can do this several times, but it will not stay on. I've never seen a big red battery indicator when I press the power button.

I took it to the Verizon store today, to see if I could try my battery in another GNEX to see if the readings were different, but they didn't have a GNEX available to try the swap. The demo models had their back cases glued on, so we couldn't use those. Interesting fact- the Verizon tech said that even if we were able to get the back off, the battery is glued in as well. He said otherwise people steal the batteries. Crazy.

One other thing- I did dial *#*#4636#*#* to see the battery info. It does say "Battery scale: 100". So, I think I'm officially SOL. I guess I'll sell it on Craigslist, but I'll probably take a loss because I won't unload this problem on someone else (like the guy who sold it to me did).


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

SlimKermie said:


> Hi Xious. When the phone hits "0%" it shuts down. I can power it back on, but as soons as it reboots it will power itself down again. I can do this several times, but it will not stay on. I've never seen a big red battery indicator when I press the power button.
> 
> I took it to the Verizon store today, to see if I could try my battery in another GNEX to see if the readings were different, but they didn't have a GNEX available to try the swap. The demo models had their back cases glued on, so we couldn't use those. Interesting fact- the Verizon tech said that even if we were able to get the back off, the battery is glued in as well. He said otherwise people steal the batteries. Crazy.
> 
> One other thing- I did dial *#*#4636#*#* to see the battery info. It does say "Battery scale: 100". So, I think I'm officially SOL. I guess I'll sell it on Craigslist, but I'll probably take a loss because I won't unload this problem on someone else (like the guy who sold it to me did).


Haha I ran a cell phone store when I was finishing college a few years ago, you'd be surprised what people would steal if we didn't glue it. Back covers, batteries, even non-working demo phones and empty display boxes!









I want to recommend ebay again for you, people are always looking to use phones for parts! As long as the screen is in good shape, you have a new battery, I think you will be surprised what you can get the bidding up to. I'd be more than happy to give you some selling tips, feel free to reach out to me. Good luck!


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## Sandman007 (Sep 6, 2011)

Sell it on ebay like he said. Just be sure to put in the caption: " Use for parts" or "Doesn't charge fully, but everything else works". Somebody will buy for parts.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for the great advice you guys! I'll look into giving ebay a try.

EDIT: What would you guys recommend as a starting bid? Also, how long should the auction run? Any other tips you can share here?

Thanks again,

Slim


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

SlimKermie said:


> Thanks for the great advice you guys! I'll look into giving ebay a try.
> 
> EDIT: What would you guys recommend as a starting bid? Also, how long should the auction run? Any other tips you can share here?
> 
> ...


I always start my bids at 99 cents with no reserve. You will attract more people that way. Take lots of pictures, especially of the screen, when it's off and when it's on- make sure it is clean clean clean! And be sure to use one of your pictures for the thumbnail (a nice shot of the screen on, showing the browser at ebay or something) and not one of the stock photos, this will also draw more people to your listing. A 5 day listing would be great, but it depends on how fast you want to dump it and get your new phone.

oh and make sure you mention it has a clean esn, people like to see that as well.


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

Got bored and found you some good candidates for replacements









refurb $189 free shipping http://www.ebay.com/...=item27cb08160b

mint phone with a bunch of cases and stuff bidding at $152 but will probably shoot up http://www.ebay.com/...=item3f20e09674

Another mint one at .99 cents with 2 days left, keep your eyes on this guy http://www.ebay.com/...=item4d08965a06


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

*You're awesome, hlaalu! Big thanks!*

I'll come back and update this thread when I put it on ebay.


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## hlaalu (Jul 13, 2012)

My pleasure! Big fan of this phone so I'll be happy when you're able to enjoy a working one!


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## brkshr (Jun 16, 2011)

EniGmA1987 said:


> I dont think any kernel defaults to a max of 70%, but as shiznic said if you are running a custom kernel you need to verify that your "battery Life Extender" is set to 100


FYI, stock is actually 96. You want 100 if you are trying to squeeze an extra couple minutes out of the battery, at the expense of the battery's life.

Edit: to explain a little more. Stock on pretty much any phone/tablet, doesn't charge to 100%. It charges slightly under, in order to prolong the life of the batteries. The OS may show 100%, but it's really 96% on the GNex.


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## SlimKermie (Sep 27, 2011)

I'd be happy to get to 96%.







I can't get past 75% on this phone.


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