Help with Alpine Blackbird

[bolly girl]

Guys & gals - any ideas

For the first time since having the car we had occasion to need the sat nav in a different car and so took the Blackbird out of the docking system to use as a hand held. Unfortunately it wouldn't work as a hand held, we had to use the in car charging unit accessory in order to get it going. It was indicating that a battery was charging but when removed the unit still failed to work...........it hadn't charged it all.

On return we had the manuals out and can find no reference at all to a battery either by what to use or how to access it to place one or change it, so question is

Does it have a battery....

And if so why isn't ours working....

And how do you get to it.....

Or have we got a dud....

[S7 EXG]

mine works fine as a stand alone device self powered. You have a dud in some way. I cannot recall there being a battery perse, think it's internal as per tomtom.

[Petrol feet driven]

Yer it should have a battery, and it sounds like it has done one of many things. Like over charged or got damaged and the connctions are not lining up. Or the battery got shorted. Change the battery for a lithium battery should cost around

[TomE]

That certainly sounds like a drop-it-back-to-the-dealer-and-pick-a-new-one-up-under-warranty job, as IIRC it's a sealed unit.

[matk]

If it's been left in the car overnight and it's got very cold that may have affected it?

[Bibs]

That would be unacceptable. It's a LiPo battery, currently top of the consumer range of batteries so should be more than adequate. Take it back, get a replacement.

[bolly girl]

Many thanks for the replies

I will notify the dealer to order a replacement.

I had wondered whether the heat that's generated within the docking area of the console might affect it in some way but figured they wouldn't have put it there if it couldn't cope with some temperature fluctuations.

[Bibs]

140^oF is generally considered to be the highest temp you can charges LiPo batteries at. (Sorry to nerd out on batteries but I used to fly electric RC helicopters and LiPo batteries were all the rage, it's good that they are mainstream and not so expensive nowadays!)

[Al]

Sorry to nerd out on batteries but I used to fly electric RC helicopters and LiPo batteries were all the rage

What colour of anorak do they wear ?

Sorry to hear your problem Bolly Girl but it makes me now realise that I've never tried using mine yet and have certainly never even seen a picture on it. Oh er! I can't even get my electric door closer to pair yet following instructions so some time required with my baby and insruction book when I get home.

[Petrol feet driven]

Bibs you done RC so is this a good price for a Lotus RC car? Hee Hee

link..

[Senior]

What colour of anorak do they wear ?

Sorry to hear your problem Bolly Girl but it makes me now realise that I've never tried using mine yet and have certainly never even seen a picture on it. Oh er! I can't even get my electric door closer to pair yet following instructions so some time required with my baby and insruction book when I get home.

Al, I am starting to feel as though we could be long lost cousins, aka, garage doors closing on the cars, techno numptiness, do you find yourself shouting a lot at the PC for it failing to do as you ask?

[Al]

Hi long lost cuz. "Of course" is the answer to your question. Doesn't everyone?? In fact I am so hacked off with said PC's that at home at least I'm converting over to Apple. Now I may end up shouting at it as well but everybody tells me not. At least it will not take an age to switch on first thing or shut down last thing. Also I have #2 son working for Apple now who is a whiz kid with them so he will be my free Technical Help Line (if he wants ongoing financing through Uni)

At work I spend about 10~12 hours a day out of my 14~16 working hours at the damn thing and have an IT dept to ring but I share an office with the Chief Engineer and at least once a day we have a rant at the things having a mind of their own. All quite amusing in a sad way

Any progress in getting a replacement Blackbird? Checking all these sort of things is on my agenda when home this time.

Edited January 6, 2010 by USAndretti42
Removed quote of immediately previous post

[bolly girl]

Dropped the Blackbird off at garage today and bugger me if it didn't start working when it was accidentally turned on...

It had previously been docked in the external car charger over 3 days on two journeys of 3.5hrs plus. On the return journey it had turned green once and when undocked immediately failed to work.

The garage has said they will see what happens to it whilst left on in their office, potentially it could be that the Evora is not charging it correctly but not jumping to conclusions just yet - we wait with baited or rather frosted breath in this weather.