M11 Battery came empty

[jcm0]

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Hi,

 

I've just bought a leica M11 and when I've inserted the new battery within the camera body, no diode lit up. Also the screen didn't lit up when pressing buttons.

I've charged the battery (about 2 and half hours), inserted it in the camera body and everything went well.

Many posts on internet explain that a lithium Ion battery which is empty produces chemicals that prevent it from working correctly when charged again. I've a Leica M10M, and the battery manual explains that a full discharge must be avoided. My M10M came with a battery charged at 40%, and I've bought an additional battery which came also charged at 40%.

I've spoke to my dealer about that M11 empty battery problem and he explained me that Leica has decided since 3 years to stop selling pre-charged batteries.

I'm still worried that the battery was totally empty. May the battery life duration have been altered ? Can the battery stop working very shortly ? I've planned a trip abroad, can I rely on that battery ?

Your thought and experiences will be much appreciated.

Thank you !

 

[fsprow]

Mine came empty of charge also. Works fine. 

[boojum]

I have charged dead Li-Ion batteries a few times.  No problem yet.

[jaapv]

An "empty" Lithium battery is not empty, there is at least 15% charge left, but the voltage has dropped below the pre-programmed cutoff level, To protect the battery from discharging fully, which would indeed be harmful, it will be switched off by the onboard electronics.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

Your battery actually arrived in *storage mode*. Basically the BMS is asleep and the cells are inactive. When attached to a charger it activates the battery. You are correct that in normal operation lithium cells don't like a high or low SoC (state of charge) for storage. This is not that. It is extremely normal for batteries to arrive in storage mode. The level of charge before the battery becomes active is not that important. It is after you activate the battery.

You can't return a battery to storage mode once activated. The best practice is to store batteries not being used between 40 and 70% to maintain battery health. Easy to do with a timer.

Your battery is fine. All M11 batteries are supplied with little charge and in storage mode. The cells weren't degrading in this mode.

Gordon

Edited March 22, 2022 by FlashGordonPhotography

[adan]

13 hours ago, FlashGordonPhotography said:

It is extremely normal for batteries to arrive in storage mode.

Google "UPS Flight 6 Dubai" and one can see why lithium batteries are (or should be) now always shipped in a low-charge and "storage" condition.

https://planecrash.fandom.com/wiki/UPS_Airlines_Flight_6

There have been numerous cases of "small" fires on aircraft in flight from single lithium batteries in 'phones and laptops and such - and if one has to contend with an entire shipping pallet  (or several) igniting......

[jcm0]

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Thank you very much for all your answers 🙂

[Stef63]

To confirm: My M11 was deliverd with an “empty” battery.  Added an extra spare one which also came “empty”.