How to install batteries in the Palm III

How to install batteries in the Palm III

Document number: 39050

Batteries are the life-blood of your Palm. The Palm III takes two AAA batteries. Although your batteries should last about two months you should always have fresh batteries on hand. If you leave your Palm III in the synchronization cradle it will drain the batteries. If at anytime the Palm III will not turn on you should immediately replace the batteries. When you remove the batteries you have only one minute to replace them or you may lose all your data and settings.

The Palm V has built in rechargeable batteries. They must be charged through the hot synch cradle so leaving your Palm V in the cradle is not only OK but necessary for recharging. The Palm V, at normal daily usage, will remain charged for up to a month.

To replace the batteries on the Palm III

Back-up your data before replacing your batteries.
Turn off the Palm before removing batteries.
Press the latch on the battery compartment then lift the cover off away from the Palm.
Orient the new batteries to match the ones already in the Palm. A diagram on the bottom of the compartment should show the correct orientation for the batteries if you lose or can't tell the correct orientation. Remove the old batteries and insert the new ones.
Marking the batteries or a small slip of paper with the date the batteries were put into the Palm will help avoid surprises. The battery meter may change rapidly as the end of battery life nears. Some types of batteries will hold a good charge for a while then drop suddenly. If you use your Palm regularly and it has been three months since the last battery change the safest course is to change the batteries regardless of what the meter shows.
Insert the bottom of the battery compartment lid at an angle and then press the door down firmly so that it "clicks" into place.
If your replaced your batteries because the Palm would not turn on wait four minutes before pressing the power button. If after replacing the batteries the Palm still does not turn on, then reset your Palm. See document 39046 — How to reset your Palm.

Having fresh batteries ready at hand and being ready to make the change should allow you to change the batteries in plenty of time without losing data. If you consistently lose data during a battery change the capacitor that stores enough charge to sustain the memory during a battery change may be bad, and can't store any charge. This problem should be covered under your warranty. The the rechargable battery for your Palm V will not charge or will not hold a charge that is also likely covered under your warranty.

Palm Battery FAQ's
Palm recommends using Alkaline batteries (including rechargable) in the Palm III but avoiding nickel-cadmium batteries because the may not properly activate the low battery warning. Batteries should last a minimum of a month, more typically two months or longer. With normal usage the Palm V's rechargable should remain charged for up to a month.

Changing the "Auto-off" setting can improve battery life. To change the default 2 minute setting, go to Applications, then Preferences, and select 1, 2, or 3 minutes from the "Auto-off after:" pull down menu.

Check the battery indicator gauge daily. The battery indicator gauge is a black bar in the Applications Launcher window of your organizer, next to the clock. The black bar will recede to the left as the batteries are depleted. If the black bar is very short, you may wish to replace your batteries rather than wait for the low battery warning.

A low battery warning appears on screen when the batteries need replacement. The warning will stay on the screen until you acknowledge it. You should replace the batteries as soon as possible to keep your organizer operable and to avoid possible memory loss.

Weak batteries may cause unusual or irregular behavior. Symptoms that have been associated with weak batteries include: slower graffiti input, general application sluggishness, and the need to press the power or application buttons twice before the organizer will turn itself on. If you observe these or similar symptoms and your batteries are low, HotSync your Palm then install fresh batteries. The symptoms should disappear.

The Palm V includes a cradle and AC adapter that allows the internal battery to charge while in the cradle. After the initial charge, these units should fully recharge within minutes should they be placed on their cradle daily. While charging, the battery indicator (located at the top the applications chooser) will show a lighting bolt indicating the handheld is being charged. To view the current level of charge, simply remove the handheld from the cradle. If your Palm fails to hold a charge it may be covered under your warranty.

If you do use your Palm for a long period, and it will not turn on or you otherwise suspect dead batteries, replace or recharge the batteries. If you have the Palm III you may lose data during the replacement process, but you can recover the state as of teh last HotSync. If the Palm will not turn on after replacement/recharge try a soft reset.