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[Q] Dock will not charge

My TF pad charges just fine, so there is not any problem with the charger. However, the dock does not charge at all. Even after 12 hours plugged into the wall with the unit turned off, the orange light is still flashing when I boot up. This might be a problem with the firmware. I am running:
HRI66.US_epad-8.2.3.13-20110511
I read somewhere that I should reflash the firmware. I have downloaded this version of the firmware onto a USB drive and the TF recognizes it but will not open the zip file.
What are the steps required to reinstall this firmware? Does anyone know of any other ways to fix the charging problem? The ASUS support site is nearly worthless. I humbly apologize in advance for my ignorance and thank anyone who responds.

that is the Build Number, and mine is the same and I updated everything correctly so it looks like you have the most updated version.
My MobileDock version is EP101-0209
It might be an issue with the dock charger, a hardware issue, the battery may have stopped working, we never know...
if it's a firmware issue, give Asus CS a call and ask them what to do next or how to properly install it.

Does anyone have any other suggestions? My keyboard has stopped charging as well.

Same for me unfortunately
Sent from my Transformer TF101 using XDA Premium App

I had the same issue and had to unplug and wait, switched outlets and it's fine now.
There is definetely something wrong.

Maybe it's designed to fully charge the tablet first then start topping off the dock.

I had the same issue - constant flashing orange led no matter what configuration I tried.. TF docked, TF not docked, TF docked powered on, TF docked power off, change outlets, let it sit for hours and hours (over 24 at one point) etc etc
Nothing worked.
And like yours, my TF always charged - whether docked or not.
Called Asus - w/o even asking any questions they just directed me to the RMA dept.
Instead I just returned it to Amazon and then waited until I could order another one. It took nearly a week, but they finally came back in stock on Amazon (for an hour) and I ordered another.
It should be here Wednesday, so by then I'll know FOR SURE whether it was the first dock that was bad - or if it's my charger / cable.
I'll post back once the new one gets here..

My keyboard is waiting for UPS pickup for a Newegg RMA. The keyboard is deactivated at Newegg now. I'm wondering if they will wait for more stock or give me a refund. I'm just glad I still have the tablet.
Does anyone know how widespread the dock charging problem is, and if newer units have any changes to fix this?

The docks were scarce here in Taiwan, still are. That must be an indication something is rotten in Denmark and Asus knows and are working on it.

Updating from my earlier post: My new keyboard / dock arrived yesterday. When I plugged it in, the LED was solid orange (ironically, this LED looks a lot more "red" whereas on my other dock it was definitely "orange").
I charged it for 8 hours and the LED turned green during the charging time.
So at this point I can definitely say that it was the dock that went bad and would not charge - as opposed to the charger being bad.
I would advise just returning your dock to the place of purchase if it's no longer charging.

Be interesting to see if those having charging problems with the dock have an orange or red led. I have had no issues, but my led definitely looks red. When the charger is charging, it gets very warm (hot). If your dock has been plugged into the charger for more than 20 mins and the charger is not very warm, it probably isn't charging.

Just wanted to update my previous post (2 up) because now my second dock is dead.
Under normal usage everything would worked fine - the battery would drain and then charge - no problems at all.
HOWEVER - There appears to be BIG problem with these docks and I feel this is what is causing (or contributing to) my docks dying. These things have a constant drain on them when the Transformer tablet is attached - even if you power the tablet OFF.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1112835
I believe what is happening in my case is that the dock battery drains to a point where it will no longer accept a charge. In both cases, I had the tablet docked to the keyboard - powered OFF - and did not use it for a week or so. When I went to power it on, the tablet/dock had just enough juice to tell me that the battery was very low (I believe around 1%) and that it needed to be charged - and then it shut down.
OK, fine, no problem. I plugged it in to charge and left it.
The tablet charged up to 100% with no issues, however 72 hours later and again I have a keyboard dock with a constant blinking orange LED that will not charge. Again, I tried charging it with the tablet attached and without - no change. The adapter doesn't even heat up when trying to charge which again tells me that something in the battery on the dock is not accepting the charge.
Looks like this one will be going back to Amazon as well. I'll also contact Asus regarding the issue and will report back what I hear.

Hello,
I Have the same behaviour,everything were fine until I unplug the dock during several days and the charge was down at 0%.
Now, I 'm unable to charge the dock with or without the tablet plugged
I hope that it's only a firmware issue.....................

RSY42 said:
Hello,
I Have the same behaviour,everything were fine until I unplug the dock during several days and the charge was down at 0%.
Now, I 'm unable to charge the dock with or without the tablet plugged
I hope that it's only a firmware issue.....................
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear it, but thanks for letting us know.
I have a bad feeling that this is an issue that is going to end up biting MANY users after their return period has expired. It seems that the huge majority of TF owners use their tablets / docks nearly every day - if not daily - so they won't run into this problem.
I'm concerned that after a month or so and some of the excitement has worn off, and they put their TF/dock away for several days suddenly their dock will be rendered useless (at least as far as the extra battery goes).
I've just sent a note off to Asus (per their request from my Amazon review) and I'll let you know what I hear back.

OK
thanks you for your action !! and to keep us informed.
For me, a lot of people are concerned ..... as you said...

i have same question too

My dock has same problem, have tried with or without tablet recharging, the led of dock is always blinking red when tablet connected, and dual battery widiget always display it's discharging and slow draining from 40% to 35% now.

In order to consolidate and try to keep this issue in one thread, I'll only be updating this thread going forward: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1112835
I just added my latest correspondence with Asus on the matter, but unfortunately it doesn't look like I'm really getting through to anyone of quality over there..

gents,
just wanted to add my possible fix for this issue.
I had this probem and my dock would not charge. Somehow i got it working again. Here are the steps i took, not sure what fixed it in the end but you could try and replicate and see how you get on.
1. I went to charge my keyboard on its own. I left it charging for hours and it was still flashing red.
2. docked the keyboard and the power widgets showed no juice within the dock althought it worked as a keyboard.
3. I plugged the power in the dock while docked and on. It showed that it was charging the tablet but not the dock. The dock stayed at 0%.
4. I left the two charging while on for a few hours. The tablet was now showing as charged but nothing still in the dock. I then shut down the device with a turn off but left the power and the dock in. As i shut down the light on the side went to solid red and stayed solid red while the device was off.
5. I left the device off but with the charger in the docked keyboard for about 10 minutes. I then turned the device on while docked and still charging. When the device turned on the battery widgets showed the dock with 35% charge. i left the device alone for a while on and dokced and charging and after about 10 minutes the dock charge started going up. I left the dock charge while the on the tablet was on and docked until the dock was charged to 100%. I then turned the tablet off. took the charger out and undocked. Turned the tablet on while on its own. Then docked it with the dock with no charger in and da daaar the keyboard showed 100% charge and was working......yea!

This is what I figured out, not sure if it's actually true but whenever I did some huge data transfer from the datacable computer --> tablet afterwards it wouldn't charge... so I had to leave it unplugged for over 6 hours adapater and cable, then tried again and it works... still going to go visit the local asus warranty center sigh.

[Q] Shuts down completely when not charging

I posted this to another similar thread but they have solved their problem but mine is not solved.
A little background:
It was most recently upgraded to the the newest OTA and been stable since then. The unit is nearly 1 year old B50. So I know all about holding the power button down for different lengths for different purposes. It is NOT that. Until two days ago, everything was working fine.
First, I couldn't turn it on. I thought since I was travelling and using it a lot, it just ran the battery down. So when I got to the hotel room, I plugged it into the wall charger and it turned on. I was relieved for a while. Then I checked the battery (dual battery widget) and it shows 86%. When I was leaving the room, i pulled it off the wall and bam...it shuts down completely. Curious, I plugged in the charger and it boots back up (asus logo and whirling circle). I decided to leave it plugged in all night.
The next morning, I pulled it off the wall and bam, complete shut down. I plugged it back in and check the battery status. Still showing 86% and I notice it is not charging. I check the battery summary and it shows, battery = unknown error.
I did the hard reset (with it plugged in) VolDown/Power sequence. No luck. I decided to wait until i get home to test further.
At home, I plugged it into the dock. Widget shows the base battery is charging but the tablet is not charging. (it turns on when plugged into the base). It stays on even after I unplugged the base from the charger but the moment i remove the tablet from the base, it shuts of completely.
At that time, I decided to do a complete factory reset. After the reset, it is still having the same problem and dual battery widget is reporting the same unknown error problem.
In summary:
1) The unit will not turn on if I don't have the power cable plugged in.
2) When the cable is pulled out, the unit turns off and will not turn back on
3) When the cable is plugged in, it turns on and work just fine
4) When I put it on the keyboard dock, it turns on and work just fine
5) When I pull it out of the keyboard, it turns off and will not turn back on
6) I have soft reset, hard reset and factory reset (all with power plugged in) because nothing will happen without the power plugged in
7) Battery status shows 86% but not charging:
--When plugged into the wall
8) Battery status shows 86% but not charging while in the dock.
--The dock battery shows that it is charging and the light on the dock is green
I have tested and knows the charger works and the dock battery works.
The main unit battery will not deplete and will not charge and will not keep the unit running.
What do I need to do? Any thoughts? I would greatly appreciate some help.

Are you rooted? and did you try to clear the battery stats?
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nema.batterycalibration&hl=en
you can use that to clear your previous battery stats, and may help with getting a better reading on whats wrong. a messed up battery stat maybe messing with the charging process.

No, it is not rooted. I have just reset to factory settings again. But I might take that route soon if I don't hear from Asus. Is there an good detailed instructions for rooting my TF101?

bghlim said:
No, it is not rooted. I have just reset to factory settings again. But I might take that route soon if I don't hear from Asus. Is there an good detailed instructions for rooting my TF101?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1366743
you can start there. i got rooted when it was in HC didnt like the stock feel, so went to Prime Rom( honeycomb builds) the dev kept it close to stock but with some tweaks to the kernel. was a bit afraid to root at first, but just read through the tutorials, and just did it.
anyways Good luck!!

OK, nothing else seems to work. So, I am trying to go down this rooting road and using the battery calliberation tool.
As I was reading through the instructions, I find the build version supported is much older than mine (9.2.1.21) so, unless i am reading something wrong, this will not work.
Anyone has any other thoughts? Thanks in advance.

<Help> Dock not charging

Tried the following methods=
Cold boot
Switching from PC USB to Asus charger
Switching from other manufacturer's charger to Asus
Freeze the charger(???)
Adaptor charge the tablet in good order, but it doesn't seem to be charging the doc.
The dock is always blinking rapid amber led when plugged in and the adaptor just get really hot.
Guys, any advise? Warranty expired, it gonna hurt my wallet to send in for repair ;(
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

If you let the dock drain 100% it sometimes encounters problems. If you open up the dock you will see a little switch. Flip it back and forth and it should start charging again

mrevankyle said:
If you let the dock drain 100% it sometimes encounters problems. If you open up the dock you will see a little switch. Flip it back and forth and it should start charging again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where exactly is that small switch ??

RIght beside the battery on the charging port side if i remember correctly

mrevankyle said:
RIght beside the battery on the charging port side if i remember correctly
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got the same problem as the OP - Dock not charging and even the dock option is greyed out within the Settings - Interface - Launcher option.
My question is - Is there any software command that would simulate the flipping of the switch using ADB etc? Would not want to open the dock as yet..
It works properly when I attach it to the tablet, only problem is that it doesn't charge...Any pointers would be more than welcome!
Am on 4.1.2, CM10 2012 12 08 Unofficial
Thanks!

Try a cold boot, it fixes lots of these problems. Hold the power and vol down buttons till you see 2 icons on the screen, then release the 2 buttons and let it boot. Try it while docked and it should start charging again.

Lethe6 said:
Try a cold boot, it fixes lots of these problems. Hold the power and vol down buttons till you see 2 icons on the screen, then release the 2 buttons and let it boot. Try it while docked and it should start charging again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, already tried that (it says cold booting linux and all..) , I tried it while docked and with the charger in the dock..but still the same orange blinking light..Dual Battery Widget also doesnt detect the dock..though I can type with the keyboard and all that stuff..

Guess you should open it up then, and try to switch trick as I doubt there's an ADB command for a hardware switch inside a "third party device" since it's not part of android but really an extension that probably requires drivers and/or kernel modules outside of stock android. If there is, it's probable it's not documented if it was added by Asus for Asus. While it's opened up inspect the battery for obvious signs of wear/damage. Dual battery widget didn't work for me on some ROMs (can't remember which exactly but only the tablet battery was detected) but recent CM10 should have a separate icon with a dock through the battery icon while docked.
You can try the dumpsys utility from ADB, which prints out battery info so you may find something, but you can't manipulate data at all:
adb shell dumpsys battery
Also, did you try wiping the battery stats in recovery? If you have that option...
And lastly, lots of people are suggesting the freezer trick. To me that would be last resort but it looks like it's working for some people it seems.

Lethe6 said:
....it's probable it's not documented if it was added by Asus for Asus...
...You can try the dumpsys utility from ADB...
Also, did you try wiping the battery stats in recovery? If you have that option...
And lastly, lots of people are suggesting the freezer trick. To me that would be last resort but it looks like it's working for some people it seems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your detailed analysis and useful suggestions - just reflashed the CM10 8th Dec UNofficial rom y'day only and then recovered all the apps etc..But your idea of wiping out the battery stats didn't cross my mind! Should be there under advance I guess within recovery..(Have touch based 5.9 or something)
I would let the charger plugged into the dock and then try again the cold boot trick to see if that resolves the issue..Else would see if I have the option of wiping battery stats within recovery..
I am currently on vacation and hence donot want to open up the Dock here, freezer trick while harmless but I fail to understand logically how that would help Nevertheless would try it out if the above doesnt work..
Would report on the updates tomorrow (after 12 hours or so.)

The freezer trick is an oldie but a goldie. I used to do it with old hard disks that had certain problems and it worked in some cases, but usually you had an hour or so to salvage the data then it would die for good...
The logic behind it is that cold contracts the parts while heat expands them. So if it's a bad solder or something alike, the cold can temporarily fix it. But as I said, it would be a last resort for me and I'd triple seal it in ziplock bags to make sure no humidity can get in or out.
Let us know how it works out!

Lethe6 said:
The freezer trick...
..Let us know how it works out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am actually inclined to open up the keyboard and flip the damn switch now!
Also I did try cold booting (as the tablet had charged to 98%) and also wiping out the battery stats, but no change in situation still.

Opened the keyboard, flipped the switch but still no change..Orange light just keeps on blinking approximately every second..
Am at a loss to understand what could be the problem - the dock and tablet were bought in Sep last year and the dock has hardly been used (probably not for more than 20-30 hours in the last 14 months or so..)
Anyway I havenot closed the keyboard completely, would flip the switch again after sometime and see if that changes the charging behaviour in any way!
Anyone who has had success with dock charging issue after flipping the switch?

Update on previous post - Suspecting that it could be a software issue as well, I flashed an old Megatron Rom (based on CM9), and tested the switch again.
Switch off - Only EeePad's battery is shown
Switch On but no charger - Dock's battery is shown (symbol of battery + Keyboard) BUT with a red exclamatory sign, along with the normal EeePad's battery
Switch On and with Charger - Dock's battery is shown (symbol of battery + Keyboard) with charging sign , along with the normal EeePad's battery
So definitely an improvement as compared to CM10!!
Wondering if I should search for a Stock (Rooted ?) Firmware and flash that..Or probably just a firmware for the dock (does that exist?)

I'm pretty sure there is firmware for the dock (I think you see it in the settings while docked) but I don't think it's available, nor does any rom actually change it they just "use" it. For sure the best thing to try would be stock now with dual battery to make sure it works properly. Easy flasher will get you back to stock, provides root and can install different recoveries for you (there's plenty of others but this one seems easiest and worked best for me).
I'm thinking you're right on both accounts: the switch did work and there's a software issue somehow causing this. I've seen stranger things with custom roms. Glad you're making progress!

Lethe6 said:
.. the best thing to try would be stock now ..Easy flasher .. seems easiest and worked best for me..
Glad you're making progress!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a bunch Lethe6 !! I have downloaded the Easy Flasher (V 0.8.3 Stable) and am downloading the Stock Rom from ASUS WebSite (300MB)..Its a slow connection here, so I would be able to report back by tomorrow only..But I am optimistic that Stock Rom should resolve the issue with the charging!!
Thanks once again for providing the links, I would report back tomorrow on the progress!

UPDATE on prev post - Flashed the latest stock from ASUS Website ..It does show the Dock Battery BUT at 0%
And from what I read here, I seem to have run out of lack as apparently there is a design flaw wherein there is no way a dead battery can be revived!!
(I ran out of warranty in September but as I wasn't using the dock really at that time, I didn't bother to look into the issue at that time..)

That really sucks But it must be a particular model because mine has went to 0% numerous times and I've never had that issue before. Did you try the freezer trick? At this point if it's supposedly completely dead, might as well give it a shot. Also some people suggest plugging it into USB for 5-12 hours, the trickle charge may help getting it going again. If the tablet is not 100% charged the dock won't start to charge either, so try just with the dock then try with both. Also check this out, sometimes strange fixes are the best.
You can probably find a refurbished dock for under 100$ during the holidays online, if you really need it.

Out of curiosity which series dock do you have? Mine is a B70 purchased in UK last September..(Tablet is also having a S/N starting with B70 and SBK v2)..
I tried the other fix as well that you mentioned - that is using a different USB charger, to my surprise without the tablet attached, there was no light on the dock. but if I attached the tablet, then orange light was blinking much quicker! So seems like the dock is quite sensitive wrt the current supplied through the USB cable..(Guess all USB chargers have typically 5V output or something?)
On using the original ASUS USB Charger, light blinks slower (with or without the tablet attached)..Have left the charger plugged in again ..in the faint hope that some trickle charge is able to revive the dock's battery!
And no, haven't tried the freezer trick as yet
Would probably contact ASUS UK once I am back in UK..

My "mobile dock" version (you can see it in settings -> about tablet -> mobiledock) is EP101-0213 and my tablet is SBKv2 C30 purchased in Canada 6 months ago.
There's a nice article explaining voltages and amps in relation with phones (which applies to almost any mobile device), however from what I read, the Asus wall charger has a different pinout for USB and feeds the power differently. I'm sure you can find the exact specs here somewhere, I saw people showing how to make your own charger.
But assuming you're right and it's sensitive to the current (Bad design? Cheap parts?) then it's possible that simply replacing the wall charger would solve it. I bought a spare one to leave at work for 8$ on ebay and it works nicely so far!
Just out of curiosity.. did you/can you try to connect it to another power source? Like a different house? I once had a problem with a charger that there was too much noise on the electrical system and the charger couldn't keep a decent current output because of the variations, so the phone would say it was charging but it wasn't; tested later at several locations and it was working. I know it's a long shot but hey at this point...

Thanks! Would have a look at the link you provided..Meanwhile I also came across this link which kind of indicates that using a 12V 1A charger fixes the dead battery! Would probably order the relevant stuff from ebay and see how it pans out! Just crossing my fingers at this point really and have also left the charger plugged in to see if it does trickle some charger into the dock!
After flashing the latest stock rom (instead of CM9 or CM10), I also have same version for my dock ending in 213..
Finally apparently it seems that USB Debugging off/on also seems to affect the dock's battery as per the various other charging related threads on XDA..
Thanks for all your suggestions - you keep me motivated to try out various things and I am learning new things as well !
PS : Forgot to mention that I had already tried a different power outlet (i.e. in UK) and now another one in a totally diff country!

[Q] Is there a way to test the hdmi hardware?

Hi,
I have recently bought this tablet and it´s been working great until a recent update. After the OTA update my HDMI stopped working, I mean I get no video at all and of course no sound at all. It does not detect the device. I am in the latest version 4.2.1 and 10.6.1.15.3. I bought it in the US and did the update in spain( I guess it makes no diference but just in case I mention that) I also noticed that when connected to the keyboard it seems like it drains the battery of the keyboard (it even says charging) and the result is that the keyboards battery is completely drained and the tablet is charged until the keyboard battery shows 0%. It wasnt doing that before the update. Is this just a bad update or could be some trouble related to hardware?
I contacted tech suppport and they do not know what to do. They told me to do a factory reset which I´ve done several times with no luck at all.
I do not want to ask for an RMA, since I read about some really bad experiences...Any ideas? Is it only a software issue? Is there a way to check that the hdmi connector is ok (hardware)?
Do I need to downgrade?
Thanks in advance.
Aitor.

Go to your About Tablet screen and look at what Build Version you are on. Also, I would try it on a different TV or monitor to see if it behaves the same way. Try a different cable too.
As for the charging, it is normal for the tablet to use the dock's juice before using it's own. While connected, the dock will start charging the tablet as soon as the tablet dips below 70%. Because of this, the dock will always run out before the tablet.

taking it back to the store
Asus_USA said:
Go to your About Tablet screen and look at what Build Version you are on. Also, I would try it on a different TV or monitor to see if it behaves the same way. Try a different cable too.
As for the charging, it is normal for the tablet to use the dock's juice before using it's own. While connected, the dock will start charging the tablet as soon as the tablet dips below 70%. Because of this, the dock will always run out before the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
I tried different Tvs and cables with no luck. I decided to take it back to the store and get a new one, since the HDMI feature is one of the reasons why I bought this tablet.
I´d rather get a new one than get an RMA or try to root it and void the warranty. I did not know how the dock and the tablet behaved while connected.
Thanks for your time :good:

Red battery icon on boot.

So,
I left my tablet charging overnight with the dock attached, came back this morning and tried to use it, only to find that every time I boot it up WITHOUT the power cable directly attached to the tablet itself it just pops up a red battery icon then turns itself back off.
If I plug the charging cable directly into the tablet and power it on, everything works fine and it boots into Android which displays 100% battery.
I'm at a complete loss how to fix this.

Strange.
I think there is a way to wipe the battery stats in recovery. See if that helps.

Tried it, no luck either.

If you boot it using the power cable, does it work after the power is unplugged?
The only other idea I would suggest is the nuclear option and fully wipe it and see if it does it from a fresh start.

Yeah once it's booted it works perfectly fine until reboot.
I've thrown a stock ICS ROM on there with Easyflasher and even gone all the way back to stock HC and let it update itself, still the battery icon on boot.

st0nedpenguin said:
Yeah once it's booted it works perfectly fine until reboot.
I've thrown a stock ICS ROM on there with Easyflasher and even gone all the way back to stock HC and let it update itself, still the battery icon on boot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could be that your battery is aging and, during the boot process, the tablet is requesting too much power from it?
So the battery is not able to keep up with this demand, output some lower voltage which is detected as empty battery?
Once you are running on battery, is your tablet stable under heavy CPU load and max display brightness?
Just a wild guess, maybe the battery has nothing to do with this issue....

Everything works great once it makes it past boot, which is what's so confusing.

Well, I decided to just try attacking it with every brick repair/system restore tool available, and the Tubuntu flasher seems to have managed to fix it.
God knows what that has to do with phantom battery issues, but just flashing the included Prime image has finally rid my tablet of the dreaded battery icon.

Thanks for the update. Glad it is sorted.