#ThinkPad T480s - Extremely Slow Charging (BIOS Warning) & Failed Sleep/Overheating

38 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

ornate geyser
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Hi everyone,

I'm hoping for some assistance with a couple of frustrating issues that have recently started on my ThinkPad T480s (Model: 20L8S1WG00) running Linux Mint 22. I suspect these problems might be related.

System Details (See below messages):
Model: Lenovo ThinkPad T480s (20L8S1WG00)
OS: Linux Mint 22
Kernel: 6.8.0-59-generic (as per uname -r)
BIOS Version N22ET80W (1.57) (as per tlp-stat -s)
*Battery Info: Original battery, upower reports charge-cycles: 364, energy-full: 43.94 Wh, energy-full-design: 57.02 Wh, capacity: 77.0607%.

Problem 1: Extremely Slow Charging & BIOS Warning (PRIORITY)
The laptop used to charge from 0% to 100% in well under an hour (around 45 minutes). Suddenly, it has started charging extremely slowly, taking 5+ hours for a full charge. When I boot the laptop with the AC adapter connected, I receive a BIOS/UEFI level warning message stating something like: "The connected AC adapter has a lower wattage than the recommended AC adapter. To use AC power, please connect the AC adapter which was shipped with your system." The upower -i $(upower -e | grep 'BAT') command shows the state: charging but the energy-rate is very low, around 7.3 W. The time to full estimate aligns with the observed 5+ hour charge time.

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Problem 2: Failed Sleep on Lid Close & Overheating

Around a week before the charging issue started, I noticed that when I close the lid, the laptop often doesn't suspend properly, instead of sleeping, it seems to remain active (or in a partially active state). When I open it later, it's ~50% of the time its very hot to the touch (especially the underside) and the battery has drained significantly, as if it was running the whole time.

Troubleshooting Steps Performed So Far:
Standard Reboot: No change.
Brand New Charger & Cable: I purchased a brand new, genuine Lenovo 65W USB-C PD charger that came with its own new USB-C cable. The slow charging and the BIOS "low wattage" warning persist even with this new charger and cable.
Tried Both USB-C Ports
Visual Inspection of Ports: I've carefully inspected the USB-C ports on the laptop and the cable connectors for any debris, bent pins, or damage. They appear clean and undamaged.
tlp-stat -s output looks normal. TLP is enabled, mode is AC, power source is AC.
upower -i $(upower -e | grep 'BAT') consistently shows the low energy-rate ≈7.3W when plugged in.
dmesg | grep -i -E "acpi|battery|usb|pd|charge|thunderbolt", I've reviewed this output and haven't seen any obvious error messages that jump out as being related to USB Power Delivery negotiation failure or charging circuit errors at the kernel level. (Happy to provide the full log if it would be helpful).

I'm comfortable with command-line tools and willing to try more advanced diagnostics if guided. Any and all help would be immensely appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

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ornate geyser
trim mountain
trim mountain
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Also, you have mentioned something about using tlp. Please be warned that tlp may conflict with power-profiles-daemon which comes preinstalled on newer versions of Mint. You can only keep one.

ornate geyser
trim mountain
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3 different chargers?

trim mountain
ornate geyser
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Yea, when I first got it I used tlp and disabled the other one

trim mountain
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When you used ppd, was this an issue?

ornate geyser
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ppd?

trim mountain
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power-profiles-daemon

ornate geyser
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Ohh, i just used tlp from the start (~mid August), everything's been fine until recently

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I mean, I can try switching back?

trim mountain
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You can try, but I don't think that's necessary.

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I'd love to give you the benefit of doubt, but I just don't really see how that could be a Linux related issue.

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I suggest getting your hardware checked, just in case.

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For other opinion, I'd call some other lads in.

ornate geyser
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Ok thanks. I mainly posted here because I have nowhere else to ask about this. I'm thinking about buying a new battery, and if that don't work just getting a new laptop at this point

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But if you have any other troubleshooting ideas, then by all means!

trim mountain
trim mountain
ornate geyser
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Btw idk if I mentioned that the charging indicator light is now stuck on, even when unplugged and shutdown and dead

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Idk if that helps diagnose anything

trim mountain
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That may actually, if that means anything related to the device manual.

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In my case, my Dell Latitude 5300 is blinking amber lights, that does mean something related to battery.

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Because in my case, my sibling destroyed my barrel plug pin, so my device doesn't get the proper current.

ornate geyser
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I get it 😭

ornate geyser
ornate geyser
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Ok so, i think I've figured out the issue. I'm 99% sure my battery is just dying, though I'm not sure why the charging indicator light stuck on & system thinking its always charging. I've ordered a new battery in hopes it helps.

Just posting this so the post stays open :p

Edit: Nvm that part fixed itself

trim mountain
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Thanks for the update buddy 🫂

ornate geyser
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@trim mountain Ok so

I just replaced the battery and its still stuck at 7W charging

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How do you recommend i proceed?

trim mountain
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Have you tried seeing with other operating systems?

trim mountain
ornate geyser
ornate geyser