Overheating woes force Fujitsu Siemens battery recall

17.06.2005
Von Sean Bacher

Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) last week announced a recall on its Amilo batteries, saying that the batteries could overheat and cause a fire.

According to Alan Milne, service manager at FSC: ?Over 250,000 units could be affected, and, although we have only received four calls from around the world, we would prefer to replace as many batteries as possible.?

According to Milne, the problem is a manufacturer fault, and affects the Amilo A, M and Pro series of machines sold after October 2004. ?No other Amilo, Amilo Pro or Lifebook battery packs will be involved in this exchange program,? he adds.

The company says that all Amilo batteries with a model number ending in G1L1 are suspect, and urges all customers to check their machines.

Should a user have a battery ending with the above mentioned model number, they are advised to remove the battery, and take it to their nearest FSC dealer or retailer. The battery will be replaced free of charge.

?The Amilo machines can run without the battery,? explains Milne. ?Once the battery is removed, the user can run the machine directly off the AC adapter.? Milne goes on to say that this recall is completely voluntary. ?We cannot force 250,000 users to return the batteries, however, we do recommend that they do so -- for their own safety.?

Users wanting to find more information can log onto FSC"s Web site at http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/batteryexchange.