Bad internal battery in 5D? Experienced this yourself?

[tkoutdoor]

I've recently purchased a 5D at the end of the spring rebate period. I'd been noticing that my battery level indicator is not functioning correctly. It falsely reports that the battery is dead. I have seven or so batteries and 2 different bodies that I cross check batteries in and it's conclusive. Just yesterday though I noticed a new problem, which is that my 5D loses multiple internal settings as soon as it goes to sleep mode or I power it off. Logically it appears this would be a bad "internal" (system) battery. The settings are retained as long as the camera is on.

Makes me wonder if the battery level indicator could be trying to comment on the status of the internal battery somehow or if possibly the battery indicator is continually running in test mode or something, which could draw resources from the internal battery and cause it to fail prematurely. I don't even know at this point if that internal battery is easily serviceable in the 5D or if it's something that's embedded far enough that it will cause warranty complications if I change it myself. I'm sure I'll know that part tonight when I check into it further. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if so, what was your solution/conclusion.

[gjl711]

It might be a bad internal date/time battery and it's cheap enough to try. The internal battery is very easy to replace. On the 5D is just under the USB connector. There is a small screw under the connectors. Take out that screw and the plastic battery holder slides out. I believe that the battery is either a 2016 or 2032, I can't remember which.

[tkoutdoor]

Originally Posted by gjl711

It might be a bad internal date/time battery and it's cheap enough to try. The internal battery is very easy to replace. On the 5D is just under the USB connector. There is a small screw under the connectors. Take out that screw and the plastic battery holder slides out. I believe that the battery is either a 2016 or 2032, I can't remember which.

Thanks! I found the battery under a cover with one or more screws attached. I pulled 4 screws in the area, but it looks like only one may have been holding it down. It's a 2016. I'll post up once I've replaced it in case it's useful to someone else.

[tkoutdoor]

Problem solved. The new 2016 fixed the issue of losing settings. It even restored settings that it had previously lost (or so it seemed) when I put the new battery in.

I don't know about the low battery warning on the main Li-Ion battery yet. It may be that the premature low battery warning on that battery system may somehow be related. For example, Canon may have wired that battery guage to give some random indication that the clock/system battery is acting up by causing the main battery guage to act up. If the problems improve there (currently it was mis-identifying good batteries as dead) then I'll have some news for the other thread that was talking about that as well! For the current issue though... it's solved.

LOL, just thought about it... even my ancient 10D has never needed the system battery replaced while I've owned it IIRC. I bought it second hand three to four years ago though.

[gjl711]

Great news.. I'm glad all worked out well.