# May need to replace original Fire which is not charging reliably



## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

This past week my original Fire stopped charging reliably. After trying a few cables and chargers, which work with my K2 and cell phone, I have decided that the problem is inside the Fire.  I will try to get a good backup of the data when I get home from work today. Then I will delete some items to see if it is a full memory problem. I have already tried restarts. Next will be a reset. If that does not work, I will phone Kindle support.

Anyone else had success with resolving this type of problem?

I guess it might be time to consider one of the newest Fires but that is not in my current budget.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Definitely try all the things you suggest. And then Call Kindle support.

I bet they'll offer you a discount on a replacement -- only thing is, you'll have to return the one you have to them.  But if it's not working well, that's o.k. too!

I had a similar problem with my phone and found that it had gotten to where I had to use the charger that came with it -- even though, for the last 2 years, it's charged well from any of a number of chargers I have lying around.  I'd say if it's not working with the charger that came with it (as I recall it was a plug and cord integrated unit with the Original) then there's clearly a problem. 

Good luck!


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## Suzsmarmie (Sep 11, 2010)

I have the Kindle Fire 8.9 and mine is doing the same thing. I've always used the charger I bought from Kindle (the super charger or whatever...lol). I think it may be the USB port, which means, like you, it probably is going to have to be replaced. I also don't have the budget for the new one I'd like to have.  It will charge when I make sure it's sitting just right; I always double check with the battery app I put on when I first got it. I hadn't thought about the memory being a problem, so thanks...I'll check all that too.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Suzsmarmie said:


> I have the Kindle Fire 8.9 and mine is doing the same thing. I've always used the charger I bought from Kindle (the super charger or whatever...lol). I think it may be the USB port, which means, like you, it probably is going to have to be replaced. I also don't have the budget for the new one I'd like to have. It will charge when I make sure it's sitting just right; I always double check with the battery app I put on when I first got it. I hadn't thought about the memory being a problem, so thanks...I'll check all that too.


This is the experience I had with both my original Fire and my Fire HD8.9; the cable had to be positioned just right. Different cables worked better than others, too.

Betsy


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## Suzsmarmie (Sep 11, 2010)

For the life of me, I couldn't remember when I purchased my Fire...thanks to posting here, I decided to find out when I got it....turns out, it was March of this year!  Still under warranty; doing happy happy dance. Had CS call me (which they did in 5 mins or less) and we discussed the problem. No real solution, but at least they have a record of me calling on this problem before the warranty is out. They are going to call me back in a couple of hours, as we think it is not holding a charge as it should. So, while it's not a fix for the OP problem (I'm sorry), we'll see what they say about the port problem on mine. Thanks KB!!


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## Taking my troll a$$ outta here (Apr 8, 2013)

I had the same problem. Very frustrating to think it was charging overnight and then wake up to a dead battery.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Suzsmarmie said:


> For the life of me, I couldn't remember when I purchased my Fire...thanks to posting here, I decided to find out when I got it....turns out, it was March of this year! Still under warranty; doing happy happy dance. Had CS call me (which they did in 5 mins or less) and we discussed the problem. No real solution, but at least they have a record of me calling on this problem before the warranty is out. They are going to call me back in a couple of hours, as we think it is not holding a charge as it should. So, while it's not a fix for the OP problem (I'm sorry), we'll see what they say about the port problem on mine. Thanks KB!!


CS replaced my original Fire when it had this problem. Keep us posted, Suzsmarmie!

Betsy


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## lynnfw1 (Nov 20, 2012)

This unfortunately is a common problem with the first gen Fires.  My original Fire no longer charges either.  CS may not be able to replace yours if it is over 1 year, but it is definitely worth contacting them.  They may give you a deep discount on a newer version.  They have been so helpful when I have contacted them.  My children caused water-damage to my HD 8.9 earlier this year, and though it wasn't under warranty they offered me a generous discount on a replacement.


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## Suzsmarmie (Sep 11, 2010)

Well, of course, when you call anybody because of a problem (doctor, repairman, Direct TV guys), the problem mysteriously corrects itself..! In any event, I DID get my call back around 6 pm. My Fire seemed to be holding its charge much better after the hard reset. However, it is still a crap shoot on the charging issue. He told me they have made extensive notes in my account, and if the problem gets worse (which he said will probably happen) or if I get tired of plugging it in, turning around 3 times, reciting the alphabet, and holding my breath, just call and they will send me a replacement. 

This whole thing did remind me that I had a charging problem with my Kindle keyboard...the darn thing just died. No on, no charging, no nothing.. it was out of warranty, but they did send me a new one (refurbished, of course).  It's worth the call; I personally have never been disappointed with Amazon's CS. 

Good luck all; I'll let you all know if anything changes..!!


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Update: Yesterday I finally found a cable that would stay connected long enough for me to back up the Fire (one folder at a time). I had to prop the cable from below for the connection with the cable to work. However, it did not work long enough for me to fully charge the Fire. GRRRR! I will try again this morning but in the meantime I am leaving WiFi off and shutting down the Fire when it is not in use.

I will phone CS when I know which new Fire I want and when it will fit in the budget; at least that is my plan as long as I can sometimes get the Fire to charge. In the meantime, I am using my trusty old K2 for reading as well as for reading KB away from home.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Aaargh, Annalog!

Keep us posted.

(and, once you choose your Kindle, remember the Amazon links in the "Kindle" menu in the top line. )

I'm loving my 7" HDX...

Betsy


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

I will keep everyone posted. My Fire is nearly fully charged using that same USB cable. I will be dedicating that one to the Fire.  

I will try to wait until the reviews are in on the slightly larger HDX but I suspect that I will go with the 7" HDX with the most memory and WiFi only. I need to find something the same size as the larger Fire to see if it would be feasible for me to carry in a purse. I can barely fit my netbook in my locker at work with my purse but my lunch and small purse with K2 and old Fire fit perfectly. Decisions, decisions. 

UPDATE: The one USB cable is letting me reliably charge the Fire as long as there is a slight pressure from the back of the cable or if I have it set up so that gravity pulls the cable toward the front of the Fire. Since I have a good backup, I will continue to use my old Fire as long as possible.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Update:
The connection for charging has been getting less reliable. I could not charge my Fire at all yesterday but today I was able to get it to charge. I was also able to do a full backup. I contacted Kindle Customer Support and Andrew has sent me an e-mail with various replacement options with discounts. I will be checking those out and deciding which to choose.

Edited to add: The two options I am considering:
Certified Refurbished Kindle Fire HD 7", Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 32 GB - Includes Special Offers [Previous Generation]

Kindle Fire HD 8.9", Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 16 GB - Includes Special Offers

The refurbished 7" model has more memory, is slightly less expensive, and is nearly the same size as my current Fire but is the previous generation.

The newer 8.9" model is newer but costs a bit more while having less memory and I would need a new case. I am not sure if I would like the larger size. I might need a larger purse.

I will look at KB reviews and posts, as well as at Amazon, and decide.


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

I love the larger size.. for reading, games, calendar, everything, really.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

While I think I would  like the larger size, I often barely have room for my purse in my locker at work. Also, I am very tempted by the 32GB on the refurbished 7" model. (I have less than 800 MB available out of the 8 GB on my current Fire.)

My dilemma is size or GB, new or refurbished. I am often away from access to WiFi and cannot afford  4G LTE wireless so storage is important.

Are there any significant OS changes between the current and previous models?

Edit to change last line: It appears that both support Text-to-Speech.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Update:
I decided this morning to go with Memory over Screen Size. The Certified Refurbished Kindle Fire HD 7", Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Wi-Fi, 32 GB - Includes Special Offers [Previous Generation] should arrive by Tuesday 10 AM according to Anna at Kindle Customer Support. 

Since the sizes of the original 7" Fire and the Kindle Fire HD 7" [Previous Generation] are similar (if not exactly the same), I am hoping that I will be able to reuse my current screen protector if I don't worry about covering all of the bezel but it looks as though my M-Edge case is not wide enough by over .5".

I am looking forward to the ability to use a bluetooth keyboard with my new Fire. 

As with replacements on my K2 (Great A'Tuin), the replacement will inherit the name of its predecessor (Ramoth).


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## Seamonkey (Dec 2, 2008)

Congratulations!!  May the two of you fly high, between and far..


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Anna, glad you're able to move up and not have to fiddle with that flaky charger anymore. Too bad you're losing the am-Edge case however.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

My Kindle Fire HD 7" [Previous Generation] arrived this evening. 



Seamonkey said:


> Congratulations!! May the two of you fly high, between and far..


Thanks, Seamonkey!



The Hooded Claw said:


> Anna, glad you're able to move up and not have to fiddle with that flaky charger anymore. Too bad you're losing the am-Edge case however.


I also have an M-Edge case for my K2. I will use that one temporarily for the new Fire as those two devices are nearly the same size. Meanwhile, I have my K2 in a BoxWave case that I had purchased long ago but did not use. That will work until I get a case specifically for the new Fire.

After carefully separating the glued strip instead of pulling the tear strip, I took photos of the unboxing.

Since there was no clear sheet covering the screen, the first thing I did was remove the old screen protector from my original Fire, wash it, and put it on the new Fire. (Yes, I am compulsive about screen protectors on my electronics.) Next, during the process of setting it up, I discovered that DH had "cleaned" the office/library room and moved the location of the box with the home network password as well as my computer setup notebook. He is currently at our daughter's house and, when I phoned him, he could not remember where he put the items. After two hours of looking for these items, I finally searched on Google and found how to get the network password from my netbook. (At least the Fire was charging during this time so the time wasn't completely wasted.  )

Now to rename the old Fire, rename the new Fire (currently Anna's 8th Kindle), read the User Guide, transfer apps, music, photos, documents, books, and bookmarks, and finish personalizing my Fire. Then I will look for the original Fire's box and charger, set it back to Factory defaults with none of my info, and then return it.


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