URGENT: Voluntary Battery Recall	New request RE: Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 Battery Pack Recall – 2nd Notice

Dear Valued Customer,

As a result of Panasonic’s ongoing commitment to improving our products and services, we recently identified an issue involving the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 tablet incorporating battery packs that are specified below. The battery pack of the tablet could overheat and ignite, causing a fire hazard.

Using the instructions in this notice you can determine if your product is within the scope of this recall. Once you locate the model number of your FZ-G1 tablet, and the model number of your battery pack please compare them with the following list of affected products.

PRODUCTS AFFECTED IN THIS RECALL NOTICE:

Tablet-PC FZ-G1 series	Battery Packs
FZ-G1A∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1B∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1C∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1F∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1J∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1K∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1L∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1M∗∗∗∗∗∗ FZ-G1N∗∗∗∗∗∗	FZ-VZSU84K FZ-VZSU84R FZ-VZSU84U FZ-VZSU89U FZ-VZSU96U FZ-VZSU97U

The root cause of this issue is contamination inside the battery cells. When batteries covered under this recall notice are used in environments with wide temperature variation, a short circuit can occur inside the cell that can cause overheating and ignition.

IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THE FZ-G1 TABLET'S IMPACTED BY THIS RECALL,
YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:                   

Replacement batteries will be shipped from June 2017. Panasonic will arrange battery collection.

Until a replacement battery is delivered, please remove the battery and use Power adaptor. If it is impossible, please use BIOS Utility to minimize the risk of fire incident.

 

[BIOS Utility Software ]
Applicable model:	FZ-G1 tablet (models: FZ-G1A, FZ-G1B, FZ-G1C, FZ-G1F, FZ-G1J, FZ-G1K, FZ-G1L, FZ-G1M, FZ-G1N) in conjunction with the FZ-VZSU84K/ FZ-VZSU84R/ FZ-VZSU84U/ FZ-VZSU89U/ FZ-VZSU96U/ FZ-VZSU97U battery pack
Setting procedure:	Please close all programs and applications after save. After downloading the following zip file to your tablet please double-click it for unzip.  BIOS utility download, click here. Please check the contents and execute it following by "ReadMe_ExecutionProcedure.pdf" in the unzipped folder.
Note:	Please be advised that after installed the BIOS utility software the battery operation time is shorter for overheat reduction setting.

 

 

Please see the instructions on the following pages to determine whether your tablet is affected by this recall.

How to identify the models affected: Customers can check the model number of the FZ-G1 and Model number of their battery packs to determine whether they are included in the recall.

To remove the battery pack from the tablet, please follow the steps below.

• Please ensure FZ-G1 tablet is powered off
• Unplug any external power source
• Undock from desktop port replicator or vehicle docking station if applicable
• Unlock the battery pack as shown in the diagram below

 

• Lift battery pack from top end as shown below

 

Applicable battery pack model numbers include: FZ-VZSU84K/ FZ-VZSU84R/ FZ-VZSU84U/ FZ-VZSU89U/ FZ-VZSU96U/ FZ-VZSU97U

How to identify the model number on the battery:

 

 

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by this notification. Panasonic is committed to offering the highest quality products and superior customer service.

Thank you for your cooperation.