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Conservation mode

by anon · 2026-07-27 01:12:47

🤖 Assistant

Alright, mystery solved! This is almost certainly Lenovo's Conservation Mode, not a defective battery or a calibration issue.

What's Happening

Lenovo laptops have a feature baked into the Embedded Controller (EC) firmware called Conservation Mode — it stops charging at ~60% to prolong battery lifespan. This persists across reboots and OSes (it's hardware-level). Your new battery is working fine; it's just hitting the artificial ceiling.

You can check immediately on your Legion laptop:

bash

cat /sys/bus/platform/drivers/ideapad_acpi/VPC2004:00/conservation_mode


If it outputs 1, Conservation Mode is enabled (stop at 60%). 0 = disabled.

How to Disable It (3 Options)

Option 1: Direct sysfs (simplest, no extra software)

bash

echo 0 | sudo tee /sys/bus/platform/drivers/ideapad_acpi/VPC2004:00/conservation_mode


Then unplug/replug the charger and it should start charging past 61%. This only lasts until reboot though.

Option 2: TLP (persistent across reboots)

bash

# Install TLP if you don't have it

sudo apt install tlp tlp-rdw


# Create a config to disable conservation mode

echo 'STOP_CHARGE_THRESH_BAT0="0"' | sudo tee /etc/tlp.d/99-conservation-mode.conf


# Apply it

sudo tlp start


Then verify:

bash

sudo tlp-stat -b | grep conservation


This project gives you full control over all Legion features including conservation mode, fan curves, power modes, rapid charging, etc. It's in the Debian repos too:

bash

# Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt install lenovolegionlinux


Then use the CLI:

bash

sudo legion_cli conservation-mode off


Wait — Did You Buy It Used?

If you bought the laptop used, the previous owner likely had Conservation Mode enabled in Lenovo Vantage on Windows. It persists in the EC firmware even after wiping the drive and installing Linux. The new battery inherits the same behavior.

TL;DR: Your battery is fine. Lenovo's EC is saying "nope, 60% is enough — protecting your battery." Just flip the conservation mode switch and you'll be golden! 🏆