Texas Instruments TI-89VSC - Viewscreen Calculator, TI-89 Troubleshooting Manual
TroubleShooting the TI -89
CAL CUL ATOR BATTERIE S
• Will I lose all my programs when I change batteries?
There is no guarantee that changing batteries will not reset your calculator’s memory. However, a
method that seems to work well is to make sure your calculator is turned off, take the old batteries
out one at a time, replacing each with a new battery before removing the next. Be sure you have
the direction of the batteries correct (+ and– alternating).
• What is the backup battery?
The backup battery is a roundbattery above the AAA batteries and under a piece of plastic that is
fastened to the calculator with a small screw.
• How long will my batteries last?
How long your batteries last depends on how much you use your calculator. The four AAA batteries in the calculator usually last for about a year with normal use in a calculus course. The
backup battery can last anywhere from 2 to 5 years.
• When do I need to replace the batteries?
You need to replace the AAA batteries if your screen is not dark enough when you press
diamond
the General category.) There is also a battery indicator in the lower-right hand corner of the home
screen that appears when your batteries need replacing.
,
release that key, and then press and hold the + key. (See the second bulleted item under
green
• I’ve replaced the four AAA batteries and my calculator still won’t come on. What next?
Sometimes when you replace batteries, the calculator resets to its lightest screen setting. Darken the
display according to the directions given in the second bulleted item under the General category. If
you have replaced the AAA batteries, you have darkened the display, and your calculator still will
not turn on, it is likely that the backup battery needs replacing.
DELE TING PR OG RAMSOR OTHER INFOR MATION FROM THE TI-89
• How do I delete information from my calculator?
2nd + [ M EM] 2 [ Delete]
Press
For instance, to delete a program, press
the information you want to delete and press
.
Next press the number corresponding to what you wish to delete.
7[Prgm]
.
Use the down arrow to move the cursor next to
ENTER
.
Be very careful – there is no “undo”
command.
• The calculator keeps giving me a memory error when I try to enter data or transfer or run a
program. What can I do?
Press
2nd6 [MEM]
to delete some of thecalculator’s contents. Pictures (
. If you have approximately 8000 or less in the
PIC
) and graph data bases (
RAM FREE
location, you need
GDB
)takeupa
lot of room and can be deleted by following the directions in the answer directly above. Game
programs alsotake up a lot of room andcreatesome of thepictures anddata bases that maybe
stored in your calculator.
• I’m trying to delete data in one of the cells of the data/matrix editor and nothing happens.
If the data entry does not delete when it is highlighted and you press
back arrow
,
thedata may be
locked. If you entered the data using the sequence command and/or aligned or shifted the data by
adding/ subtracting/multiplying, and so forth, there is a picture of a lock next to the row and
column number of the entry at the bottom of the data editor screen. When the data is locked this
TI 89-106
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TI-89 Guide
TI 89-107
way, you cannot change individual entries. However, you can delete the entire column with
[F6: Util] 5 [Clear Column].
GENERA L INFORM ATION
• Why do my calculator screens not look like the ones in this Guide?
Make sure your calculator settings are as specified in the Setup Instructions on pages TI89-1,2.
• How do I make the display screen darker or lighter?
To make the display darker, press
green diamond
key until the display is dark enough. To make the display lighter, press
,
release that key, and then press and hold the +
green diamond
,
that key, and then press and hold the −−−− key until the display is light enough.
• I have either lost or never got the owner’s manual for the TI-89. What can I do?
TheTI-89Guidebook is available at the TI web site accessible through
www.ti.com
.
• I get tired of pressing so many keys to have to find commands that I use all the time. Is there
something I can do to make the process simpler?
Yes, the TI-89 has a
CUSTOM
menu in which you can enter commands that you often. See pages
30 and 291 in the TI-89 Guidebook for instructions.
• Is there a difference in lower-and upper-case letters on the TI-89?
You can typeboth upper and lower-caseletters on the TI-89, but the calculator makes no distinctionin the case. For instance, P and p are the same variable names on this calculator. Also, the
TI-89 consid ers pt as the name of a variable, but p*t means the multiplication of P and T.In
addition, the calculator assumes that you are trying to evaluate a function p at the input t when you
type p(t), so do not use this symbol to mean multiplication of p andt.
2ndF1
release
GR A P HING
• Why do I get an ARGUMENT ERROR when I try to enter a function from the graphing list in
the entry line on the home screen?
Make sure that you refer to the function by the correct number and that there is something entered
in that position in the
notation when referring to the function on the home screen; i.e., use
Y=
(graphing) list. The TI-89 also requires that you use output function
y1(x)
noty1.
• Why don’t I see a graph when I press the correct keys?
(Y=)
Make sure that you have the function entered in the graphing
list, usingxfor the input variable. (See Sections 1.1.1 – 1.1.2.) Also check that your function is turned on. (See Section 1.3.5.)
If the function is turned on but you still cannot see the graph, check your window settings – maybe
the function did graph, but it graphed outside your window.
• What do I do if a get a strange-looking graph or no graph instead of a scatter plot of data
when I press
F2 [ZOOM] 9 [ZoomData]
?
The scatter plot setup has somehow been changed, is not correctly set, or is not turned on. Refer to
Section1.5.5 of this Guide for instructions.
• Do I have to clear the function location in the Y= list before pasting in another function
when finding an equation of best fit?
Most of the time, it is not necessary to first clear any previously-entered function from the chosen
location of the
Y=
list. However, if you receive an error message when finding the equation, clear
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