I know how to solder, and I know how to be careful when it comes to electricity, so I'm not worried about that part of it. Is there some other scariness to it that I should be made aware of beforehand? Is there anything else I could try before giving up on the battery?

And can someone please explain to me what the flags entry means? Mine says 32000085 when on AC with battery installed, and 32000081 when on AC with the battery removed. Seems the last digit probably has something to do with a battery actually being present, but the rest... I have no idea. And I don't know the right magic words to find it on the internet myself. So if anybody knows for sure, please let me know.