Dewalt Lithium Ion Battery Won’t Charge? Try Resetting It With This Easy Fix.

[@jasonhoffman7428]

THIS is how you make a KZbin instructional video. Quick explanation, followed by easy to follow demonstration. No fluff, no rambling, no over explaining. Well done!

[@chuckredd9131]

AND.....NO Music!!

[@jasonhoffman7428]

@@chuckredd9131 Good point. He avoided overly dramatic or annoying music, too.

[@migm7428]

Agreed, well done, but watch it at 1.5 normal speed

[@oroberto01]

Would have been better if he didn't start off with what's up guys

[@raiderwolf2066]

And not telling the viewers to like comment and subscribe. If I like the video, I'm going to like it. I definitely don't hit the like button when a content creator is telling me to like it. Even if I do like it, at that point I don't want to hit like anymore because I'm being told to do so.

[@craigambrose8653]

Saved me a new battery. Straight to the point no stupid loud music. Again thanks

[@kebuar1]

Just did a Google search to get here. My battery was good but been sat on the shelf for months. It wasn't showing any signs of life. Did this reset and it worked like a charm. Thanks man, saved me buying a new battery.

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

Nice!

[@savipv8491]

@@MatthewPeechWoodworking can i connect 20v good battery to 18v bad battery and fix it?

[@umarukaze6625]

​@@savipv8491If the instruction stated that connecting the b+ and b- only, id guess that the other connector is for cell balancing, for a few seconds im sure it wouldnt cause any problem do it at risk 😂✌️

[@moonman4056]

Didn't work for me

[@coryconstantly3058]

I think if you are going to store these types of batteries it’s best to leave them about half full or less, btw.

[@RolandoWitherington-pv2fm]

My partner has a lot of tools, so when he needed a circular saw, I ordered this one for him as a Christmas gift. kzbin.infoUgkxYDKeIjKLOfcwTgdin7TtCutsz4MbIc43 He is incredibly happy with the purchase. He stated that he likes that it is powerful, but still easy to use and cuts very well. He mentioned that it is important to know the right tools for the job at hand, and this compact saw has been exactly what he needed for a variety of projects at his rental properties and renovations. He also appreciates the battery packs, as stated, he owns a lot of DEWALT tools, so he is able to always keep batteries charged as needed.

[@donaldleblanc1763]

While waiting online for a Dewalt agent to answer me, I found this video. I said "what do I have to lose". Well sure enough, after only a few seconds, I put the dead battery in the charger and it was immediately recognized. I hung up on the agent :) Thank you Matthew for making this awesome tip video!

[@richardhy6931]

What I like best about you is your willingness to share information, “trade secrets “ and shortcuts you have learned over time. When I was an apprentice it was so frustrating that some old timers wouldn’t share their knowledge as they seen it as “ Job Security”! Knowledge is useless if it isn’t shared, and I appreciate your willingness to do so. 👍🏼

[@richardhy6931]

@@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3 I am a child of the Most High God, Saved by Faith through Grace, not by works so I cannot boast.

[@mikeforner7797]

I still don't share secrets....................they will come with me when I die

[@cerealkiller4248]

Now I’m in my 50’s and I’m now one of those “old timers”, I’ve always shared all my secrets, it’s never harmed me. Apprentices always like working with me, I’m patent, calm and never tell them off ( unless they take the p1ss then they’re told no messing ) and will explain to them over and over.

[@tonyp3391]

People who are secure in their abilities are willing to show anybody because they are confident in their own abilities, and have a bring it on attitude to any competition and actually appreciate others who can or are skilled as much as they are. What's sad is those who try to mislead you or tell you wrong Information on purpose to try and cause you troubles because they are so insecure about their own abilities and are worried any new fish or anybody who knows anything might come in and take their jobs. Probably lied to get their position anyways. But the real good ones can be shown the essential basics and figure out the rest with relative ease especially if they pay attention to what an old schooler does. Most old school people are more than willing to show thirsty younger people who want to learn, only problem is most young people these days don't care enough to thirst and are lazy to boot, plus they are know it alls. The biggest blocker in learning know it alls.

[@losfromla1480]

@@mikeforner7797 well, that will be your legacy, a guy who didn't know shit.

[@richardcazakoff8777]

Worked like a charm. Took a total of two minutes to get the battery ready to charge. Thanks saved me the expense of purchasing a new battrey.

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

Glad it helped

[@whisperingsmith2672]

I use 8 to 12 batteries daily. Had 3 go out last week. Much appreciated.

[@user-cs3zs6jn1d]

@@MatthewPeechWoodworking i have one that will charge fully but only last about a minute. Any fix for that?

[@royjohnson465]

@@user-cs3zs6jn1d That usually happens to a new battery. Keep on totally discharging, then totally changing, over and over again for about 6x times (cycles) more.

[@whatilearnttoday5295]

Only for the cost of almost burning down your house! So cheap!

[@Gabriel-jz6hx]

Great video, Left my battery on my impact wrench almost two years in garage from cold to hot days and my charger wouldnt even detect a defective battery nothing. I tried this and it worked like a charm thank you!!

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. You have been warned.

[@copperclad2106]

I didn't believe for one second this would actually work. 100 percent legit. Blew my mind and saved me a 100 bucks.

[@derricktaylor5282]

Spent 700 just the other day ... If this works, they're going back

[@centos55]

Thanks! About three years ago I ended up with two Black & Decker hedge trimmers and never got around to sending one back. I was going to sell it, but never got around to that either. So it sat in its box until this year, when somehow the charger for the original one got misplaced. The "extra" battery was completely dead and wouldn't take a charge. Following you instructions fixed it immediately. Just the time it took to cut a couple pieces of wire and strip them on the ends. I'll remember this. Again, thanks.

[@wmp5844]

You just saved me over $200 for my photo studio light battery. I thought one of batteries was dead (no response)… Little wire connection with good battery just like you showed and battery alive and charging again. Amazing. Thank you, you r genius!

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. You have been warned.

[@MM-jq1di]

Was totally skeptical and did not think it would be as simple as this to fix! Just brought 2 batteries back to life! Thanks

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

No worries! Yea I've done this several times.

[@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3]

Repent to Jesus Christ “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭103:13‬ NIV

[@dranderson6071]

Do they fully charge and do they hold charge like a new battery. Or so they drain faster? Cheers

[@kelrobins7476]

@@dranderson6071 yes they will charge but capacity and discharge power are effected this is why lion lipo batteries blow up and catch on fire pulling to many amps from a damaged battery will make it blow up

[@theobserver9131]

@@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist3 dude! Why the hell do you people have to do this all the time? If you found something that works for you, great! Congratulations! But please keep your damn preaching to yourself. That is so inappropriate.

[@wademckinney9680]

This man is awesome! He is teaching the world how to win with batteries! Everything is going battery powered these days. He could be onto something big!

[@gregjones3660]

Huuuuge!!!

[@TimBoyet]

Matt, I was just about to go get a new battery and this popped up on my Facebook feed. I have a Dewalt heated jacket I got new for Christmas last year and put it in the closet with the battery still hooked up. Needless to say the NEW battery was dead and wouldn't take a charge. I tried your hack and it worked like a charm. Appreciate you making this video. Thank you!

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

No worries at all. I figured I wasnt the only one that needed to know this trick.

[@leadstrat]

What a lifesaver. I bought a DeWalt kit in 2015 and the batteries that came with it are still working good as new. I got two additional higher rated 20v batteries less than 2 years ago and one of them didn’t charge yesterday. Here I was thinking I was going to have to buy more or deal with a complicated warranty process. This worked perfectly. Wired them for 4-5 seconds and I even had a bar light up before it was placed on the charger. It’s charging right now. Thank you and great video!

[@ricblanco64]

Well done, Matthew. I've had a 12v DeWalt battery completely dead for a year, unable to take charge. I was ready to dispose of but kept changing my mind until I watched your video, and what a surprise, it’s been working! Thanks man, for being there for us. You've got my "like"

[@gregjones3660]

It’s tough to believe what you are commenting because you didn’t comment that you fixed the battery with this process. Let me guess you’re just still so happy that there is internet and wait what’s this? A video about batchry?!…. Amazing!…

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. You have been warned.

[@kenlang1070]

​@@gregjones3660 are you okay?

[@gregjones3660]

@@kenlang1070 im gay

[@kenlang1070]

@@gregjones3660 me too

[@86jammin]

I had x4 batteries that weren’t charging, I find leaving them in the radio kills them. But after following this video all 4 are now charging and working well! You have literally saved me about £200! Thank you so much.

[@MMAFightMagazine]

Same question - "the radio"?

[@86jammin]

@@MMAFightMagazine my dewalt dab radio completely discharges the batteries if you leave them in, poor design by dewalt

[@JasonFlorida]

I have an LED work light that zaps them too just sitting off

[@coryplantenberg8468]

DeWalt batteries suck. They die in a few months of sitting. My makita batteries don’t do this.

[@raymondvega4703]

I stored a 18volt dewalt impact for multiple years. I thought I had to replace the batteries because obviously they were dead. So I thought, I followed these instructions using a 20 volt battery and had great results. Thank you for saving me the cost or buying new batteries 👍

[@JC-qm4ot]

You used a 20v to revive an 18v battery? All my 18v work for a minute then die.

[@nordic5490]

@@JC-qm4ot this self discharge is due to the internal short created by the dendrites that have grown. You were lucky to not have a fire.

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. You have been warned.

[@runwillrobinson]

I had the exact same problem with the exact same hardware. I had been putting off looking into it for weeks, and when I saw your video, I fixed it in seconds! You saved me a lot of money, thank you!

[@zirco77]

Thank you so much! Good demonstration, just the right warnings. For anyone interested: after a 5 seconds jumpstart, my dead battery went from 1.02V to 13.3V between B+ and B-, more than enough to work. You might want to try only 3 or 4 seconds.

[@DL101ca]

Worked like a charm !!! Thanks for the tip, saved me from dealing with DeWalt customer service.

[@krapeevids6992]

Dude you just might have saved me the time and headache of taking apart my dewalt battery that just got completely discharged!! Thanks !!👍 UPDATE: Just jumped my dead battery like you showed and it’s now taking a charge !! Don’t know why I didn’t think about doing this in the first place??? It’s just like jumping your car battery and then keeping the engine running so the alternator charges it up again! THANK YOU!!!!!

[@bingosunnoon9341]

It's still dead.

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. You have been warned.

[@krapeevids6992]

Battery is still going strong but appreciate the warning about the dendrites. But with what Dewalt charge$ for the$e batterie$ I will take the risk

[@RexxSchneider]

When disconnecting batteries, never pull both leads out of one battery first. No matter how careful you think you are, sooner or later you'll let those two wires touch and short out the battery that the wires are still connected to. You always disconnect one lead first from each of the two batteries and then disconnect the second lead.

[@dr.OgataSerizawa]

Excellent advice, Rex!👍

[@muppetpaster]

What is life worth without a little adventure/risk??

[@bruceregittko7068]

Same advice when jumping a car. Wife and her friend got to meet some hunky firefighters, though.

[@otallono]

@@bruceregittko7068 good for them

[@kipsalviv5742]

💥 learnt that when a kid jumping the car .👍

[@stevewhite5742]

I had done the exact thing with a 2ah battery. Run it down in a stereo. It’s been on the side for over a year. It was a nearly new battery before it went into the radio. I’ve just followed your instructions and wow. You saved me buying a replacement. Thank you. I have sent some money as a thanks for saving me money! .

[@victorapodaca679]

I tried this with a couple of Husqvarna batteries, one was completely dead and wasn’t even registering with the charger. It worked and charged completely! Thank you very much!

[@Zippy1209]

Well done Matt and thank you! I had a new Dewalt 4Amp 20V, same as you had in the video tip and it was totally dead and would not charge, had been on a saw all Winter and it was 100% depleted. Your tip allowed me to basically get the Dewalt charger to detect a slight current in the battery again and it charged perfectly.

[@countmorbid3187]

Was not 100% depleted ... under 3.3 volts is irrecoverably dead. It's no magic, it's chemistry.

[@Zippy1209]

@@countmorbid3187 Thank you Mr. Dewalt!

[@cruisingnurse5443]

You are a lifesaver!! I cannot thank you enough; thought I was going to need to buy another battery and, as a female who hates to have someone else do things for me, you gave me a solution that works!! THANK YOU!!

[@rikkeles2331]

But you still have to have a working battery to jump start it with so still need to purchase a second battery.

[@michaelramsey9975]

It totally worked for me. Just a few seconds and then the unrecognized battery was able to charge normally again. Nice! 👍

[@neilvandepol2903]

Thank You Matthew! I had the identical battery, which was almost new. Your idea worked like a charm. I connected mine for 15 seconds, which is likely 10 seconds too long. After removing wires one light was lit on the charge indicator. Your presentation is too the point with no fluff.

[@Don12321]

It was too long yes.

[@nazarram8577]

Thank you Matthew it really worked as you showed .the battery was on the shelf for seven years.GOD BLESS YOU

[@chriscalveley7486]

Fantastic. So simple and works exactly as he shows it. Thanks a bunch.

[@alangcrowder123]

Fantastic video. Clear concise instructions. Will definitely file this away for a time when I need it. Thank you very much!

[@vecdran]

Worked like a charm, thank you! I have a new DeWalt 12v battery that has never charged, and this fixed it in 60 seconds.

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. If the cells have briefly (a few hrs only) dropped below 3.3v, but, not below 2.3v per cell, then ok, have a crack at charging, but, there is increased risk of fire. 3v can be revived ok providing the cell has not been sitting @ 3v for period of time. More time below 3v = greater risk the anode to cathode separator will be pierced from growing dendrites, causing a short circuit, and hence a potential fire hazard. You have been warned.

[@mickyfinn7159]

Top video. I haven't tried this technique yet but will in the morning and let you know the results. What impressed me the most was your concise, straight to the point delivery. No long intro and many minutes of my existence lost to unnecessary waffling. 😊

[@Don12321]

Did it work

[@danielfiore8865]

Cliffhanger

[@ramonbustamante3870]

my battery wouldn't charge because it was drained by my work light left on and I found out until two weeks later and also we had cold temperatures in the mid 20s and mid 30s overnight. I found this video about on how to revive/re-set drained batteries, I tried it and it works perfect! Thank you bro. This is awesome.👍👍

[@ppeterson01]

Dude, you just saved me hundreds of dollars, awesome video, straight to the point! Good job my man!

[@FirstSpeaker]

This is so simple yet counterintuitive, would've never thought of it. Saved lots of batteries today. Thank you!

[@chrishart8548]

It really is counterintuitive. It would do the opposite to balancing the cells . It would unbalance them more.

[@bradster1708]

@@chrishart8548 I think you are missing the point. A few seconds of charge merely brings up the voltage temporarily so that the charger will recognize it as a battery to be charged, there is no actual charging happening. It is a bit like the foamy milk on a cappuccino, looks big but all air.

[@andreww6738]

I gave this method a shot, and dude I wish I saw this before. I Tried it, and it's so easy peasy and worked like....AMAZING! Thank you, love all your planter videos, I just gotta do it. Andrew 😀

[@dwr748]

I can't believe it actually worked! I had a brand new battery with a power tool kit and it didn't work out of the box (got a warranty replacement after going through troubleshooting steps with the manufacturer). But this trick actually kick-started it. I only get 3 bars out of 4, but as a spare backup battery, it's better than landfill!

[@hectorbart]

Thank you for this Matthew! Just did this to a milwaukee 18v battery that had been sitting dead on my work bench for about 3 years now and would not charge. Now it's charging, thanks again.

[@djnyc85]

YOU ARE THE BEST I ALMOST THREW OUT MY ONE YEAR OLD BATTERY THINKING IT WAS DEAD 4:03

[@MahomeboyMyGOAT]

excellent tutorial, jumped our dead depleted dewalt 20V battery right up. hardest part was finding some spare wire to use😆🔨⚙️

[@Natedoc808]

Hell yeah my man! You just saved me hundreds of bucks!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video

[@sebastiencournoyer5768]

I had 4 of these battery that just would not charge... and this trick just did it! Got some wires with blade crimp on connector and it work like a charm! Thank you so much!

[@ynotcam24]

Thank you!!! Had same issue a few months ago and I just threw the battery away. Fast forward to today and had same issue with a second battery. Stumbled upon your video and gave it a shot. It worked! You saved me money. Thank you. I used thinner wire and it started to melt almost immediately. Be careful and make sure you remove wires right away.

[@ronpage101]

Thank you. Actual useful content. I will always remember this.

[@mahsa111]

Thank you! What a great straightforward video. This worked like a charm and saved me $90 on a new battery!

[@julianmanderson1289]

Thanks so much for this, just saved two of my batteries thanks to this video!

[@Lostinmidcentury]

I bought a 2pk of 5ah batteries several months ago. When I needed them and attempted to charge them they were dead as a hammer. Not even a glimmer of charge on the indicator, so they wouldn't recharge. Your trick worked like a charm! Thx!

[@rickgillean9338]

So glad I found this video. Had an ECHO 58V battery that wouldn't charge until I did this and now it is working great! Saved 178 dollars

[@reasoningtruth]

Thank you, Matthew, you're a Peech! EVERYONE knows this fix, THE WRONG WAY!!! Most have been taught to do that reset with a number of electric sources other than the right one you can easily get from a like battery! Too easy! And then with your explanation we now have a full understanding as to WHY this is happening! Thank you again for taking your time to make this video!

[@horacesawyer2487]

Reasontruths: that's ok but what about those who do not have a spare battery laying around. Can another type of battery be used to put some juice in it? I guess you have to match the voltage.

[@reasoningtruth]

@@horacesawyer2487 Good question, try it and see. What can you lose? A battery you can't use? I have multi voltage transformers, I'll find the right match no matter what the voltage. I have a whole slew of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries that are completely dead, and won't charge, this method works to bring them back! But I just use another AA or AAA to jump start the dead ones because I have so many good ones also. Do you have any small rechargeable's to try it? It doesn't seem that a lower voltage could hurt the higher voltage battery. Try at your own risk, but crazy me would go for it!

[@nordic5490]

@@reasoningtruth Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. You have been warned.

[@lanajacknichols8397]

an this be done with a 10 amp battery charger?

[@DavesRabbitHole]

@@nordic5490 This reply needs more likes. the real solution is don't use devices without low voltage cut-offs, and take batteries out of devices when you aren't using them, unless you are using them almost daily. and don't leave batteries in environments that are subject to extreme temp changes like the back of a car that can get up to stupid hot in the summer and stupid cold in the winter.

[@brianfalls5038]

Well Mathew, I can't tell you how helpful this has been. I have already taken 4 different batteries back to Dewalt to have them replaced just for this very reason. Many thanks for some extremely helpful info sir and you now have a new subscriber!

[@billyd.6411]

How do you take them back to Dewalt

[@brianfalls5038]

@@billyd.6411 Out here where I live there is a Dewalt store that does repairs. That's where I take my Dewalt tools to be repaired and such. And as long as the batteries are still under the 3 year warranty then they will exchange them with no questions asked.

[@billyd.6411]

@@brianfalls5038 ok thanks will give it a try do I need a receipt or can they tell from serial numbers

[@brianfalls5038]

@@billyd.6411 If you look on your battery then it should have a date code on it. It should be on the top left hand side of the battery. You shouldn't need a receipt for the battery.

[@CostaMesaPhotography]

Thanks for hot tip!! I had a dead battery, googled the issue, found your video, followed your instructions--and voila!! Much appreciated!

[@michaelgraber5750]

I had two completely dead batteries after i left them hoooked up to stuff for months. Charger wouldn't charge them. Was going to send them in to a battery store for repair until i found this video. Worked perfect! I gained two batteries back. Thank you.

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

Awesome!

[@michaelgraff6978]

The only risk is a totally discharged battery changes chemically and can become internally shorted. Be very careful when charging and using it afterwards as it could easily catch fire.

[@HardcoreRC]

I guess all these people dont know how dangerous a li-ion battery can become once its dropped below 3v, there is a reason the charger will not charge it

[@memyselfandi3925]

@@HardcoreRC fire smire whats alittle fire....lol

[@HardcoreRC]

@@memyselfandi3925 LOL, yep lipos fires are nothing to worry about 😂😂

[@davidrwowbotham2633]

Yep, Stranger Danger. One you see one light off you would never do this in your home.

[@xehpuk]

I am shocked that I had to scroll so far in the comments to find a warning about the fire hazard in doing this.

[@russparch4424]

Thanks Matthew! , you saved me from buying a new battery. Great video 👍🏽

[@robertficek7586]

Yes this does work, my 20v battery pack read 2.0v, i bumped it with another 20v pack for a 2 sec and it gave it a surface charge of 12v decreasing to 7v which is enough for the charger to recognize the battery. This can probably be done using a 9v battery as well if you only have one tool battery since your only giving it a small surface charge

[@nordic5490]

Warning. Only do this in an emergency. If you manage to charge this battery, do not keep this battery anywhere it can cause a major fire. Why ? When these batteries are discharged below 3v per cell, dendrites (small spiky structures) can grow and possibly pierce the separator between the anode and cathode of the battery, causing a short circuit, and thus a fire. Most consumer electronics will regard 3.3v as fullt discharged, and the battery protection circuit will then turn the equipment off to prevent over discharging. If a cell is found to be 2.3v or lower for anything by the a very brief time, then it is effectively dead, dendrites will have certainly grown, and even if you manage to charge it, the dendrites are still there, and you now have a ticking time bomb. Do not reuse such a cell. Once that separator is pierced you may have a fire, the intensity of that fire will depend on how much charge is stored in that cell. If your battery pack has been dischared for some time, open it up, and measure the voltages directly accros the individual cells. If this is less than 3v, do not attempt to charge. Even if there is not a fire, you will notice that after charging, that cell will self discharge within an hr or so. This is due to a partial internal short circuit caused by dendrites. More energy put in to such a cell increases the risk of fire. If the cells have briefly (a few hrs only) dropped below 3.3v, but, not below 2.3v per cell, then ok, have a crack at charging, but, there is increased risk of fire. 3v can be revived ok providing the cell has not been sitting @ 3v for period of time. More time below 3v = greater risk the anode to cathode separator will be pierced from growing dendrites, causing a short circuit, and hence a potential fire hazard. You have been warned.

[@robertficek7586]

@@nordic5490 true this trick only worked temporary and the pack didn't hold a full charge, after separating the individual batteries 1 cell was bad and couldn't be charged, also realized this method can over charge cells. The remaining cells tested fine with low resistance and near rated capacity

[@joemanifesto8742]

Holy crap! It worked! Thank you for your straightforward and helpful video and for not unnecessarily making it 20 minutes long.

[@raist3001]

I was today years old. A battery that was only a year old, which I thought was dead, is now charging again. Thank you!

[@melliW1]

With the older batteries, it is sufficient to put them on the charger and plug and unplug them a few times, wait a few seconds and then load normally. works pretty often. I've saved a lot of money this way. Just try it.

[@archael18]

That would be even easier. I'll try it if it happens to me. Thanks

[@hoarbaby]

Thanks for the excellent tip, worked like a charm for me!!

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

Glad it helped!

[@gigaflynn_]

My only suggestion would be to make up your wires with spade terminal ends, just to avoid the risk of loose strands of wire breaking off inside the battery housing and causing problems down the road. Otherwise, good video, thanks. 👍

[@jimscanlan5557]

THANK YOU!! just did this and BAM worked. Saved me $180 for new battery!! When I put my drill in tool bag the trigger must have been pushed to on, ran it dry.

[@aladent]

I tried this tonight with my DeWalt 5 amp lithium battery that was completely dead. It worked like a charm! Thanks!

[@SandeepMohammedAli]

You'd think DeWalt could include a re-condition button on their chargers, like other manufacturers do, but I guess that's not in their business plan.

[@TheMingilator]

under no circumstances do this without testing cell voltage first (open the battery up and check the voltage acreoss cells), YES it can work if the cell voltage is still above 1.9v , if it has dropped below 1.9v and you do this you run a high risk of overheating the cells as the cells can experience dentritic growth between cell layers and cause short circuits

[@kevosims2012]

Do you have to disassemble the case or can you test at the B+ & B- contacts?

[@TheMingilator]

@@kevosims2012 I take the case off so I can check the cells individually (or in parallel pairs) if you measure the total battery voltage it might show it down by a couple of volts which could be interpreted as either a partly discharged battery or a battery with one cell near death, I don't like the ambiguity

[@kevosims2012]

@@TheMingilator Copy that. Thanks for the reply, very helpful.

[@fintonmainz7845]

It's not going to overheat and explode in 3 seconds. Having said that: do this outdoors

[@TheMingilator]

@SaltyBrainsif it's been entirely depleted then it is no longer a good cell, it is best practice to dispose of them

[@mikeoxlong920]

If I had another battery I wouldn’t be here

[@RJSElectricalCheshire]

I've just jump-started a battery that has been dead for 2 years and wouldn't charge. I nearly threw it away. You've just saved me a lot of money on a replacement. Thanks 👍👍

[@jamaicantreasures1740]

Thank you Matthew. Your tutorial is PERFECT and it worked for me just now, exactly as you said it would. Thank you and all you guys who help keep our landfills empty. You are amazing.

[@andyfrench4051]

Battery been on side in garage for 2 years. Fixed in 2 minutes. Great tip, thank you

[@ilb09]

Thank you...that worked for a 20V Max Li-on!! 👍 I used four box cutter blades inserted into the +/- terminals on each battery - one fully charged, one dead. Then connected those in polarity with two jumper wires that had alligator clips on each end. You're spot on: "only for a few seconds." The jumper wires were getting warm after 10-15 seconds. The dead battery started charging when placed on the charger. The dead battery had been left in a tool for a few days and died. Not worried about "old" battery revival issues with it.

[@RobertGrant-pg1ci]

I had a dead Dewalt battery, tried this and it worked like a charm, now I will have 2 good batteries again.Thank you

[@bonkoo5978]

Wow it worked. The battery charger doesn’t have to be same as long as its compatible. 👍

[@ghost2cry]

Thanks you so much for this lil hack I just bought a second hand DeWalt drill set and one of the batteries was completely dead it's worked 100%😊😊

[@derekcooper2789]

Glad I found this video, one of my 20v Dewalt battery was completely drained. Followed this video and now it is charging. Thank you.

[@jamesohara1012]

Thanks Matt you saved me £60 around $90 on a new battery. I did as you suggested and battery is at 100% now. Thank you

[@roberthicks8808]

Thank you. I've seen this done before but never had to do it. This morning one of my batteries was completely dead and wouldn't take a charge. This worked like a charm.

[@kenhawkins728]

Thanks brother I did my battery today 7-5-24 & it's working again. Thanks again. You made me look smart.

[@larrypayne8751]

Thank you for this video. I have had my Dewalt drill for 2 years now and I have never used the other battery. I just recently tried to charge it and it would not take a charge. I just tried your hack and bam it is now taking a charge. Thanks again.

[@michaelmckinley324]

Thank you!!! I had a "bad" battery sitting on a shelf for years because I never got around to recycling it. Easy fix and saved me some $$$. Thanks!

[@mikecase6270]

Much appreciated...met a guy giving away hi 40v brushless trimmer (like new) because the battery was "done" and they want $400 for a replacement. got trimmer, charger and battery for free...brought it home, tried this hack...went out and weed whacked the whole yard 4 hours later. This hack is a great find. :)

[@corndog8183]

This is why is freaking love you tube. Thank you for this quick, simple yet effective video. Saved me a new battery! Thanks

[@stormbringer206]

Just seen this today. I received a product today and the Battery wouldn’t charge. Did exactly what the video showed and it WORKED! Thanks for sharing!😊

[@MatthewPeechWoodworking]

Glad I could help

[@Indus2020]

Thank you my friend - I just used your method to bring back to life my battery - a different brand ! It’s Alive !!!!

[@robertstaggs8087]

Thanks Brother, already contacted Craftsman for a battery replacement under Warranty, But tried your method and it worked perfectly. Thanks

[@installitall7053]

Actually works. Left a new battery in my radio for months and had nothing. Now its charging. Very nice.

[@andycourt5456]

One of my batteries was completely dead, would not charge at all . Was going to throw it in the bin, tried this trick ,started charging first go ! Cheers mate you just saved me $130

[@fengfuxu4822]

my 5A battery did not charge , I followed the method, and it worked. thank you, Great video!

[@MrBuzz91]

Gotta give credit where it's due! Your informational video just saved three of my 20v Lithium Ion batteries! They're not cheap, and as you discussed, I drained the batteries too much where it would not allow a charge. Thanks for your video, and for saving me a considerable amount of money!

[@davidedwards4126]

Was about to tear into my 60v battery and decided to look at more videos, saw yours and tried it. Battery charging now. Great video, great info!

[@JohnnyBlaze-v2c]

Just went to my local home improvement store and they were sold out, which is common after a hurricane. Google search and found this video. I had another battery for the drill but it doesn't fit in the blower. I tried it with that battery, it sparked at first but it worked afterwards. Thank you for the video 👍🏾

[@mikepeterson443]

Dude! You saved me. I've had this dead battery for a while, and didn't think it could be revived. This worked. Thanks.

[@ps-yb8wm]

Bought two after market (Ferryboat) battleries on Amazon that arrived dead. Jumped them as you showed using my car battery. All good. Clicked on your video because I have seen a few of your other videos and believed I could trust what you had to say. Keep doing good.

[@JoIn-y5s]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!! I could tell you knew what you were doing when you connected the positive 1st (most don't understand why). If you want to know, it keeps the battery from arching. I just wish I knew this trick a few years ago! I threw away over $2,000 in batteries because I left them in my garage over winter (I'm in the NE). NONE would recharge but I didn't try this trick. I've used it OVER AND OVER since! Out of at least 100 batteries, only one would never recharge.

[@wulfclaw4921]

I had to come back by and tell you THANKS AGAIN, BROTHER ! I did this and it worked ! I had just gotten 2 brand new 5 AH DEWALT batterys off of Ebay only a month ago. One died - one was fine. The dead one wouldn't do anything after one use. So Sincerely, Thanks !! Wulfy

[@justralph1]

Worked like a charm on a new battery that was only used once….ive seen this technique in other vids ….but decided try it on new 20v vmax dewalts….Thx for the video!

[@map0824]

You helped me. I didn't have a 2nd battery but I did have a trickle charger I use for my lawnmower battery. I used small nails as contacts and connected directly to charger. The green light started blinking showing I had it connected correctly and after about 30 seconds I disconnected it and set it in my charger and it charged. Saved me big time.

[@misternoobstar]

You are a godsend my friend. My battery was dead exactly how you said....left in a radio all night. Quick 5 second boost and it was charging again. Many many thanks! These damn things are expensive!

[@tommybytes]

I looked all around this job site and had nothing, no spare wires. but I did have an assortment of tiny slim washers. I lined up the positive to positive and negative to negative terminals as you said, but used the two washers to go into the battery slots, probably could fit dimes as well. Got a larger than I expected spark which reset the battery and now it is charging! Thank you! I looked like MacGyver !

[@SnooChannel]

Thank you so much for this! It worked as quickly and as well as you said it would. People like you give me faith in humanity!!!