The secrets of the Bose bluetooth speaker battery pack revealed .

[@paulhamacher773]

I've just had a soundlink mini from a friend which showed the red flasing of death after changing the battery to a new one. I first thought I had fucked up during soldering or so even though I was very very careful. Then I gladfully stumbled across this video. Turns out now I only needed to download the bose update tool and perform a standard firmware update, which apparently fixes exactly this issue. I performed the update and now the box works fine again. ☺

[@BiePhiLeufke]

I loved watching this. Glad you wasted your time disassembling it, so you could explain it to us.

[@nrdesign1991]

Looks like an oversight on their part, or an intended point of failure. There are solutions to protecting 18650's that don't need a complicated chip like this

[@armunro]

I suppose when you reflash it, the bit or flag that was set becomes unset? Why else would you reflash the same version already installed? Reflashing must be like re-initializing it back and when it starts up it resets everything? Hugely over complicated; these batteries have a safety feature in them anyway that causes them to go oc when there is an issue (build up of gas?); I have reset this on a couple of batteries with a pin, etc.

[@michaeldranfield7140]

Question is though , is this really a safety issue or is it some sort of ploy to get you to buy either a new battery or new unit ?

[@FijiLaw]

I wired power directly bypassing the chip and it turns on now but just displays red battery flat status even thou im supplying power from mains

[@therenatocr]

How did you do that? Can you explain, Where to solder the wires?! Thanks

[@FijiLaw]

@therenatocr if you look on the battery board there's vbat+ , bat, SLK and SDA, and Gnd, i use an adapter and wired direct, + to Vbat and - to Gnd

[@dhananjaykadam2786]

Please inform adapter rating. Regards

[@ferjunfarillon2999]

can you please make a video or picture here..

[@dhananjaykadam2786]

​ Please inform me of the correct adapter rating. Regards

[@dannylong1842]

Could you tell me what kind of sequence of keys your typed to re-download the software

[@michaeldranfield7140]

Sorry I cant remember now as this video is quite old but I found it freely on the internet.

[@dannylong1842]

@@michaeldranfield7140 thanks I did a little digging and found it.

[@dhananjaykadam2786]

Please inform. Regards

[@radio-ged4626]

This is similar to a laptop battery with clock and data pins. Where I work we use a battery analyzer to test and recover batteries that have good cells but whose i2C chip is confused. It also can recover good cells that have been overly discharged using a wake up short and long pulse sequence. Obviously if the cells have failed it can't recover them but you will at least know they are spent or high resistance. It's not a magic cure all but just another tool to use when testing battery related faults.

[@michaeldranfield7140]

coming to something when batteries are software controlled, think I may have heard once that Apple could could shorten the life of a phone battery with software in order to get a customer to buy a new phone .

[@robtitheridge9708]

these software problems are becoming common and in the case of that speaker the reason for the chip is dubious .as other devices do not have a lockout system on the batteries.but then how else could they try to extort £60 for two 1865s?

[@michaeldranfield7140]

Too right, it also begs the question how many of these have been thrown away for this reason ? an excellent tactic though on the part of the manufactures though to sell you a new one .

[@whitenorthstar]

this is the same setup as the DJI drone batteries! I've reprogrammed a few DJI batteries using an I2C card with no problems using the DJI battery killer software...I wonder if the same software/hardware would work with these batteries? and the software does mention this type of software/hardware management. will try this out and keep you posted...some laptop batteries use this method also...I wonder what other batteries use this too...the software in the I2C counts the charge cycles and if it goes beyond a certain amount of charge cycles it turns the battery off so you have to buy a new battery...I'm guessing! BTW the DJI Battery Killer software is free to download! Thanks for the great content Michael!

[@chobits3525]

My speaker constantly run into this problem and I have ordered a third-party battery which I assume use some recycled board you showed in this video. On the one hand, I understand glue battery and have special board with it have greatly extended the life of these two 18650s, but on the other hand it has clearly block a lot of repair of this speaker, I could just buy 2x 18650 if it wasn't this complicate, and my expensive speaker doesn't need also expensive third-party packs.

[@ianhuxstep211]

Brilliant video. I fly RC planes and we use Lithium polymer batteries and they too have a very complex BMC in the batteries, mainly used for multicell, balancing, temperature control, and charge overload, but because at peak current it can produce up to 30 times capacity, there is effectively no short circuit protection, it is very common for these batteries to catch fire. ironically this technology is used in electric vehicles, very worrying!

[@michaeldranfield7140]

its also worrying that with a software controlled battery arrangement the battery could effectively be turned off by a software command send by the manufacture's over the internet, I think Apple had some sort of this issue on there mobile phones , no doubt done deliberately to sell you a new phone .

[@printer1105]

This unit coukd have been fixed by holding the power button down for ten seconds and unplug the charger at the same time. It fixed mine , just a simple reboot of the board.

[@gonzalovelazquez7253]

Hello. How is te solution? Wich is the secret code?

[@jserenity]

Hey, thanks a Lot. Because I watched your vlog that I learned not to teardown by Bose Revolve+ soundlink and just do a firmware update. Now its started and just very low. I also wonder how a 18650 lifePo4 battery inside will be easily bad. It is rated to recycle for more than 2000+ And I am sure it has a BMS to avoid full drain

[@my5cents4u]

you are a genius guy and would love to get your suggestions on how to approach to bypass the WiFi/Bluetooth system and hard wire it without a battery. It could be a big business modifying these units instead of letting them die in the closet . . .

[@michaeldranfield7140]

Its a long time since I did this video and I have not seen one of these since , I guess it would be possible and the best place to start would be to look inside one of the many fake batteries for sale for these units .

[@johnkadenge3639]

I have an exact bose speaker as this i have tried everything but the red light won't stop blinking.and still no power from the battery pack...can i get some help please

[@Eduht2012]

I have a similar issue, but the light only blinks once when plug it to the wall. Tried the update thing but it doesn`t connect. Were you able to solve yours?

[@user-cptpwp]

Switching technologies?

[@my5cents4u]

These Soundlink 2 speakers with the famous "blinking red button" and the 100ds of advices how to fix them on the web - ARE NOT WORKING! These speakers are becoming obsolete and many sell them for parts on auctions. So instead of using it as a doorstop I have endlessly searched for ANY WAY to run the bugger WITHOUT BATTERY with no success. I want to connect it to my PC with a USB for power source and plug it in to the 3.5mm audio jack in the back. Is this impossible or is there a way? Having picked apart the all the circuits boards I wonder where to take the audio output signal direct on the small bords with th many mini tiny micro connectors? Would the 5V current from the USB not be enough to drive the unit?

[@tekopikin]

Hi, Hope is not lost. It can be repaired, I fixed mine. I'm not sure why he went down this route 2 years ago. You can get your BOSE speaker back online, a software bug causes the battery to go into a "premature battery shipping mode" when the speaker's battery is discharged for a long period of time. A firmware update should fix it, have you tried that yet?

[@michaeldranfield7140]

no doubt there will be a way but it wont be a route im going down as I have never seen one for years now , a lot of this software stuff I think is deliberate , its called built in obsolescence and its done to make you buy a new unit .

[@my5cents4u]

@@michaeldranfield7140 I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously pissed off that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut and let the world know and give Bose the finger!

[@my5cents4u]

​@@michaeldranfield7140 I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously angry that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut!

[@my5cents4u]

@@michaeldranfield7140 I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously angry that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut!

[@2tailedfox711]

Mine is dead and won't charge. So I need to do the download. But I cant do the download because it errors out because the battery charge is too low because I need to do the download to make it charge which I can't do because the battery charge is too low because. Oh no I've gone cross eyed.

[@michaeldranfield7140]

Good luck with that one then , I wouldn't know where to get a genuine bose battery and most of the aftermarket Chinese ones are likely to be of poor quality, and the genuine looking ones you see on the internet are likely to be fakes .

[@debeeriz]

built in obsolescence

[@michaeldranfield7140]

absolutely ,

[@user-cptpwp]

One point, this is a 7 volt battery, and the charges are 5 v, so the software doubles the 5 v and with its magic, charges at 7.4. Use a multimeter to check the ground to te center poles of the battery, to see 5 v, which is typical for the power to the board. Just think, how do you charge a 7.4 volt battery with a 5 volt charger? Need to step up but end uo with less current. Doesn’t look like a transformer,

[@marksntl7632]

Thanks for sharing this Michael - I have my son's JBL Charge 3 bluetooth speaker here - which is doing some strange things... You have now made me wonder it's a software issue too.....

[@michaeldranfield7140]

were too reliant on software these days and the biggest challenge is trying to decide if its a hardware fault or software problem.

[@marksntl7632]

@@michaeldranfield7140 - Indeed Michael, a year later I've suddenly found a service manual for this bit of kit, which I could not find before. So now a year on, I've found in this case, it is a hardware fault. Also the fault cleared when un-soldering the collector of a surface mount transistor that switched a mosfet for the VCC_SYS. I'm guessing that either the heat from the soldering has temporarily fixed the transistor or something near it or maybe something along the lines of the heat of the iron has boiled, fried or vaporised the glue if used and could of became conductive, to glue the transistor onto the board before the solder bath (at least changed the properties of something), because it's working fine now.... I'll keep testing it, and when I'm 100% sure it fixed, I'm very much inclined to make a KZbin video about this bit of kit and how this repair panned out....

[@michaeldranfield7140]

@@marksntl7632 Don't be fooled by transistors that appear to work ok when they have been de soldered , I have had this many times , with diodes as well , they are faulty and the heat from a soldering iron brings them back to life .

[@marksntl7632]

@@michaeldranfield7140 Indeed, I'll order a new smd transistor and replace it....

[@Dandan-tg6tj]

Usually JBLs follow a different pattern. It's usually the charging part that fails (on the main motherboard inside the thing). Batteries usually are fine for a long time.

[@littlebear5219]

Over complicated electronics just for a blue tooth speaker !!. But very interesting and informative video .

[@michaeldranfield7140]

well over complicated and obviously designed to sell you another expensive battery.

[@ragejonson9995]

So what was a secred code?

[@tekopikin]

With your BOSE speaker connected to your computer & the BOSE Updater launched, press 'O' , 'P', 'T' on the keyboard followed by the up arrow and the down arrow. This should open up a different menu to clear any errors on your battery.

[@shandybrandy5407]

I am deeply disappointed by the design of the circuitry housing, which I find to be inadequate and hindering repair. I purchased my Soundlink mini 1st generation for INR 16,800, along with an additional INR 3,800 for the pouch. I cherished this device, even writing an independent review after four months of use. Unfortunately, it now appears that the battery has failed, indicated by a blinking red LED when I attempt to charge it. Bose no longer services this model, and the necessary battery is unavailable or prohibitively expensive from online sources. This experience has soured my opinion of Bose and other tech companies that produce such poorly constructed devices. I believe it is time for consumers worldwide to voice their concerns and consider boycotting Bose products. An independent agency should conduct a thorough audit of such practices. It is regrettable that a company of Bose's reputation has failed to meet my expectations. New Delhi INDIA

[@trishanku27]

We have been conned brother. My 17K INR down the drain. Never buying another Bose.

[@aardvarksmith6852]

What's wrong with a pp9.

[@michaeldranfield7140]

I know what you mean , makes you wonder what nasty surprises were in for with electric cars .

[@nrdesign1991]

It is significantly larger and non-rechargeable. You couldnt sell these today to an audience that expects cheap small, lightweight and rechargeable equipment

[@aardvarksmith6852]

@@nrdesign1991 I was being old and sarcastic.

[@kayamtshaikh2517]

hello sir sam spkear battery replacement new battery give

[@michaeldranfield7140]

batteries are available on the internet but unless you can get hold of a genuine Bose one its a bit of a gamble , so many fakes on the internet.

[@blairdavis]

I could listen to you explain stuff like this all day long!🥹 I always take the long way round too so you're not alone there lol

[@MrReeceyburger123]

Yep I’ve had a nightmare with these batteries :(

[@michaeldranfield7140]

at least you know the secret now, a software controlled battery that switches itself off in the hope you will just bin the thing and buy another , what a crafty trick from Bose, almost as good as the Volkswagen emission trick !

[@MrReeceyburger123]

@@michaeldranfield7140 I spent hours on this one checking everything and come to the same conclusion as you. They key is when you on the website and it says it’s updated: A,D,V Up arrow Down arrow and that takes you to the reset🙏

[@MrReeceyburger123]

@@michaeldranfield7140 hey I’ve one here that just won’t take the reset the pc doesn’t even recognise it now, do you think there would be a way to bypass this protection circuit Michael ?

[@michaeldranfield7140]

@@MrReeceyburger123 I dont think so as I tried on mine putting 7.4 volts directly to the battery connector and it still wouldn't come on , I presume at switch on data is sent to the battery and if the battery does noit respond the set remains dead, however you could just try in case there are different versions .

[@paulb4uk]

@@michaeldranfield7140 Some of the newer laptop batterys have ti chips that do the same type of thing 1 faulty cell renders it useless even if you swap a good cell into the pack .

[@Joe_Blo]

Lithium battery fires ate serious. Bose built in safeguards to protect consumers, the brand, abd shipping companies. -Several large container ships have been destroyed by electric car battery fires.

[@djkarlantony]

Bose have a habit of over complicating things.. I've owned a few professional Bose PA Systems. However the more recent products are engineered to fail (expensively) In our business the saying goes that bose stands for Bring Other Sound Equipment. So god help the domestic products..

[@michaeldranfield7140]

I know what you mean , and with no circuit diagrams available fault finding is very difficult, al least there is the chip makers datasheets to fall back on .

[@djkarlantony]

@Andrew_koala get a life .. knob

[@satishvasane6812]

Thanks

[@michaeldranfield7140]

Many thanks for watching .

[@Dandan-tg6tj]

Usually I've seen Bose batteries rendered useless because they were not charged for a long time and the software "thinks" that batteries catastrophically failed. Anyway. I don't buy anything that's not easily repaired.

[@xyredmax]

Morning MD - Its all about the journey - BR Mark

[@michaeldranfield7140]

I know what you mean , this has been a bit more enlightening than just changing the battery .

[@LeicaM11]

They need to evaluate the charging and health state and send it via Bluetooth. 😊 Fun fact: Listening to this video with sound at Bose Soundlink mini II SE😅

[@insideT7IO.]

Sadly late here i broke the battery, anyway that gadget was very old maybe in future I'll fix it....

[@my5cents4u]

I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously angry that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut!

[@my5cents4u]

The stupid algo keeps deleting my post - I can not say what I want! I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously disappointed that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut!

[@my5cents4u]

I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously angry that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut!

[@my5cents4u]

I have two of these units now and wasted $80 on trying to fix them with new batteries. I'm seriously disappointed that they design these to be planned obsolescence and I want to find a SOLUTION that is not the software route but the HARDWARE bypass to skip the wifi/bluetooth which must be fed with the battery.. I want to find the connection spots and how to connect it with the AUX input/output to a speaker. My goal is to have these two units running as a set of speakers connected to a computer. Not having the schematics and how they designed it makes it tough and there. I'm still hoping some intelligent engineer smarter than I can crack this nut!