Any cordless battery 'experts' out there..?

[NikNak]

Hi guys...

Can anyone help with a 3.0 AH 14.4v makita batt that i've got that has suddenly decided to tell me its 'broken'...?

I put it onto charge on Saturday and after only 5 mins it displayed *charged*.... so i thought very strange, unplugged it - plugged back in and it then displays alternate RED / GREEN flashing, indicating a broken/faulty battery.










It's not that old, but is out of any warranty period....

Any ideas..?

Cheers


Nick

 

[Racers]

Probably one of the cells have gone open circuit or a bad connection, clean the terminals and try it again.
You can crack them open along the join and check all the connections inside the battery and glue them back together.
Have you tried another battery in the charger in case its the charger faulty?

Pete

 

[NikNak]

Hi Pete...

Yeah.... i've got 6 batts & 2 chargers
2 x NiCad 1.5(?)Ah
2 x NiMh 3.0 Ah
2 x NiMh 2.8 Ah
2 x 1414F chargers

The NiCad's must be coming on for 9 or 10 years old and still going strong.
The 2.8Ah's are fairly new, 18 months maybe
The 3.0Ah's not sure of age, but came with the ex-display drill from 'Billys Power Tools' from ebay. Both the drill and batts looked spanking new, but i can accept that maybe if they've sat around for a while etc etc.....

I'll try the cleaning of terminals first and see if that helps.... i'll make sure by trying both chargers tho.

When you say 'crack open' i'm sure its not gona be that easy tho.... (hammer) as i remember doing the same thing quite a few years ago on an old B&D Proline drill i had.

Hey-Ho..... at the moment its saying 'broken'.... so nothing to loose....


Nick

 

[artie]

The NiCad's must be coming on for 9 or 10 years old and still going strong.



Nick

What make are they.? I have never had nicads last more than a couple of years.

 

[NikNak]

Hi Artie

They're also Makita's..... the red bottomed ones (as opposed to the black bottom in the pic above) the number PA14 seems to ring a bell...

Used and used and used them... and still going strong..! (hammer) (hammer)


Nick

 

[Racers]

I had a old style 12V one and a knackered new style one, I managed to crack both open and swap the cells over.
A probe with a small screwdriver in the joint between the two halves until you find a weak point then work around the pack, some thick super glue or araldite to fix the pack back together.

Pete