Battery won't charge help.

[csabo]

I had a lithium polymer battery for an electronic device brought over from the states. The battery and charger are sold as a set and were new. Th way I read the charger label below the battery should take a charge but does not. The charger even has a red and green charging/charged indicator that tells me the battery is getting charged. What am I doing wrong? Yes I confirmed the device works with another battery. I meter tested the wall and the battery at the terminals when it is connected to the charger and get current. The manufacturer offered to replace it but I can't get any shipper to send it back so gotta figure this out. Additional probably critical info is that I have to add a 9volt type connector to the battery to link between the battery and the charger because the original battery connector was modified so I am returning it to original. 

Edited August 10, 2017 by csabo

[Crossy]

Not a lot to go wrong.

 

Are you certain you have the battery polarity correct?

 

How do you know it's not taking charge?

 

If it is really working with another battery only one conclusion, duff battery.

 

[csabo]

52 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Not a lot to go wrong.

 

Are you certain you have the battery polarity correct?

 

How do you know it's not taking charge?

 

If it is really working with another battery only one conclusion, duff battery.

 

Right,  what could be wrong? As far as the polarity the only way it could be wrong is if I can't tell the difference between black and red. I know it does not charge because the device won't power up and when I put a meter on the battery it shows nothing. Yes of course it could be a bad battery but I doubt it as I bought it new (what are the odds it was dead and passed inspection) and from what I understand they ship them charged. Mine waited a while before being brought over so that charge may have burned out before arriving. I am having a difficult time finding support online because like I said the original wired battery was cut out and replaced with a home made battery pack of rechargeable AA batteries. They work but the new battery would be better and last longer.   Electricity is not my strong point but how does the battery know if it is supposed to take electricity from a charger or give electricity to the device? I saw one comment online but can't find it now about reversing the wires. The Amazon seller referred me to the manufacturer and they cut off communication when they found out I was overseas and could not return it. $80 down the drain. 

Edited August 10, 2017 by csabo

[Crossy]

Electrons care not what colour the wire is, red (or yellow, pink or green with blue spots) could equally be negative. Was polarity verified with a meter?

 

Absolutely zero from the battery is almost certainly a dead battery, if it's ever been connected to a charger backwards any built-in charge optimizer (and possibly the charger) has a good chance of being fried.

 

A lithium battery is unlikely to have self-discharged in a short time, did the device work with the new battery before any charging was attempted?

 

Give a battery a supply larger than its terminal voltage and it will charge, give it a load and it will discharge.

 

Source a new battery from AliExpress.

 

 

[bankruatsteve]

Check your connections.  Even a "dead" battery will show something.  Maybe those connecting wires are not connected?

[sometimewoodworker]

On 10/08/2017 at 7:33 PM, Crossy said:

 

Absolutely zero from the battery is almost certainly a dead battery, if it's ever been connected to a charger backwards any built-in charge optimizer (and possibly the charger) has a good chance of being fried.

It seems that if you have a Lithium ion cell then a zero reading may well not be a dead battery, it will usually have to have been reverse charged to completely kill it 

The scientific paper and a YouTube video from bigcliveAre over-discharged lithium cells safe  (And how to test for damage.)  

[Crossy]

@sometimewoodworker Yeah, I was suspecting it may actually have been connected to the charger backwards which would do nasty things.

 

But since our OP has not returned ...

[stubuzz]

What is the voltage of the battery?  I have had to "jump start" dead batteries with a higher voltage before they would accept a normal charge.

[tifino]

9 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

What is the voltage of the battery?  I have had to "jump start" dead batteries with a higher voltage before they would accept a normal charge.

 

that might sometimes work with the ol' Ni-Cads

 

- but OP has Li-Pos

(a different kettle of fish, that might end up as crispy little critters)

[stubuzz]

1 minute ago, tifino said:

that might sometimes work with the ol' Ni-Cads

 

- but OP has Li-Pos

(a different kettle of fish, that might end up as crispy little critters)

I have done this with 3.7v lithium tablet batteries that have gone too flat to charge.  There are instructions on YouTube.

[tifino]

14 hours ago, stubuzz said:

I have done this with 3.7v lithium tablet batteries that have gone too flat to charge.  There are instructions on YouTube.

does it blast away the stalactites?

[sometimewoodworker]

3 hours ago, tifino said:

does it blast away the stalactites?

If you mean the copper intrusions through the films, then nothing will revive a battery that has gone that bad

[sometimewoodworker]

On 14/08/2017 at 7:27 PM, stubuzz said:

What is the voltage of the battery?  I have had to "jump start" dead batteries with a higher voltage before they would accept a normal charge.

This is quite likely to cause problems with lithium ion batteries unless you severely limit the charging current at first. When at very low to zero charge the charging  also needs to be very low, this slows the battery chemistry to reform itself.