DeWalt Drill Battery Not Charging – Help!

Hey everyone, my DeWalt 20V max drill battery stopped charging all of a sudden. It's only a year old, and I've been using it almost daily for renos. I plugged it in and the charger light blinks red, won't go green. Tried a different battery and it charges fine, so it's the battery. Any ideas before I shell out for a new one?

Hi DeWaltDan! That sounds like a classic issue. Sometimes the contacts on the battery or charger get dirty or the battery has a bad cell. First, try cleaning the contacts on the battery and charger with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip. Also, check if any of the pins are bent. If that doesn't work, you might have a dead cell. You can try jump-starting it with a 9V battery to see if it wakes up, but that's temporary. Let us know what you find.

Hey Dan, I've seen this before. If it's less than 3 years old, DeWalt might honor the warranty. Check the date code on the battery – you can find it online. Also, some chargers have a reset function: unplug for a minute, then plug in with the battery inserted. But honestly, if it's a dead cell, not much you can do. I'd try the warranty route first to save money.

I second cleaning the contacts. I had the same problem with my Ryobi battery and it was just gunk. Also, make sure you're not storing the battery in extreme temps – that can kill it. If you have a multimeter, check the voltage across the terminals; should be around 20V if fully charged. If it's lower, it might be a cell issue. Hope that helps!

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I'll try cleaning the contacts and see if that helps. If not, I'll check the warranty. Appreciate the advice!