My cordless drill battery won't charge - anyone else had this?

Hey folks, my 18V Ryobi drill battery just stopped taking a charge. I left it on the charger overnight and it's still blinking red. It's about 2 years old. Any ideas before I toss it?

Ryobi? Shoulda bought a Craftsman! 😉 Joking aside, check the contacts on the battery and charger. Sometimes they get gunked up. Also, if you have a multimeter, see if the battery is putting out any voltage. Could be a dead cell.

Whoa, don't toss it yet! Safety first - make sure the charger is working properly with another battery. Also, some chargers have a thermal protection that trips if the battery is too hot. Let it cool down completely and try again. If it's still blinking red and you've ruled out temp/contacts, it might be the BMS (battery management system) gone bad. There are some hack videos to reset it, but be careful with lithium packs!

Thanks for the tips! I cleaned the contacts with alcohol and it's still not working. I don't have another Ryobi battery to test the charger. Any way to tell if the BMS is toast without taking it apart? I'm not comfortable cracking it open.

Honestly, if it's 2 years old and you've tried the basics, might be time for a new one. Ryobi batteries are pretty affordable. But if you want to be sure, some local shops can test them for free. Or borrow a buddy's battery to test the charger. Oh, and make sure you're using the correct charger - Ryobi has different ones for NiCad vs Lithium!