I recently upgraded my daughter's remote control ride-on car (think super cool Barbie mobile) to use 20V batteries. It's been awesome during our family outings, but I accidentally forgot to unplug the battery and activate the dead man switch last time we took it out. Now, the battery seems completely dead and won't charge anymore. Is there any way I can possibly save it, or should I just accept my mistake and recycle it?
2 Answers
You might want to grab a multimeter to check the voltage of the individual cells. Many chargers won't work on cells that dip below 3 volts, but if your cells are around 2.5 volts, they might recover just fine. With some careful, limited current charging, you can even bring back cells at 2 volts without causing damage. Just make sure to check the datasheets for the specific cells you have, as results can vary based on the cell type.
You could attempt to revive the battery by jump-starting it with a working battery, but just a heads-up—it can be risky. There’s a chance that internal problems in the cells could create issues, like shorts. Just be cautious! If you don’t succeed, recycling might be your safest bet.
That's definitely something to watch out for. I had a scary experience with my FlexVolt burning because I deep discharged it! Always a gamble with these batteries.