I recently had to jump start my van because the battery was dead. Without a jump pack or anyone nearby to help, I remembered that you can use a 20v tool battery for a boost. I ended up using my expensive Dewalt Bluetooth battery, but it didn't work out. Eventually, I called for help. A week or two later, I tried to use the battery again, and it wouldn't do anything. The battery indicator doesn't light up, although the Bluetooth light is solid blue. When I checked the app, it said the battery was offline. I tried charging it, but it only flashed briefly before showing a solid light as if it were full. However, the app indicated it was disabled with a -40 battery temperature. Whenever I try to enable it, I get an error. Now, it seems like it's completely dead. Do you think I fried the cells, or is there a chance that the circuit board is damaged?
3 Answers
That was definitely an expensive mistake!
Yeah, it sounds like it's toast. There’s definitely something wrong with the electronics in there.
It sounds like you might have damaged the battery. Dewalt batteries don’t have overdraw protection; that’s handled by the tools themselves. When connected to a car, the battery may have drawn more power than it could handle, which likely caused the issue. The only way to know for sure is to open it up and take a look for any visible damage.
Honestly, given the symptoms you described, it seems pretty clear the electronics are fried. No need to open it up; it’s likely damaged.
For sure! At least now I know never to do that again. Looking at getting a two-pack soon, but yikes, they’re like 250 bucks. Not crazy expensive, but still a bummer to lose this one!