# help with dead 18650 battery



## gglockner (Dec 19, 2012)

I purchased two green ncr 18650a protected batteries and a xtar wp2 charger. I might have changed out the batteries a couple of times, but for the most part I have been using the same battery and the other one sat parked in the charger. Did I ruin it by leaving it in the charger? It was not plugged in. I might have used the battery once for a USB charge. The voltage now reads .6 and the light goes green on the charger instead of red. Is there anything I can do besides go out and by another one?

Thanks,
Glen


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## LilKevin715 (Dec 19, 2012)

Sounds like you killed the cell by allowing it to discharge on the charger after charging it. If the open circuit voltage is 0.6v then toss/recycle it, its not safe to use. Lesson learned...


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## gglockner (Dec 19, 2012)

LilKevin715 said:


> Sounds like you killed the cell by allowing it to discharge on the charger after charging it. If the open circuit voltage is 0.6v then toss/recycle it, its not safe to use. Lesson learned...



I wouldn't think there would be any drain by leaving it in the charger. It is now up to 1.50v , after an hour or two plugged back into the charger. Still has the green light on the charger.


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## THE_dAY (Dec 19, 2012)

You might have tripped the protection circuit, some good info on a fix here:

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...dilast-18650&p=4053717&viewfull=1#post4053717


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## gglockner (Dec 19, 2012)

THE_dAY said:


> You might have tripped the protection circuit, some good info on a fix here:
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...dilast-18650&p=4053717&viewfull=1#post4053717




Thank you Thank you, that did the trick. I put the my batteries in the same position as that picture and held it for a second or two. Checked the voltage and it was over 2.0v. Put it on the charger and the red light came on and I am back in business.

Thanks,
Glen


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## THE_dAY (Dec 19, 2012)

Your very welcome. 
I've got a couple of 18650s coming in, my first ones and I've been doing a lot of reading up on them and that thread was still fresh in my mind.
I'm glad it worked out!


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## Norm (Dec 19, 2012)

gglockner said:


> . The voltage now reads .6 and the light goes green on the charger instead of red. Is there anything I can do besides go out and by another one?
> 
> Thanks,
> Glen





THE_dAY said:


> You might have tripped the protection circuit, some good info on a fix here:
> 
> http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...dilast-18650&p=4053717&viewfull=1#post4053717



If your battery was reading .6 of a Volt the protection circuit was definitely not tripped. Batteries with tripped protection read 0 Volts.

Norm


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## moderator007 (Dec 19, 2012)

When you used HKJ method you paralled the cells. The good battery may have actually charged up the bad battery to 2.0v. They try to equalize in parallel.
But I dont see why the pcb is not tripping at that voltage of 2.0v. Like norm says should be zero. I have not actually tested to see if the battery left in the charger does have some parasitic drain, but I have read many times it does.

I would think it would have to be left their for a month or more to actually drain a fully charged battery. If the charger was draining the battery at a rate of 1ma for a 2600mah cell it would take close to 2600 hrs to discharge it. But if it had a 10ma drain thats only 260hrs. 24hrs in a day so maybe 11 days. You could possibly test this with a DMM to see what the drain is. With one end of the battery contacting the charger terminal and the other end of the battery would have one DMM lead to the battery and the other lead to the other charger terminal. Set the DMM to current in amps or milliamps. Milliamps would be more accurate if the DMM has this setting.

If you do get the cell charged up, I would be interested in the results. Do be cautious and dont leave it unattended while charging.


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## THE_dAY (Dec 19, 2012)

Norm said:


> If your battery was reading .6 of a Volt the protection circuit was definitely not tripped. Batteries with tripped protection read 0 Volts.
> 
> Norm


Thanks for this info.

So was it correct to use that method to "revive" the cell then start charging it? 
Or should it have been tossed out?


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## Changchung (Dec 20, 2012)

THE_dAY said:


> Thanks for this info.
> 
> So was it correct to use that method to "revive" the cell then start charging it?
> Or should it have been tossed out?



I dont think that you have to throw away the batt, you just revive it because the pcb protect the battery.

I always think that is not a good idea leave the batteries in the charger when it is not connected


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...


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## THE_dAY (Dec 20, 2012)

Changchung said:


> I dont think that you have to throw away the batt, you just revive it because the pcb protect the battery.
> 
> I always think that is not a good idea leave the batteries in the charger when it is not connected
> 
> ...



I wonder if the pcb on this one is faulty?


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## Norm (Dec 20, 2012)

Changchung said:


> I dont think that you have to throw away the batt, you just revive it because the pcb protect the battery.



I think we've already established the protection didn't trip.

Norm


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## Changchung (Dec 20, 2012)

Norm said:


> I think we've already established the protection didn't trip.
> 
> Norm



Sometimes that happen to some of batts and the multmeter read something like 0.06volts I use the revive method and the batt work just fine, this measurent dont mean that exist some volt out going of the pcb, it is just a electronic residue. 


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...


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## Changchung (Dec 20, 2012)

THE_dAY said:


> I wonder if the pcb on this one is faulty?



Your battery is ok, use it and test it.


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...


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## gglockner (Dec 20, 2012)

Changchung said:


> Your battery is ok, use it and test it.
> 
> 
> I monitored the charging very cautiously. When it reached 4.0v pulled it off the charger and tested it. Working just fine now. That battery probably was left for about 2 1/2 months in the charger. So it seems it may have drained it. Thank you all for the great information. Hope it helps someone else out there before they throw their battery away.


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## THE_dAY (Dec 20, 2012)

What was the brand of the cells?


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## gglockner (Dec 30, 2012)

THE_dAY said:


> What was the brand of the cells?



Panasonic?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3100mAh-Pan...650A-Cell-Made-Japan-/230710637309#vi-content


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## Changchung (Dec 30, 2012)

I have four of those and four protected as well.

Yesterday the same happen to two of my sanyo 2600, I leave it in a charger so long with charger unplug, I revive it and their are working now...


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...


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## Verndog (Dec 30, 2012)

Changchung said:


> I have four of those and four protected as well.
> 
> Yesterday the same happen to two of my sanyo 2600, I leave it in a charger so long with charger unplug, I revive it and their are working now...
> 
> ...



What kind of charger kills a battery when left in it? This should not happen IMO.


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## Changchung (Dec 30, 2012)

Verndog said:


> What kind of charger kills a battery when left in it? This should not happen IMO.



Try it your self... I am almost sure that ALL the chargers can discharge the batteries, dont kill it...


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...


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## Verndog (Dec 30, 2012)

Changchung said:


> Try it your self... I am almost sure that ALL the chargers can discharge the batteries, dont kill it...
> 
> 
> Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...



None of my chargers do. I've never unplugged them and left them in, but see no reason to ever do that to find out.


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## Norm (Dec 30, 2012)

I think you'll find a lot of chargers will discharged cells if the charger isn't plugged in.

I once lost 4 X 7Ah gell batteries that were connected in series to a 48 V Charger over winter, the plug had bee accidentally knocked out of the socket.

Norm


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## Changchung (Dec 30, 2012)

It is kind normal that the charger unplugged discharge the batteries


Sent from my phone with camera with flash and internet on it...


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## Travissand (Jan 12, 2013)

I have 6 unprotected Red Sanyo 18650 that are only putting out 0.5v. Except they are not dead. If I put a small amount of pressure on the + side they work fine. I think there is a bad connection inside. This sucks for me because it happened to all of them the same week. I guess I will have to rip open another laptop battery I dont have and extract some cells to replace them. I will try posting a wanted add on freecycle. Im glad yours work now. I wish it where that easy for my cells.


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