Product Support Bulletin S/N A56A

— V28
™
POWER LITHIUM-ION CHARGER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE —
Symptom
Possible Cause(s) Solution(s)
Battery Pack
connected to
Charger, RED or
GREEN LED
lights failure to
turn “on”.
Line voltage too high or too low (or no power present)
Charger temperature too high (>212ºF)
Faulty Battery Pack
Bad connection between Battery Pack and Charger
Faulty Charger
Battery Pack terminals out-of-position (not fully inserted
into connector block at time of assembly)
Charger needs to be reset
Bad line cord
Remove Battery Pack. Unplug Charger and verify correct line voltage (90VAC –
132VAC for 120V units, 200VAC – 255VAC for 230V units; inverter power at levels
higher than 230V may cause this condition.
Allow Charger to cool 3-5 minutes before attempting charge. Power must be
removed for a minimum of one minute then reapplied if this condition occurs.
Try known good Battery Pack on Charger, or try questionable Battery Pack on known
good Charger.
Remove and clean Battery Pack terminals using cotton swab and ‘terminal contact
cleaner’ or pencil eraser to clean oxidized and dirty battery contacts.
Unplug from line power and inspect Charger terminals
for proper polarity, see Battery Pack terminals out-of-
position cause/solution..
With battery Charger plugged-in use Volt-Ohm-Meter
VOM to check polarity. Measure open circuit voltage of
Charger across Charger positive + and negative –
terminals with Charger plugged in. Voltage should be
29 VDC– 38VDC, ±10%.
NOTE: Care must be taken when performing this test
because high voltage can be present at the Charger
terminals. In addition, do not use line powered
voltmeters to perform this test. Use only a Battery Pack
powered volt-ohm-meter. If correct voltage is present,
try a known-good Battery Pack in Charger.
Visually Check Battery Pack terminals inside connector
block. If any are out of position open Charger and push
terminal(s) into connector block to re-seat terminals. NOTE: Before checking battery
pack terminals inside connector block or if servicing the power cord, unplug the
Charger from power source and let it sit for 3-4 minutes before disassembling – this
allows circuit board capacitor to self discharge.
This can occur occasionally if power is interrupted and reapplied. Unplug Charger
and remove Battery Pack for one minute. Plug Charger back in and reinstall Battery
Pack on Charger.
If no output is measured at Charger battery pack terminals, line cord may be bad.
Inspect/replace as needed.
Battery Pack
takes a long time
to charge.
Cold Battery Pack under < 40ºF
Heavily cycled Battery Pack
Charger reduces charging current at low temperatures. Increased charge times are
normal under these conditions. Move Charger and Battery Pack to warmer location,
if faster charge time is desired.
Heavily cycled batteries may take a long time to charge the last few percent. Full
charge is present if all fuel gauge lights are on for approximately 10 – 15 minutes.
Pack connected
to Charger.
Alternately
flashing
red/green
Charger lights.
Bad connection between Battery Pack and Charger
Faulty Battery Pack
Battery Pack temperature dropped below 14ºF during
charge
Pack temperature higher than 194ºF at start of charge
Incorrect Battery Pack type for Charger
Water inside Battery Pack or Charger
as a result of
condensation from bringing cold product into a warm
environment
Unknown transient condition - could be caused by
Battery Pack or Charger
Clean Battery Pack terminals. Visually Check Battery Pack terminals inside
connector block. If any terminals are out of position open Charger and push
terminal(s) into connector block to re-seat terminals. NOTE: Before checking battery
pack terminals inside connector block or if servicing the power cord, unplug the
Charger from power source and let it sit for 3-4 minutes before disassembling – this
allows circuit board capacitor to self discharge.
Pack may not be accepting charge or Battery Pack electronics may be faulty.
Attempt to charge Battery Pack on known-good Charger.
Move Charger and Battery Pack to warmer environment. Allow to warm up, and then
re-start charge.
Allow Battery Pack to cool to appropriate temperature range (below 150ºF) before
attempting to charge.
Use appropriate Battery Pack.
Allow Battery Pack or Charger to dry out.
Remove and re-insert Battery Pack several times. Try known-good Battery Pack on
Charger.