A lithium battery that cannot charge at all (showing no response when plugged into a charger or no progress in charging) is a typical failure. When meet this problem, professionally, we generally analyze it from the following points:
Aspect of the charger:
1. Poor contact at the charging port. New chargers usually rule out this issue. For older chargers experiencing poor contact-such as when the device occasionally shows charging but disconnects upon touch, or shows no response at all-this is often caused by dust accumulation or oxidation at the device's port, increasing contact resistance and preventing a stable circuit. Alternatively, physical damage to the port may prevent a secure connection with the charger. Additionally, oxidized charger plugs or loose internal wiring can cause poor contact.
2. Mismatched charger and battery specifications
For example, using a 36V charger with a 48V battery. Voltage/current mismatch prevents charging initiation due to insufficient voltage. This scenario also causes issues.
3. Charger hardware defects
Such as material flaws or sampling resistor issues. These can be resolved by reprogramming the charger firmware.
4. If the charger has communication functionality, incompatible communication protocols will prevent normal charging.
Aspect of the battery :
1. As an energy storage medium, a battery loses charging capability if the cell or internal structure is damaged. Examples include cell swelling or exceeding cycle limits, rendering it unusable. After exceeding its cycle life, cell activity declines sharply, and internal resistance increases to levels that cannot accept charging current.
2. Over-discharge causes excessively low voltage. While lithium iron phosphate batteries exhibit relatively strong tolerance, damage begins below 1.8V, and irreversible damage occurs with an 80% probability below 1.0V. Charging after complete discharge and automatic shutdown causes "deep discharge" in the cell, resulting in irreversible damage to the electrode material and loss of charge storage capability. This condition also prevents normal charging. If the cell quality is good and the over-discharge is not severe, we may opt to perform a low-voltage top-up charge on the battery module before proceeding with a normal charge.
3. Battery Management System (BMS) issues: The BMS may misjudge the battery's "full charge/empty" status, incorrectly identifying 'empty' as "full" and refusing to charge. Alternatively, a damaged BMS chip can prevent normal charging.
As a professional manufacturer, CoPow recommends selecting high-quality lithium iron phosphate batteries and dedicated lithium battery chargers. Regularly inspect battery storage environments to avoid prolonged exposure to high temperatures or humidity. During use, minimize deep discharges. When charging, follow the principle of low-voltage top-up followed by normal charging to extend battery lifespan.
