Your DeWalt charger solid red light but not charging? Well, this guide contains the solution!
The DeWalt charger is designed to notify the user of the charging condition of the battery stack and whether it has reached sufficient charging capacity.
The solid red light indicates that the battery stack has been fully charged and is ready to use.
If the stack does not power your DeWalt tool even if the battery is red, let’s check out the solution!
When the LED of the DeWalt charger is red, verify the battery stack is set properly, power cycle the device, and alter the electrical outlet.
Also, try with a different battery, clean the charging surface, and jumpstart the battery.
Why is the DeWalt Charger Flashing Red Light?
Your DeWalt charger’s indicator light is supposed to flash in red while the battery stack is charging.
Unlike the solid red light that indicates the maximum capacity of the battery, your charger flashes in red for as long as the positioned battery stack is charging.
There are a total of three indicator lights that are responsive to the DeWalt charger’s function and current condition.
Let’s learn more about the indications shown by the power stack charger!
| DeWalt Charger Light Indicators | |
| Status Lamp: | Meaning: |
Solid Red LED | A solid red light means that the power stack has reached maximum battery capacity and is ready for use. |
Blinking Red LED | The blinking red light indicates that the battery stack is still charging. So, do not detach it from the charger. |
Solid Yellow LED | A solid or potentially flashing yellow charger light indicates an active heat or cool delay of the battery stack. |
Let’s explore practical solutions and tips for your faulty DeWalt charger!
DeWalt Charger Solid Red Light But Not Charging – Fixed!
Tip: Try each of the solutions in chronological order!
1. Reinsert the DeWalt Power Stack
The first step is to ensure your DeWalt power stack is properly inserted into the charger, even if the lamp turns solid red.
The charger uses power rails to properly secure your battery in place, prevent it from overcharging, and keep it secure, so it won’t get detached easily.
Keep in mind that removing the battery stack from the charger should cause the indicator light to turn off until one of the batteries is placed again.
Here’s how to properly re-align the DeWalt battery stack from the charger:
- Push the battery stack towards you to remove it.
- Check the charger’s surface for any obstructions.
- Position the battery on top of DeWalt’s power rails.
- Next, push the battery stack inwards to secure it.
- Check if the charger’s indicator light will change.
How to Check if DeWalt Battery is Secured?
Well, sometimes the battery might be installed loosely on the charging base and stop charging at certain times.
Hence, to determine if the lithium-ion battery has established secure contact with the rail, grip the front part of the battery and push it downwards until it clicks onto the base.
Warning: Do not use too much force as this could damage the DeWalt battery!
2. Power Cycle the DeWalt Charger
If the indicator remains solid red, but the battery does not seem to power your DeWalt tool, you should perform a power cycle of the charger.
A blockage in the electricity supply may potentially cause the charger to produce an incorrect status LED or falsely charge the DeWalt power stack.
Follow these instructions to perform a power cycle on the DeWalt charger easily:
- Disconnect your DeWalt charger’s supplied cable.
- Wait for 25–30 seconds while DeWalt is unplugged.
- Secure the power cord back into the electrical supply.
- Wait until the status lamp of the charger starts blinking.
- Place one of DeWalt’s lithium-ion batteries on the rail.
Remember that the DeWalt charger’s power cord cannot be detached from the charging base, as it is soldered with the motherboard PCB.
Tip: Inspect the power cord for peripheral damage while it is unplugged from the power!
3. Alter the DeWalt’s Power Source
The power source of the DeWalt charger may be insufficient to meet the battery requirements.
That’s why you should relocate the charger and install it in an alternative and proven-to-work electrical outlet to determine if the status lamp will keep its solid red indicator.
What Are DeWalt’s Power Requirements?
The maximum initial battery voltage of DeWalt that’s measured without a workload is between 12 and 20 volts.
The normal voltage is between 10.0 and 18 volts, meaning any 220V electrical outlet can properly supply the charger.
However, you must ensure that the connection between the DeWalt charger’s power adapter and the outlet is secure to securely transfer the electricity.
- Loose or unstable cable connections can have a big impact on the functionality of the DeWalt charger and the inserted power stack.
Bonus Tip: Remove Third-Party Equipment
Whether it’s in the workplace or work shed, you must always plug the DeWalt charger directly into a power outlet.
Using electrical strips or dividers is not a proven and efficient method for administering power to the battery stacks, so ensure the cord is plugged directly into an outlet.
Warning: Defective or malfunctioning third-party equipment can defect the DeWalt charger!
4. Test with Another Lithium-ION Battery
All cordless DeWalt tools are delivered with a total of 2 separate batteries, allowing for extended drilling or sawing sessions without having to wait for a recharge.
You can use the backup battery of your DeWalt tool to test the charger and learn if the LED stays the same, localizing the issue.
Here’s how to properly position another battery in your DeWalt charger:
- Push the installed battery downwards to remove it.
- Carefully lift off the battery from the charging base.
- Install the backup lithium-ion battery on the charger.
- Wait until your DeWalt’s indicator lamp illuminates.
If your charger behaves the same way with both batteries, but neither of the units receives a charge, the defect is almost certainly with the charger.
However, if one of the batteries refuses to charge while the other powers on the DeWalt tool, the battery might have developed an issue.
Tip: A defective DeWalt battery can cause issues with your cordless tools!
5. Clean the DeWalt’s Charging Surface
An obstructed or unclean surface of your DeWalt charger may prevent the battery stacks from recharging, even if the indicator stays solid red.
You should verify that each of the battery stacks can be properly aligned with the rail, without having to push or apply too much force to set it up.
What Do I Need for Cleaning DeWalt Charger?
You will make use of the following materials for cleaning the DeWalt charger:
- A microfiber cloth or a soft cloth.
- A cleaning solution or rubbing alcohol.
- A spray can of compressed air.
How to Clean DeWalt Charging Surface?
- First, unplug the DeWalt charger from the power supply.
- Apply some of the cleaning solution to the dry soft cloth.
- Use the cloth to clean the contact rails on the charger.
- Use the compressed air to blow through the rail’s gaps.
- Wait until the charger fully dries up and plug it into power.
Alert: Do not reconnect the charger while it is still drying up!
6. Jump-Start the DeWalt Battery (Advanced)
If the charger behaves identically with both of DeWalt’s lithium-ion batteries, you should attempt to jump start on the battery stacks and test it on the charger.
For this purpose, you will only need two exposed wires and both lithium-ion batteries to jump start on the stacks.
Follow these instructions to jump-start the DeWalt battery’s hardware:
- Remove the cover of one of the functional DeWalt batteries.
- Touch one of the wires to the “B+” terminal on both stacks.
- Touch the remaining wire to the “B-” terminal on both stacks.
- Check if the indicator light on the faulty battery will illuminate.
Notice: You must use a fully charged battery to jump-start the DeWalt battery stack!
Quick Recap
The best solution if the DeWalt charger solid red light but not charging is to re-position the DeWalt charging stack and use an alternative source.
If the problem persists, clean DeWalt’s surface and insert another lithium-ion battery.
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Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.