Bill wrote in, describing a problem with the fuel gauge on the Dewalt 4.0Ah battery packs he received with a new kit.
He had purchased a DCK299M2 premium brushless hammer drill and impact driver kit (Amazon link for details), and the fuel gauges on one of the two batteries never fully lit up.
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The charge capacity gauge on these battery packs has 3 LEDs to show you how much juice is left in the pack. In Bill’s experience, even when fully charged only 2 spots lit up. He left the battery to charge further, and that 3rd spot never lit up. His other battery charged fine and the gauge lit to the 3rd position.
He returned the kit to the store, exchanging it for a replacement.
Both batteries in the replacement kit suffered from the same issue, where only 2 out of 3 of the batteries’ fuel gauge would light up.
Is this something you have experienced?
I’m thinking there are 3 possibilities:
- The batteries aren’t charging fully
- There’s an issue with the voltage detection of the fuel gauge circuit
- The LED placement is off (least likely)
I haven’t heard about this issue before, and so I’m assuming it’s a random and isolated one that affects maybe a handful of battery packs produced around the same time.
The reader hadn’t done any testing with the batteries to see whether he was getting full charge out of them, which I guess could be done by depleting the battery in use and then timing the recharge.
I’ll ask Dewalt about whether this is something they know about, but also wanted to hear from you guys to see if it’s a random and isolated issue or not.
Albert says
Yes I have the same issue on my 5amp battery. Even when fully charged it shows 2 leds. However, if I press on the button hard, it will show 3.
Travis says
I had this issue with one of my 5ah packs. I would have to push the button many times (7-10) in order for the LEDs to light up. The battery charges just fine and holds a charge. I moved it from tool rotation to the shop Bluetooth radio, just to be safe.
I called DeWalt customer service regarding the issue and had a very pleasant experience. I have the representative the battery serial number and production date. I was asked a few other questions, the battery was still under the warranty period, and then I was told they would be sending me a new battery to replace that one. I was told to destroy the ‘damaged’ 5ah battery but I decided to relegate it to the low draw of the Bluetooth speaker. Within 4 days I received a new 5ah battery in OEM packaging.
All I can say is, DeWalts customer service has always been top notch on any issues I have ever had.
Travis says
I have roughly 20-25 battery packs. These are a mixture of 2.0ah, 4.0ah, and 5.0ah.
Tad says
Interested in how you can tell the manufacturer date of the batteries……..could you please explain how to read the code? Thanks Tad
Travis says
I believe it is printed right on top of the battery. 20xx
The serial number on the battery also tells DeWalt when the battery was manufactured. I was the 2nd owner of my battery that had an issue, DeWalt didn’t care as it is covered under their warranty still.
Cr8ondt says
2 2.0, 1 3.0, and 1 4.0 all work perfectly.
jtr165 says
3 2.0ah and 1 5.0ah, all been cycled quite a bit. No issues so far.
Mr. Creek says
I have about 25 20v batteries, a mixed lot of 1.5, 2, 3, 4 & 5 amp. I got the 1.5 amp battery new at Lowe’s for $17. The only problem I have with any fuel gauges is on the 1.5, it still shows 1 bar when it is drained. For $17 on the weakest battery I own; I’m like, “meh”.
Jacob Scutzlas says
I have 4 2.0ah batteries and all the fuel gauges work fine.
Todd H. says
I have this issue with my DeWalt 40v battery. Not a good way to get introduced to a new tool line.
Jonathan says
I’ve got two of the 40V I had an issue with one, and the local DeWalt/B&D/Stanley service center swapped it right out (well 20 min later after checking it out) I did have it registered online for the warranty. It was painless, I had to have an old 18v LiON , last of the 18V LiON Hammer Drills before the 20V MAX line was rolled out it had the original version of the self tightening chuck, it wouldnt open and I called the 800 number and they sent me to the service center and they replaced it free of charge and took about 20 min as well, again I had registered the tool online for warranty.
BonPacific says
On my 5.0ah battery, I’ll get three lights, even when it’s not fully charged (can drop it on the charger and it will charge for ~10m). I’ve never actually seen it drop down to one light either. It’s either 3 lights, 2 lights or nothing.
I just figured the gauges were untrustworthy from the start. In only use them with my weed whacker, and I can tell how full the battery is by the speed of the string.
VladFineCraft says
No, I use Milwaukee tools 😂😂😂😂
B.I. says
Ditto
Mike says
No never have a problem unlike another company batteries
conan says
No problems with 3 5amp and 2 4amp batteries.
john says
No problems with 16.of.5.0ah batteries. .10 of 4.0ah…..acme tools is the best ..buy there
Leif Gunderson says
My friend had this problem with his 2.0 ah kit. Turns out it was the compact charger (not the dcb101) and the better idea weren’t getting pushed all the way in and because Dewalt charges each cell individually. He simply pushed the battery in harder and it works fine.
Bruno MA says
Same thing happened here. You need to snap it all the way through the charger. I know it SEEMS to be all the way through, but try it.
Chris says
No problems here, all work perfect
dave says
It should be easy to figure out if it’s charging fully. Measure the charged voltage with a multimeter after letting it sit off the charger for a few minutes. It should be at or barely below 4.2V/cell which with a 5 cell series pack is 21V.
Another option is a controlled discharge comparison, hook the same value resistor up to both a good and malindicating pack and see if the good one lasts longer. Of course you have to monitor voltage on both during this test.
The Wind Below says
“It should be at or barely below 4.2V/cell which with a 5 cell series pack is 21V.”
DW so-called ’20 volt’ chargers only take cells up to 4.1 apiece (thankfully). I usually see 20.4 on a full charge.
Erik Olsen says
I have five 20v batteries from dewalt of varying Ah’s. None of the battery indicators lasted for more than a year.
Stan says
I’ve been through 6 drill/driver kits in a week. Depending on the outlet that I plug the charger in, it either charges the battery or kills it. So far
I’ve found two outlets that kill batteries and only one that actually works. All sets have been returned and I’m now in the market for another brand of drill/driver impact set. I’m really bummed because I really wanted to keep the DCK283D2 brushless set as I totally fell in love with it.
Darin says
I have the Dewalt DCD 792 (Type 2) 20V brushless drill in the XR series. I have had the drill about a week and only the 2 out of three lights illuminate on the fuel gauge of both batteries. I have used it enough to charge the batteries twice each.
I called Dewalt Customer service. They said I need to use the drill enough times to deplete and charge the better 4-5 times before all three lights on the fuel gauge will work properly.
In my head, I am calling balderdash on this, but I will give it a try and check again after a few more charges.
Ross says
I had the same problem. Tried to charge both said fully charged with 2 bars. Tried a suggested method of hitting the battery into the charger and now it says it’s charging. Still charging and showing 3 bars. Battery must not have been seated all the way all seems good now.
Darin says
I think I got it figured out the other day.
Place the battery in the charger, then push harder and it will snap into place. It took me a couple of weeks to realize this. This is not obvious as the charging light comes on when you set the battery in the charger. But you need to snap it in place.
Despite the fact that the battery charger is inclined to hold the battery, and despite that fact that the charging light comes on, unless you force the battery down further into the charger, it is not fully seated.
Now my batteries fully charge. All three lights on the fuel gauge come on after a charge!
I’m glad I figured this out. It is not in the instructions, and Dewalt did not suggest this when I called.
Good topic!
Dave says
Thanks worked a treat.
Stan says
Darin,
Thanks so much. I thought that I had already tried shoving the battery further into the charger, but perhaps not. I picked up a new set yesterday and got both batteries charged up without issue! I’m now the proud owner of a DCK283D2 combo set!
Now I can get to the projects that have been languishing around the house for nearly a year!
Duncan says
This was the answer for me, genius!
But be sure to take the battery fully out before trying this. If the battery is already partially in, and it shows charged, then if you simply push it in to the “click” then the charger still reads the battery as fully charged and doesn’t restart charging.
But once I had done this, my “2-bar” battery started charging as expected!
Jack says
Oh wow…..I’ll give this a try. You’re right, when I slid the batteries into the charger, it just didn’t “feel” right and I only ended up with 2 lights. If this is the issue, then DeWalt really needs to specify this in the instruction manual. On the other hand, the grill works great and I am very happy with it. I bought a DCD791D2B.
Peter says
Thanks Darin!
This was the problem I was having and returned two batteries because they would not charge fully.
Dewalt really needs to advise the end users to push the battery hard into the charger until it ‘clunks’ otherwise you only get partial charges. Now I have 3 bright lights.
Sean says
Had the same problem. Thanks for the quick fix. Was pretty irritated after dropping $280. Pushed it in hard and now I have 3 bars.
Tim says
How hard do you have to push it in? My charger says the battery is fully charged however the battery shows one bar. There is no click when I put the battery in, it would fall out of the charger if I were to turn it upside down.
MB says
Thank you! So simple!
Always try to be gentile since am told I am too rough on things. Am a female. Go figure! Force works in this instance. 😉
Andy says
Fantastic, thank you.
You’re right – it isn’t at all obvious!
joe petrone says
thanks for the great info i have talked to dewalt twice on this isssue and not once did they say to press the battery firmly in. thanks again
Brad S says
Thanks for the detailed solution. That is exactly the problem I had with my 5 amp battery. Every battery I have is charging perfectly.
Chad Myers says
Yes I have had and still have that issue, it did not happen at first but after hard use they would not fully charge. I believe the actual charger is at fault; I now can hook up a battery at any charge level (as stated by the LEDs) and it immediately shows a fully charged battery- I’m about to throw in the yellow towel and just go Milwaukee exclusively… all this multi volt biz with Dewalt and Makita is kinda foolish. The only battery tools that I have seen take all the punishment u can dish out are the Milwaukee- I hate their battery clip in system, and they are $$$. I guess u get what you pay for. Makes sense.
Bradford Sparks says
Initially I had the same problem with the DeWalt 20V 5 amp battery pack not charging and only showing one light on the pack. I did not know what was wrong.
However, after reading this forum, I went out to the garage and checked how the battery pack was seated in the charger. In fact it was not seated all the way into the charger as previously mentioned. I gave the battery one final nudge and it popped securely into the charger.
No more problems. I am extremely pleased with the Dewalt battery packs I currently have–20V 3 amp, 20V 5 amp, and 40V 4amp.
Thank you for helping me out.
george says
i have the 18 volt to 20 volt kit the batteries won’t fully charge they last about 10 to 20 min i keep charging them for 24 hours a thy still won’t last long
Brad says
I have not had any problems since learning to push the battery fully into the charger!
The Wind Below says
The DCA1820 adapter is always ‘on’. When you’re done with your tool, just remove (or, even just unclip and withdraw slightly) the 20V battery from the adapter. Cheers.
Paul says
I cannot get the battery to charge fully. I only get 2 lights on the indicator. After reading your suggestion, I tried pushing the battery in more firmly. It is in as far as it can go. Still get 2 lights.
Joe says
I have the same problem… Followed all the suggestions and no luck so far…
Paul says
*Update: I contacted Dewalt customer service. They suggested I bring the batteries and charger to a DeWalt factory service center for testing. I did that, and they determined the batteries (20 volt) were defective and only putting out 14 volts. The charger was working fine. I received 2 new batteries in the mail within a week. Great customer service!
Brad says
Do each of you only have one charger? Perhaps it is the charging unit? I apologize for not being more helpful.
Do the batteries hold enough charge to let you use the tool for a reasonable amount of time?
Paul says
I tried charging the batteries on my son’s charger (which fully charges his batteries) and they still only go to 2 lights on the indicator. Though the strength of the charge is good initially, it does not last as long as it should. I have emailed DeWalt and am awaiting a reply.
Mark says
I was charging and discharging the batteries on my 2 new Dewalt sets in first week many times and they still only go to 1 or 2 lights on the indicator. I should reed this before I bought Dewalt. All new batteries on display in Home Depot and Lowes do it to!!! I test them all ,I pushed button thru clear plastic wrap. Last time I bought this brand , I was lucky to get them online for half price than in HD or L and next time I get Hercules .
Mark says
I take it back. I feel like idiot now. It shows 3 bars now when fully charged.
The Wind Below says
I have a pair of DCB204s that I mostly use with a DW056 impact and DCA1820 adapter. One went wonky and wouldn’t charge anymore, and in short order, the second one would only charge to 2 bars on the gauge. The dead pack was just under 3V/cell, IIRC. The “good” one had two cells at 3.8V and three at 3.6V. I made sure the batts were fully seated in the charger, if not before the problems, certainly after I read pages like this one. No dice.
I actually went out and bought a new DW kit that comes with a different charger (DCB115, instead of the DCB101 I have now) just to see what would happen. My charger charged the 1.5 batts without complaints (though I didn’t test voltage, so who knows?), and the DCB115 *seemed* to charge both of my DCB204s. “Seemed” is the key word there: My dead batt’s gauge rose to 3 bars, but it was still wouldn’t turn my DCD985 with no load (again, no DVM readings). Being connected to the DCB115 didn’t work to make the dead batt charge on my DCB101, either.
I’m gonna go tell my sob story to B+D now (minus the bits about testing with DVM, just in case) and hope they come through for me.
P.S. I religiously charged my batts when they reached 1 bar until shortly before the batt failure, when I stupidly ran both down to zero bars (didn’t even notice; it was still driving screws like butter) Cause and effect? No idea, but I’ll still change batteries at one bar…if they ever work again!
The Wind Below says
SBD rep initially tried to direct me to a factory service centre for testing, but when I told her that the closest place was 260 km (160 mi.) away, she relented and agreed to send me new batts and charger. Good thing, because those security Torx screws in my batts and charger are no longer secure! LOL
RCAD says
Did the problem seem to be with the DCB115 charger, batts or other….assuming the new batts and charger solved the problem.
we use Dewalt Swazalls for auto extrication. When I noticed the 18V to 20V adapter kits out there it nudged me to get enough for all our extrication units (6) thinking that the 18V battery might shortly become unavailable. Our batteries charged to 3 bars initially but over the past few months one at a time they are only charging to 2 bars and use duration on a “fully charged” battery is suffering considerably. We got the DCB203 battery and DCB115 charger with each kit. I replaced one battery without worrying about warranty issues thinking we might have just got a bad one but since then one at a time they are all only charging to 2 bars. They sit either in the tool or on the charger 99% of the time.
If the charger seems to be the issue that might be a place for me to start in resolving what may likely be a reliability and liability issue with these.
Amanda says
I have a 60 V dewalt battery for a chainsaw. The charger that came with it is now lighting up only one bar. I have no doubts about it being seated correctly.