Batteries won't charge!

[CREISME]

I just resurrected a Spark that I haven't flown for 5+ years. When it was packed away all components were in working order including five batteries, that probably had various levels of charge. Using the Yx, 4-battery charging unit I was able to charge one of the batteries and the remote control, however, four of the batteries will not take a charge. Since the one battery and the RC were charged it seems that the charging unit is functional. Is it reasonable, or typical, for this type of battery to go bad/deteriorate while bagged and stored indoors? If yes, is there any reasonable way to restore or rejuvenate them? Looking at the cost of replacing three or four batteries is a painful experience. Thank you for any guidance given.

 

[Mrktn]

A big welcome to the forum from the UK!

Holy drone revival. Unable to offer any suggestions about the Spark but will be keeping close eye on the thread to see if you can get it going.

Lots of good help on this forum

 

[slup]

I just resurrected a Spark that I haven't flown for 5+ years... batteries, that probably had various levels of charge... four of the batteries will not take a charge.

...any reasonable way to restore or rejuvenate them?

Hi & welcome to the forum.

Probably not... & even if you could get them going with various methods to wake the BMS chip up, they can't be trusted for flight duty.

LiPo batteries degrade with age & use, causing a diminishing capacity, increased internal resistance, cell deviations & electrolyte decomposition... but what really kills them are discharging them below 3.0V/cell, there all degrading factors accelerate & becomes permanent.

LiPo's that have been laying unattended for 5+ years have very likely self discharged over time... the first that happens to BMS equipped DJI batteries is that the BMS chip gets deactivated, this to take away anything that discharge... but the LiPo continues to self discharge & eventually it will have fallen way below 3,0V/cell and the battery have there been severely damaged.

You can try to measure the voltage directly on the battery connectors... wouldn't surprise me at all if the cells are down to 1-2V. Below you have the pinout.

 

[Cafguy]

Is it reasonable, or typical, for this type of battery to go bad/deteriorate while bagged and stored indoors? If yes, is there any reasonable way to restore or rejuvenate them?

Sorry you need to get some batteries. Yes they go bad and yours are very old.
1. Get some new ones. Ebay is your friend for that.
2. Keep them charged at 60% while storing.....and check them periodically
3. Don't charge them to 100% and store them....You will KILL them!
4. Welcome to the Forum from Bakersfield!

 

[KB9Radio]

I don't know how to revive them if they're totally dead. My Mavic 2 batteries are coming up on 6 years old and work perfectly. I've always kept them charged at 50 to 60% when not in use and charge them to 100% when I'm going to use it. Mine have no swelling whatsoever and last close to 30 minutes when I use them. So age alone doesn't really hurt them. I think it's more likely how many charge cycles and what level they were stored at.

 

[Kilrah]

Put away and forget about them is almost guaranteed to result in dead batts, should charge them at least once or twice a year.

There is a way to revive them but you need to be aware of what that entails.

Repairing the DJI Spark Drone Battery with DJI Battery Killer, CP2112, & 9V battery - Leelum

Spark DJI Battery not charging/bricked? This guide is how I undertook a simple fix that might work for you in repairing your DJI Spark Battery.

leelum.com

3. Don't charge them to 100% and store them....You will KILL them!

That is completely wrong. All DJI batteries discharge themselves to 60ish% automatically and have been doing so for a decade.

 

[Cafguy]

That is completely wrong. All DJI batteries discharge themselves to 60ish% automatically and have been doing so for a decade

They don't stop discharging at 60%. You have to inspect and check them every month or so or they will discharge to the point the Charger Can't charge them. and that in a nutshell is whats wrong with Charging too 100 and storing..
It has nothing to do with the way the battery is designed and everything to do with owners charging them too 100% and putting the Battery away in the case or a drawer and forgetting it. Its the Number 1 reason DJI batteries die early.
Battery killer will work at times BUT I don't recommend it for the Novice or anyone I don't know.
In the RC world we "revive" our Batteries by trickle charging them for a few min and putting them back on the charger. This works but its not really safe and you need to closely watch it or they will burst!. The OP's batteries are too old for either of those I think tho.

 

[msinger]

They don't stop discharging at 60%. You have to inspect and check them every month or so or they will discharge to the point the Charger Can't charge them. and that in a nutshell is whats wrong with Charging too 100 and storing..

And if you only charge them to 60% before storing them, they'll still eventually discharge to the point where they can no longer be recharged if left unattended for a long time. Or are you trying to highlight a different point?

 

[Kilrah]

They don't stop discharging at 60%.

They do stop actively discharging themselves at 60%.

Now every battery has some unintended self-discharge and those are no exception, hence the "charge at least 1 once or twice a year".
That is completely independent from the intentional self-discharge and charging to 100% or not before storing doesn't change a thing.

 

[Cafguy]

Benefits of Storage Charging:
Prevents Swelling: Leaving a LiPo battery at 100% charge can cause the cells to swell, potentially leading to damage and safety hazards.

Reduces Cycle Life Degradation: Storage charging minimizes the stress on the battery cells, which helps to preserve their overall lifespan and performance.

Ensures Battery Longevity: keeping the battery at a storage level helps to ensure that the battery retains its maximum capacity and performance over time.
The BMS inside the Battery will eventually drain the Battery to 0

 

[Kilrah]

Are you really missing the fact that you're contradicting the points you acknowledge or just being dense?

 

[msinger]

Prevents Swelling: Leaving a LiPo battery at 100% charge can cause the cells to swell, potentially leading to damage and safety hazards.

Is this from a DJI manual?

It's not possible to store DJI batteries at a 100% charge for an extended period of time. They'll automatically discharge down to the proper storage level within a few days.

If charging batteries back up for storage, then it would not make sense to charge them to 100%. However, if you did that instead, it would not harm the batteries.