DJI Phantom batteries not charging? Check out this simple guide on how to fix DJI Phantom battery not charging issue.
DJI Phantom is one of the highly sought-after drone models in the market today for its amazing capabilities and stunning features.
Despite being counted among its pricier counterparts, very few other drones can challenge its performance and after-sale product support.
Owning a DJI Phantom will definitely make your hobby or profession more interesting and productive. However, as is the case with any electronic gadget, you can expect some technical glitches in your DJI Phantom too. DJI Phantom battery not charging is a common issue that drone pilots come across.
You might come across DJI Phantom battery not charging issue either after buying it anew or while trying to recharge the battery after flying it.
If you have no idea why the battery is not charging, you are in the right place to discover the answer to your query. In this write-up, I have discussed many possible reasons for DJI Phantom battery not charging and the ways you can fix it.
How To Fix DJI Phantom Battery Not Charging?
What to know about DJI Phantom battery not charging
The most common cause why a DJI Phantom battery is not charging is a faulty charger. Therefore the first thing to do while facing such a scenario is to try replacing it.
One another tip you can try is to get your battery out of its hibernation mode especially if you have not been using it for a while.
Drone battery technology has evolved over the past to the advanced stage that it is today. Lithium polymer is the most popular choice for making batteries due to its lightweight, quick charging capabilities and long life span.
Nevertheless, to get the best out of lithium batteries and to see them work for long, you must follow a few good storage and maintenance practices.
Overlooking these best battery maintenance practices can cause permanent damage to your battery. Before discussing the ways to fix DJI Phantom battery not charging issue, it is necessary to understand the different possible reasons why it may not be charging.
Most common reasons why DJI Phantom battery might not be charging
- The battery has entered hibernation mode
- The battery was stored for so long after the charge has drained completely
- Using the power cable that does not support charging it
- Faulty charger
- High ampere
- Bricked battery
- Overheating
- Dirt that is built up in the charging port
- Some faulty hardware like a loose wire inside the drone
- A software problem that a firmware refresh cannot fix
Detailed analysis of some common reasons why DJI Phantom battery is not charging
Here I have listed a few most common reasons for DJI Phantom batteries not charging.
Charger broken or faulty
When your DJI Phantom battery is not charging, the first thing to check is if the charger is broken or faulty. In fact this is so easy to find out for any novice.
Many users of DJI Phantom batteries say faulty charger is the most common reason they had discovered for the batteries not charging.
Checking if the charger is working will let you narrow down the cause of your drone battery not charging.
Even before researching in these lines, first ensure if the wall socket or power outlet to which the charger is connected to is working or not.
If you have found that the wall socket is working fine, plug in the charger to the socket, connect the battery and turn it on.
When turned on, a battery will display a flashing light before connecting it to any power outlet. Once the battery is connected and charging begins, the flashing red light would stop.
If you still find the battery still flashing and remaining red even after connecting, the implication is that it is not charging. You may therefore conclude that the charger is not working.
If you do not have a charged battery in your hand to test if the charger is working, it is also possible to test with a voltage tester. No voltage in an indicator that the battery is dead.
Firmware issue
This can be one more reason why your battery is not charging. If you have a good amount of experience with DJI drone, you must have known the DJI Go app.
If you find any notification stating “inconsistent firmware”, then it could be the reason for your battery not charging.
With DJI app, you can control some of the functions of your drone. Depending on your drone model, update your firmware by heading over to PlayStore or App Store.
The battery is too hot
Drone batteries of today have advanced much over their earlier versions. Battery manufacturers of our times embed sensors into batteries to protect them from unsafe charging scenarios.
One such scenario is the battery too hot to charge. If the battery is charged when it is very hot, there are chances that it is damaged. There are many reasons why your battery is too hot for charging safely.
After its flight there are chances that the drone battery might get too hot. The same can be expected from your battery if it is left exposed to the sun for quite some time.
In either of the cases, your battery will not charge. If this happens, you are advised to cool down your battery before putting it on the charger once again.
If your battery is too cold below 5o for instance, the chances are high that it will not charge. If this is the case, you must wait for several hours, sometimes up to 30 hours for the battery to warm up to room temperature.
High ampere
If the battery sensors detect that the amperage is too high, they will not let the battery to charge as high ampere can damage your battery.
If you use an alternating current to charge the battery, it will not charge. It is necessary to convert the alternating current to a direct current to charge the battery.
If your drone battery charger is cannot support this conversion, the batteries will not charge. Again, we can say that this is a problem related to the charger and not something to do with the battery.
Bricked or damaged battery
The term bricked battery refers to a battery that is damaged and cannot be recovered so easily. Therefore, if your battery has turned a bricked battery, it means it will not be useful to you as a battery anymore.
Several reasons can cause a battery to turn into a bricked battery. The most common reason is storing it for a long time without using it.
Also, poor maintenance could be one another reason for this. If you have plans to store the battery for a long time, there are quite a few things you must do to preserve the battery’s integrity.
Also, occasionally, batteries laid without use need some basic maintenance. If the battery is left to discharge completely, it is not possible to charge it once again through normal means since the cells would have lost their ability to store the charge.
How to fix the problem of DJI Phantom battery not charging
In the paragraphs above, we have discussed the different possible reasons for the DJI Phantom battery not charging.
Now we will get into the different possible solutions to address the DJI Phantom battery not charging. Here are a few viable solutions to fix the DJI Phantom battery not charging.
Replace the charger if it is faulty
Broken or faulty chargers are the most common cause of batteries not charging. We have already discussed how to check if the charger is working or not. If you feel a faulty charger is the cause of your battery not charging, it is good to replace it with a new one.
In such a case, ensure to invest in a good one. Good quality chargers can be relied upon for safety and they can charge your batteries efficiently.
Get the battery out of its hibernation
We have discussed earlier that the sensors embedded in the drone batteries are meant to protect them from short circuits and high amperage.
These sensors also prevent the complete discharge of the batteries and thus protect them during long storage. If the cells are discharged completely, there is the risk of the battery sustaining irreversible damage.
DJI batteries feature a hibernation mode that prevents the complete discharge of power from the batteries. Due to the hibernation setting in them, batteries stored for long might not charge until they are brought out of their hibernation mode.
It is not a big deal to get your DJI Phantom battery out of its hibernation mode. You just have to wait patiently for some time after you have followed the procedures given below.
First you must ensure if the battery is in hibernation mode. If you see a solid red light, it is an indication that the battery has gone to hibernation mode.
Wait for around five minutes to see if the red light goes off. If it goes off, it means that the battery has gone to its hibernation mode.
Plug in the battery once again and leave it charging for a few hours. Meanwhile, you do not have to do anything than waiting patiently to see the results. The battery might come out of its hibernation mode and start charging on its own.
How to fix a bricked battery
It is not possible to charge a bricked battery through normal means. You will first need a few things to charge a bricked battery including the bricked LiPo battery, LiPo charger and NiMH charger (Nickel Metal Hydride Battery charger).
Once you have these tools, recovering your bricked battery can be a breeze if other things are fine with the battery.
Connect your bricked battery to the NiMH charger. Try charging the battery with the lowest amperage which is generally 0.1A.
Select the output voltage depending on the type of NiMH charger you have with you. You need to choose the same voltage as that of your battery’s nominal voltage.
After you have charged your battery for a few minutes, your battery must have around 3.3 volts per cell. If you divide the battery’s total charge by the number of cells, you will get the charge per cell.
Once the charge reaches around 3.3 volts per cell, you will have to use the Lithium Polymer balance charger. To balance the charge of the battery, the ideal condition is 0.5C. While this measure is safer, you can choose 1.0C if it takes longer to charge your battery fully.
Once you have balance charged your battery, you will have a battery that works well like a new one.
Some good practices recommended for your DJI Phantom battery during recovery
- When your battery is recovering, pay close attention to it and do not leave it without attention.
- Keep the battery away from any flammable material
- Stop the recovery process if you find any deformity or enlargement in the battery.
- Discard the battery that shows any visible signs of damage.
- Never dispose of a LiPo battery in fire or heat.
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Jon is a passionate photographer and videographer who has been flying DJI drones for over 5 years. He loves the freedom and creativity that comes with capturing aerial footage and the unique perspective it provides. Jon is always on the lookout for new locations to explore and capture with his DJI drones. His favorite DJI drone is the Mavic 2 Pro, which he uses to capture stunning 4K footage with its Hasselblad camera. Jon is always eager to share his knowledge and experience with other drone enthusiasts and is a member of several online drone communities. When he’s not flying his DJI drone, Jon enjoys hiking, camping, and spending time with his family.
