Today lithium-ion batteries kind of like the rockstars of technology-power everything from electric cars to phones, drones, and energy storage systems. And sometimes a lithium-ion battery just sits there dead-in other words, completely non-responsive. Is that it for the juice, or can it be revived?
This guide will provide you with how to Wake Up a Lithium Ion Battery, discuss why the battery goes into its "sleep mode," and give you the five best and safest methods for reviving it. Whether its for your power tool, laptop, or lithium-ion car battery, this article has something for you.
Briefly, before we consider waking it up, let's consider why a battery may suddenly stop responding.
Overdischarge: All lithium-ion batteries have protection circuits which, if the voltage is too low (usually below 2.5V per cell), will prevent the battery from being used to avoid irreversible damage.
Long-term storage: Deep self-discharge, which puts the battery into protective mode, results from batteries not being used and charged for a long time.
Extreme temperatures: Either too cold or too hot can affect the chemistry of the battery inside and cause it to shut down.
Battery aging: Capacity has a definite drop with time; therefore, they are more prone to sleeping conditions.
In most instances, the battery can be revived as long as all internal components are in good condition.
Each method below offers a strategic approach based on the battery’s condition and your technical comfort level.
A smart charger can rectify this condition when there is slight over-discharge of the battery. Most smart chargers possess "recovery" or "repair" operation that carefully adjusts a minute amount of current flow into the battery to restore it to normal charging.
Connect the battery to the smart charger. Choose the appropriate lithium battery type (i.e.Li-ion, LiPo,etc). Activate recovery or low-voltage mode on the charger. Let the charger slowly ramp the voltage up. When the charging voltage becomes stable, switch to normal charging mode.
In short, this process slowly raises the voltage, so there is no overheating or overcharging of the battery.
This is especially effective for those who are familiar with batteries- battery packs without protective circuitry, power tool batteries, or RC batteries. The method will involve parallel connection of a highly charged good battery with a low-charged one, using the good battery to wake the lower charged battery up.
The procedure is as follows:
Ensure that both batteries are chemically identical and within the same voltage range.
Connect the positive terminals of the batteries together
Joining the positive and negative terminals.
Maintain for around 1 to 5 minutes in this position.
Remove the charged battery and try to recharge it again.
The theory proposed is that a good battery would invariably be able to share a little current and that would be enough to bypass the protection circuit as applied to low- charge batteries. However, keep at all times an eye on the voltage because doing it improperly could result in overcurrent or short -circuiting.
It's meant for the moderately tech-savvy or those who have exposed battery terminals.
A really good way to bring lithium batteries back life if they happen to become deeply discharged is to using adjustable power supply to perfectly control both the current and voltage.
Thus the exact steps are as follows:
Initial voltage: 3.0V per cell, current: 100-200mA.
Establish the connection with caution by connecting wires with battery terminals.
Speak slowly to increase the voltage a little bit above the safe charging point.
Much later, when the battery gets slightly responsive, charge it fully with a suitable lithium battery charger.
Here we benefit from the fact that dripping at the same time the voltage and the current can also see, whether any trouble exists inside the battery and diagnose problems in advance.
But, be careful because it does not work with sealed or integrated batteries. Also, the temperature must be continuously checked during the procedure.
The technique is truly useful for laptops, e-bikes, or any equipment fitted with battery management systems (BMS). Most lithium-ion batteries have a built-in BMS to restrict the battery from overcharging, over-discharging, and overheating. In some cases, the battery might be perfectly healthy, while the BMS just might need resetting. The process consists of three simple steps:
Carefully open the battery compartment if you can get to the battery (this will void the warranty).
Find the BMS module.
Locate a reset button or jumper switch and hold it down for a few seconds. Either use a low-voltage power supply or briefly put the battery on the charger to start the reset procedure.
Why does this work? Because while the battery might be good, the BMS might just be disabling battery output. A reset clears the fault condition.
Warning: Do not try this if the battery is swollen or obviously damaged!
Most efficient for smart batteries in laptops, drones, and cameras. If your lithium-ion battery contains firmware, especially the smart type, the program can "lock" the battery once a reading goes out of range. To this effect, you would perform the following actions:
Download the software from the battery manufacturer (such as Lenovo Vantage or DJI Assistant).
Charge the battery into the computer via the correct cable or diagnostic port.
Use the reset or diagnostic tool to wipe the error message.
Try to charge in the normal manner.
A pro tip: Keep fidgeting with the firmware for the future safety of the battery!
Lithium batteries are truly powerful, but this is countered by their sensitivity. Mishandling of lithium batteries can lead to fire or explosion. Here are things to watch out for:
Don't force-charge from a wall outlet or car battery.
Don't puncture or attempt to open a battery pack that's swollen.
Monitor the voltage during the charging process always.
Do not exceed voltage or current ratings specified in the battery specifications.
Do not attempt to fix a clearly damaged or corroded battery.
To summarize, if the battery swells, produces an unusual odor, or otherwise heats rapidly, stop. Recycle safely.
Waking up lithium-ion batteries means more than just getting your device back up; it means getting it up safely and efficiently. Knowing how to do this with either a lithium-ion car battery or a laptop battery pack saves you time, money, and danger.
If all else fails, you should seek the opinion of a professional or consider purchasing a new battery. As always, prevention is better than cure: Good storage, regular charging, and not exposing lithium batteries to extreme temperatures will extend their life.
