Battery
not charging?
Didn't use your drone for a while?
If you have not used you drone for a while, or your battery suddenly will not charge can be frustrating! But don't panic, your battery might be in a locked state due to an error code. DJI batteries are 'smart' batteries. Meaning if they detect a fault or unusual cell charge. They will prevent themselves from being charged.
We will guide you through the process of resetting your batteries by taking advantage of a cheap chip & free bit of software.
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ChargingI didn't use my drone for a couple of months, and now it will not charge some of my batteries!
The Problem
DJI Drone batteries are 'smart' batteries, designed with advanced features to optimize performance and safety. However, there are several reasons why a battery might fail to charge. In most cases, the issue is simple—like not allowing the battery to cool down after a flight. But sometimes, it could be more serious. No matter the cause, we’re here to guide you to a solution.
First, it’s crucial to ensure your batteries are charged and stored under the correct conditions. If the battery's temperature is outside its operating range, it won’t charge. Additionally, a common issue is when one or more cells in the battery have a charge imbalance, causing a "bad cell" error. Other times, a simple error code within the battery needs to be cleared before it will charge again.
| Take Away | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Label & Rotate Batteries | Track your batteries' lifecycle carefully. Rotating usage prevents overuse of a single battery, which can lead to failure in underutilized ones. |
| Avoid 3rd Party Batteries | Using third-party batteries may void your warranty. While some may work fine, the risks are entirely yours to bear. |
| Don't Leave Charging Batteries Unattended | Always monitor charging batteries. Due to the high energy they store, unattended charging could lead to accidents like fires. |
| Don't Fly with Swollen Batteries | Swollen batteries can behave unpredictably and may even pop out of the drone mid-flight. |
| Fully Charge Your Battery Before Flying | A full charge ensures better flight times and improves overall battery health. |
| Check Your Battery in the DJI App Before Flying | The DJI-Go app provides vital information about your battery. Always check it before a flight. |
| Avoid Using Batteries as Power Banks | Although DJI provides tools for this, it should only be a last resort. Preserve your batteries for flying. |
| Do Not Deplete Your Battery | Keep your battery above 10%-15% charge to prolong its lifespan. |
| Stay Within Recommended Temperature Ranges | Only operate your drone in temperatures between 10-40°C (14-104°F) to avoid battery damage. |
| Don't Remove the Battery While the Drone Is On | Just as you wouldn't power off a computer mid-update, avoid removing the battery while firmware is being updated. |
| Keep Batteries Dry | Moisture, such as rain or salt spray, can damage batteries. Avoid blowing out wet drones as this spreads liquid internally. |
| Update Battery Firmware | Smart batteries require firmware updates. These updates occur while the battery is connected to the drone, so ensure your firmware is current. |
| Store Batteries at Recommended Temperatures | Store batteries in a dry place within a temperature range of 22-28°C (71-82°F). |
| Store Batteries at Recommended Charge Levels | For optimal storage, keep batteries charged at 40%-50% capacity. |
I press the button on the battery, but no lights
shows up!
What do I do?
Step-by-Step Guide to Reset Your Drone Battery
Prerequisites
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| CP2112 Board | CP2112 Battery Debugging Board |
| Dupont Wires | Some wires to connect the board to the battery |
| Adapter Board (Optional) | If you don't like the idea of wires, you can purchase a pre-configured board. |
| Battery Killer/Reset Software | Free software that works in combination with the CP2112 Download here |
| New 9-Volt Battery | If your battery has absolutely no charge, you can connect a 9v battery to provide just enough power to connect to the debug board. |
| Adjustable Power Charge (Maybe) | If you have a bad cell error, then you might need an adjustable power charge to re-sync the cells. |
Have you left your batteries uncharged for too long, or are they randomly refusing to charge?
This is a common issue faced by casual drone pilots. Life gets busy, and it’s easy to forget to occasionally charge your batteries.
Luckily, there’s a solution! Often, a small purchase of a debugging chip called the CP2112 can help.
This board allows you to access the battery’s internal chip and diagnose problems. In many cases, simply clearing a fault flag in the logs is all you need to do to restore functionality.
These boards are very affordable, often costing less than $5 USD. The CP2112 features a set of pins connected to a USB-C port. By connecting the board to your battery and plugging it into your laptop, you can use software to clear the error flags and get your battery working again.
To use the CP2112, connect its pins to your locked battery, as shown here. There are two options for making this connection:
1. Use Dupont wires to connect the battery manually.
2. Purchase a pre-configured board that plugs directly into your battery.
The best places to purchase a CP2112 board are Alibaba or Amazon. Supported drone models include:
Mavic Air, Mavic Air 2, Mavic 2, Spark, Mini 1 & 2, Osmo Plus.
While the wire configuration may vary by drone, the process remains the same. The provided software includes configuration images for each model, so you’ll have clear guidance if you get stuck.
Once your battery is correctly connected to the CP2112, plug the board into your Windows or macOS PC/laptop using the USB-C port.
Then, power on your battery and start the Battery Reset Software.
NOTE: From time to time you can get lucky, and all you need to do is clear the error flags in the battery's firmware. Then the battery will start recharging again. But if that doesn't work there is still hope. You'll just need one more piece of equipment.
Once you start the application on your PC, you'll see something like This.
Click 'Connect', and you'll see logs stating the battery has connected. Note, if you see an
SBUS error show up and it fails to connect. Just click the power button on the battery
again. That normally clears that error.
From this point you'll need to click 'Unseal', then 'Unseal 2' to unseal the batteries
firmware to allow for updates.
Then click 'Clear PF', then click 'Clear PF2'. This will remove all error flags from the
Firmware.
Then click 'Exit'. Existing the software will reseal the firmware making it ready to attempt
another change. But if you want to be sure, click 'Reset', and then exit.
disconnect the CP2112 from the laptop powering it down. Then Disconnect the battery and
attempt to recharge your battery.
If you're lucky, this should have corrected the issue for you. If not, then there are
additional steps to complete.
If you don’t have an adjustable power adapter, you can use a new 9V battery as an alternative. This can provide enough power to reset the flags, allowing the battery to charge normally again.
Just connect the positive to the + on the battery, and negative to the GND. NOTE: + and GND combinations are for each cell in the battery.
Still doesn't charge? Most likely you have a bad cell
error.
But don't worry, the battle is not over yet!
As mentioned earlier, sometimes you get lucky, and the previous steps are all you need. However, if the error persists, you may need to re-sync the battery cells. This issue arises when one or more cells in the battery have a lower charge than the others. When this happens, it’s classified as a "Cell Error" or "bad cell." You can correct this by manually charging the cells slowly back to their optimal voltage. Once they are synced, reconnect the CP2112 board and repeat the previous reset steps using the software.
For this step, you’ll need an adjustable power charger. If you don’t own one, consider borrowing or renting one.
Below is a demonstration of how to reset a battery using an adjustable power supply:
Charge all cells to the optimal voltage specified on the back of the battery. After charging, wait 10-20 minutes and check if the cells are holding their charge and staying in sync. If they are, the issue is resolved, and the battery should be good to go. However, if the cells remain unsynced and a particular cell continues to lose charge, the battery is unfortunately beyond repair and will need to be discarded.
Hopefully, by now, your batteries are all charging, and you’re ready to take to the skies!
Download the software
| Download Link | Description |
|---|---|
| DJI Battery Killer Latest | Latest version of the Battery Repair software. Comes in a zip format, and has both Mac and Windows versions. |
Good luck and happy flying from Sarge.