Symptoms
- Battery makes intermittent contact or doesn't power the tool at all
- Visible bent metal tabs inside the battery slot or on the battery itself
- Connection only works when battery is pressed at a certain angle
- Damage traces back to a hard insertion or a drop
Likely causes
- CommonContact tabs bent from forceful or misaligned insertionJamming a battery in at the wrong angle can bend the thin metal contacts.
- PossibleCorrosion weakening a contact until it snapped under normal useA pin already weakened by corrosion is more likely to break.
- PossibleImpact damage from a drop bending the housing and pins togetherA hard fall can misalign both the housing and the contacts inside it.
- Less commonManufacturing defect in the contact assemblyOccasionally a new tool or battery has a factory contact issue.
What to do
- Remove the battery and visually inspect both the battery's contacts and the tool's internal contacts with a flashlight.
- Gently straighten a bent tab back to its original position using a small flathead screwdriver, working slowly to avoid snapping it.
- Avoid excessive force, since a bent tab is repairable but a broken one usually is not.
- Reinsert the battery carefully, aligned with the guide rails, and test.
- If a tab has snapped off, that battery or tool component will need professional repair or replacement, since a missing contact can't be bent back.
- Going forward, always align the battery with the rails before inserting to avoid recurring damage.
Tools and parts
- Small flathead screwdriver
- Flashlight
When to call a pro
A snapped contact pin inside the tool itself typically needs professional repair, since replacing that internal part requires disassembly.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.