Battery problems are the worst for a nice RC day. You plug in the battery and see it isn’t charging or powering up your RC. If I were in your place, I’d feel like throwing the battery away in the sea.
But hey, don’t do that! Don’t be crazy like me. And don’t get upset either. All you need to do is to understand the problem and do quick troubleshooting.
So, how can you get rid of Spektrum Smart Battery problems?
To get rid of Spektrum Smart Battery problems, you have to identify the underlying reasons. And then do troubleshooting. If the battery isn’t charging, you should jumpstart the smart battery with another charger. But if the battery isn’t powering anything, you may have to replace the batteries.
This is a small glimpse of how you can solve smart battery problems. Read the article till the end. You’ll get more details and step-by-step guidelines.
Quick View of Spektrum Smart Battery Problems & Solutions
| Problems | Reasons | Solutions |
| Battery won’t charge | Battery discharged to zero due to more plug-in time | Jumpstart the smart battery with another charger |
| Battery Doesn’t power anything | Failure of Auto Discharge Board | Replace the batteries |
PROBLEM 1: Battery Won’t Charge
It’s a pretty serious problem when you see the Spektrum smart charger isn’t charging. After all, the purpose of a charger is to charge, right? And at the same time, it’s showing a solid red LED light.
So, whenever you see this kind of issue, it means it’s either the charger or the positioning that’s at fault.
Reasons:
There are multiple reasons your charger won’t work. These reasons are listed below for your ease:
- You have not plugged the charger in the correct position.
- You left the charger plugged for more than 2 weeks. So, the charger had drained out 100% due to a parasitic draw.
- The charger is faulty. This often happens when you buy these chargers from unauthorized third-party centers.
- The charger isn’t getting the required current it should have.
Solutions:
To make your charger start working again, you have to be careful about a few things. But first, let’s tick off the silly mistakes that you could’ve made while using this charger.
Step 1: Check the Charging Position
So, first of all, you have to check the position of the charger. Is the polarity of the balance lead the same? If it’s not, this is a problem. You need to fix it.
But if it’s okay, then move on to the next step.
Step 2: Test the Charger
Next, you have to check whether you have a faulty charger or not.
For this, you have to plug in another charger or battery and see where the problem is. If the other charger is working, you have a problematic charger. In this case, you must replace the charger immediately.
However, if the Spektrum charger is fine, it’s time to think further.
Step 3: Jumpstart the Smart Battery
Now, arriving at this step means that your battery is fully drained out. It’s because you kept the charger plugged in for two weeks or more. And the battery got discharged at zero.
So, you have to jumpstart the Spektrum Smart battery with another battery. Make sure you remove one cable. The trickle charger attached will post directly.
By doing this, you’ll not only fix the charging issue but also enhance the lifespan of your charger.
Safety Precaution:
Now, just to avoid the same problem happening repeatedly, you must follow some safety rules.
- You should never keep the battery plugged into any device for a longer time period. This is applicable for devices you don’t want to have powered up.
- Always make sure you remove one cable from the battery. This is when you attach a trickle charger. You’ll have good batteries lasting for 5 to 8 years!
- You must ensure that the charger is discharging safely. Or else, there will be hazards.
So, I hope these tips and fixes will redeem your charger into a good state.
PROBLEM 2: Battery Doesn’t Power Anything
The most annoying issue is when you want to run your favorite RC aircraft and it won’t turn on. You’re using a Spektrum Smart battery but still no luck.
It seems like the battery lost its capability to power up the RC.
Reasons:
The main reason the battery can’t power up any device is that the Auto Discharge Board failed. As a result, the cells in the battery dropped below storage voltage. It dropped to the point that the voltage becomes zero as there is a constant load on it.
To prevent possible damage the smart circuit in the battery has cut off the current. That’s why the battery isn’t powering up any device at all.
Solutions:
This problem doesn’t have any DIY fix. The problem is so severe that you must contact a professional.
So, the only solution is to take it to the Horizon Hobby center. Tell them what problem you’re facing and the condition of your battery. Make sure to tell them the purchase date and claim your warranty service.
However, if you’re a bold electrician and love to do experiments at home, you can try one thing. You can try charging the battery as a MiMH for a fraction of the time. But don’t take the voltage above 7 volts.
See if it fixes your battery. If it doesn’t work, you should replace the battery immediately.
I will suggest going for Ovonic batteries. Ovonic has some good quality Lipo batteries that have lesser issues. You can use Ovonic 80C 3S 5200mAh 11.1V Lipo Battery for RC cars, trucks, and buggies.
Now, whatever fix you try, I will encourage you to take the help of a professional. Otherwise, you might end up hurting yourself or causing a disaster.
Safety Precaution:
Though Spektrum is a high-quality battery, you did see how many issues it can have. The main reason is that it has a shorter life span than most other LiPo batteries.
Well, I like Gen’s Ace in this case. Gen’s Ace batteries have batteries with a longer lifespan than Spektrum.
If you want to use batteries for brushless servos, Gens ace 5000mAh 11.1V 3S 50C LiPo Battery is the best way to go with. And for an all-RC battery backup, I like to go with Gens ace 7.4V 4600mAh Shorty LiPo Battery.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Smart LiPo batteries worth it?
Yes, Smart LiPo batteries are worth it. You can get the device to charge faster than a regular battery. In fact, these batteries can hold up charge even longer. For example, if you use Smart LiPo batteries in your RC aircraft, you can get extra 2-3 minutes for flying.
How long does a Spektrum smart battery last?
A Spektrum Smart battery lasts from 12 hours to 240 hours on average. These batteries can automatically discharge at your predetermined storage voltage. So, they give you a long-lasting performance than other batteries.
Do Spektrum Smart batteries discharge themselves?
Yes, Spektrum Smart batteries discharge themselves. It has an automatic discharging technology. It discharges at the predetermined storage voltage when it is left for 12 to 240 hours.
Final Verdict
So, you can see there are not too many Spektrum Smart battery problems. With the help of this small guide, you can easily solve them.
However, I suggest going for better brands like Ovonic and Gen Ace if Spektrum is not working for you. Make sure you check the specifications before you buy batteries.
That’s it! I hope you liked this article. See you next time with another troubleshooting guide. Adios!
