battery problems - need help!

[yoshio]

I've been vaping since May. I ordered a kit containing two kgo batteries, but about a month ago one stopped charging. I have a charger that has a charge indicator; it flashes red/green as it is charging, and switches to straight green when the battery is fully charged. I don't usually drain a battery down before recharging it, but sometimes it happens.

Both of my original batteries are now dead (thankfully I have two more plus a pass-thru), and both died in the same way. Now, when connected to the charger, the light stays on green, indicating a full charge, but they are not charged. They are manuals, and I've tried them locked and unlocked. I cleaned the contacts with a q-tip and rubbing alcohol. No good. The only other advice I found on here was to slowly screw out the battery from the charger to see if it connects, but no luck. I did leave on plugged in overnight, even though the charger stayed green, but in the morning it would give me a low battery warning after one drag.

In a nutshell, my KGO batteries won't recharge.

I have a theory that the circuit that determines the charge level somehow was damaged, since there wasn't enough time for the battery to have real problems and performance didn't degrade; it just stopped. Obviously, I'm going to try to remember to recharge batteries long before they hit 0.

My questions are:
1. Is this problem common?
2. Is there anything I can do to fix the batteries?
3. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening again?
4. Are KGO 510 650mAh batteries not very good? If so, what's better (more reliable) and from whom should I order?

Thanks,
Yoshio

 

[Kay1959]

' I don't usually drain a battery down before recharging it, but sometimes it happens.'

I think therein maybe your problem. Batteries do better and last longer if you use them until they are ready to be recharged.
When they are ready to be recharged, they start blinking.

 

[Pappy]

I'm going to give you a very unhelpful answer by saying that's probably just the luck of the draw. My 1100mah KGO batteries, also purchased in May, are still going strong. (They will probably both die tonight just because I said that.)

I bought an extra battery with my VTube recently, and it's already dead less than a month later. It does the same thing as your KGO - i.e., it just shows green on the charger. It sucks, but that's just the luck of the draw again. Instead of trying to return an $8 battery, I just ordered some new ones (better ones made by Panasonic).

And, yes, charging them before they completely die will help.

 

[tezcat]

Hi Yoshio,

From my experience I'd have to say your battery life is not normal. I bought a Joyetech's eGo-T system in January this year, and 2 extra batteries for long road trips in May, and all my batteries are still holding a charge.

I don't know who handles the kgo products, but if your system is compatible with the Joyetech products, I think I'd switch battery manufacturers, if I were you. AllAboutVapor.com and gotvapes.com both carry the Joyetech line.

 

[Pappy]

I think the KGO charger will work on the Ego Twist, won't it? This might be your excuse . . . err . . . opportunity to move up to variable voltage.

 

[doots]

Many times and most, the center pin in the charger has been pushed down and doesnt make center contact. Raise the center pin in the charger up just a little and see if it starts charging the batts. Also dont screw ego or Kgo batts on tight or they will push down the center pic and willl not charge but will just show you a green light as if they are charged. try it. most likely the problem.

 

[mostapha]

' I don't usually drain a battery down before recharging it, but sometimes it happens.'

I think therein maybe your problem. Batteries do better and last longer if you use them until they are ready to be recharged.
When they are ready to be recharged, they start blinking.

That is absolutely backwards for most lithium ions that I've dealt with (mostly IMRs and ICRs)…phones and laptops will hate you for doing that. The difference between plugging a laptop in every chance you get vs. running it down all the time is evident within 6-months: one way, your 6-hour battery life is reduced to about 5 hours…the other way, it's more like 2 hours. My 3-year-old Macbook's original battery performs better than a friend's 6-month old macbook pro battery based on experience and actual measurements. His will only hold about 20% of the rated capacity…mine's more like 80%.

I don't have a tremendous amount of experience with PVs, but unless they somehow use the same battery chemistry and a lot of the same technology and operate completely different, then I think that's bad advice.

I'd appreciate someone who's done actual tests to chime in here. I've done them on laptops but not PVs.

Many times and most, the center pin in the charger has been pushed down and doesnt make center contact. Raise the center pin in the charger up just a little and see if it starts charging the batts. Also dont screw ego or Kgo batts on tight or they will push down the center pic and willl not charge but will just show you a green light as if they are charged. try it. most likely the problem.

That sounds plausible. Look up videos on pulling your post…it'll probably be with atomizers, but it's the same idea. The charger could also have died. They're not the most robust things in the world.

 

[Iusedtoanalog]

Hi Yoshio, Do you have access to anything like a digital multimeter? If so I advise you to obtain one and test to see that your battery is or is not producing voltage when you push the button...... if you dont have one then this is the time when I tell you that you should stop over to your local kmart/walmart/sears. One can be had for about $20 that will do everything a vaper could need it to do. Then test your batteries to see if they are producing any output voltage.

You will fist begin by selecting a dc voltage range, 20v would be most common on a simple meter. Place the red lead on the center contact, place the black lead on the threaded part of the kGo body (where the cone screws onto), push the button(while ensuring that the red only touches the center of the little contact) If you get no reading at all then its likely that the wire leading to the center contact has broken. Since the button functions then I dont see any other real option for what sould be amiss. If you get voltage then the charger is suspect, possibly the center contact should be pulled out a little.... for what its worth I have had several issues with many(?5) ego knock off batteries and almost every single one was the wire leading to that center contact. It seems to me that when tightening the carto(etc) the center contact has the ability to twist in the body of the 510 connection, thereby evetually causing the contact point to break the wire where it was origially soldered to the contact pin. I hope that this makes some sense once you get around to testing it. If not feel free to PM me and I will try to walk you through it in person. Good Luck. Happy Vaping.

 

[yzer]

From what I've read here during the last nine months on ECF the SLB KGO batteries don't last that long. They are LiPo batteries with current discharge rates superior to ICR and IMR batteries, but recharge lifespan for LiPo is limited. From what I can tell the longest recharge life available is from ICR (protected LiCo) followed by IMR (LiMn) and finally LiPo.

 

[Rader2146]

All eGo, kGo, Riva, 510, 808, ect..., are Li-Polymer. So I wouldnt think that early battery failure is a problem exclusive to the kGo. From what I've seen, the control circuits are typically what fails. The actual battery inside is still good.

Yoshio, does the button on the battery flash when you connect it to the charger?

 

[Rader2146]

And a link for longer battery life tips:

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University

Note: I only post this to provide accurate information from a very reputable source. My personal opinion (of which I've caught some heat for) is that for an eGo style or mini style battery, it will not make a difference wether you run it to shutoff or charge early. The shutoff voltage on these batteries as already set well above the minimum voltage for a Li-Polymer battery. Any additional precautions are past the point of diminishing returns. Again, just my opinion. YMMV.

 

[Yves]

What are the batteries doing any lights at all? I had one that the centre post had been knocked down. I pulled it up very slightly with a small screwdriver and all is good now. Apparently this can also happen with the charger. I am now careful not to over tighten on the charger or anything I screw onto the battery.

 

[TBinAZ]

Many times and most, the center pin in the charger has been pushed down and doesnt make center contact. Raise the center pin in the charger up just a little and see if it starts charging the batts. Also dont screw ego or Kgo batts on tight or they will push down the center pic and willl not charge but will just show you a green light as if they are charged. try it. most likely the problem.

This is my guess also. It happens all the time with my SD Keyrings, but most of the time I have to pull the positive center pins on the batteries to get them to charge.

 

[yoshio]

Wow, thanks all for the replies. I pulled the post (edged up the center pin slightly with a small flat-blade screwdriver) on the batteries and the charger, and low and behold, yay, everything works! I hadn't even thought about over-tightening, but that (along with cleaning) appears to be the problem. I would like to thank everyone who offered ideas. You guys just saved me some money on new batteries now and in the long term, and some frustration, too.

Truly an awesome community.

 

[Yves]

Happy to hear you got it all sorted

 

[ShogaNinja]

I don't know if these is applicable to your present dilemma but if you let a battery stay discharged for a long time the safety circuit in it will not allow it to be recharged. The battery will usually shut off in the case of KGOs at 3.2 volts. I believe by the time it hits 2.2 volts it's past the danger zone and the circuit will not allow it to be recharged because it would be a hazard to do so. The circuit itself drains the battery so if you discharged it and then say left it discharged for a month or maybe more then I could see how that could happen. The moral of the story is that Li Ion batteries are best stored at 70% capacity. Thus spake Battery University.