Another battery thread but with a twist! Are they dead?

[energetic]

Hello guys and gals.

It has been a while since I've charged the batteries of my i2. I need your feedback on this since something looks a bit different than usual.

I have plugged yesterday night my i2 to charge the batteries and today both lights are solid red. The plug was removed just now and plugged it back in. For less than a second the bottom light flashes green as I plug the cord, and then both lights go dead. No green and no red. Nothing at all.

Both infokeys have run out of juice so I can't tell really in what condition the i2 is if I will switch it on. By the way, could you please remind me what type of batteries do I need for the info key? I left them at home and I need to buy batteries to use them. My bad.

Thank you.

[MTOBATTERY]

Originally Posted by energetic

Hello guys and gals.
I have plugged yesterday night my i2 to charge the batteries and today both lights are solid red. The plug was removed just now and plugged it back in. For less than a second the bottom light flashes green as I plug the cord, and then both lights go dead. No green and no red. Nothing at all.

Both infokeys have run out of juice so I can't tell really in what condition the i2 is if I will switch it on. By the way, could you please remind me what type of batteries do I need for the info key? I left them at home and I need to buy batteries to use them. My bad.

Thank you.

Info key batteries are CR2430.

Based on your description it would sound like your batteries are discharged nearly the whole way. When your charge lights are out and cannot even light up red that normally means your battery has discharged low enough that the BMS is not powered to communicate with the charger. It could also mean CSB failure.

[energetic]

Originally Posted by MTOBATTERY

Info key batteries are CR2430.

Based on your description it would sound like your batteries are discharged nearly the whole way. When your charge lights are out and cannot even light up red that normally means your battery has discharged low enough that the BMS is not powered to communicate with the charger. It could also mean CSB failure.

Thanks for your quick reply.

Is it one battery per info key?

Could you please remind me what BMS and CSB stands for? It's being a while.

However, the red lights where on since yesterday when the Segway was plugged, until today.

[MTOBATTERY]

One CR2430 cell per info key.

Sorry, I should have elaborated further.
BMS = Battery Management System
CSB = Control shaft base (There may be a new name on Gen.2 machines but it's the part where the power cord plugs into.

The best way to diagnose the issue would be to find someone with a working set of batteries to try in place of yours to see if the machine works normally.

How long since before the other night has it been since you charged the batteries? Can you please advise how old your batteries are?

[rotorblades]

Originally Posted by MTOBATTERY

One CR2430 cell per info key.

Sorry, I should have elaborated further.
BMS = Battery Management System
CSB = Control shaft base (There may be a new name on Gen.2 machines but it's the part where the power cord plugs into.

The best way to diagnose the issue would be to find someone with a working set of batteries to try in place of yours to see if the machine works normally.

How long since before the other night has it been since you charged the batteries? Can you please advise how old your batteries are?

your charge problem might be your plug in has been mauled. i watch others try to help me unplug my x2s they shake the cord all over. when i can i gently hold the plug while pushing with my thumbto unplugyour male prongs may be loose-give your cord a gentle gentle twist to see if you get better contacts.maybe try to hold it sideways with a bungie cord but it takes awhile for myx2s to decide if the batteries do need a charge so move slowly and give it time to give you green lights. i heard somewhere else that some plugs have shoulders"that dont fit in very goodthe cords seems to be a table top computer cord easy to find if you dont already have some spares.
. maybe try a newer cord or different technique-good luck hope it is an easy cheap fix for you. listen to the mtoguy hes the battery guy.im not im just praying you have a simple cheap fix.like a poor connection not a bad charger or battery.

[energetic]

Originally Posted by MTOBATTERY

One CR2430 cell per info key.

Sorry, I should have elaborated further.
BMS = Battery Management System
CSB = Control shaft base (There may be a new name on Gen.2 machines but it's the part where the power cord plugs into.

The best way to diagnose the issue would be to find someone with a working set of batteries to try in place of yours to see if the machine works normally.

How long since before the other night has it been since you charged the batteries? Can you please advise how old your batteries are?

I think it will be very difficult to find out a set of working batteries here from another glider, but I will definitely try. In the meantime I have now installed batteries to the info key and will test tonight if there is any juice left in the Segway's batteries.

I will also try another pc cable as well as our fellow poster mentioned below, just in case there is something wrong with it, although I wish it is as simple fix as that.

The Segway was purchased in 2011, but it was hardly ever used. If I'm not mistaken, the batteries haven't been charged for about a year and a half or two. I know they must be charged frequently but I failed to do that due to hectic workload etc.

I will try to remove the batteries and put them back into position as described in the Segway manual, or perhaps do a swap front to rear and vice versa. Although in my case it will not make any sense, but you never know.

If the Segway turns on (which I doubt) and there is something wrong with the BMS or CSB, will I get an error code in the info key?

Originally Posted by rotorblades

your charge problem might be your plug in has been mauled. i watch others try to help me unplug my x2s they shake the cord all over. when i can i gently hold the plug while pushing with my thumbto unplugyour male prongs may be loose-give your cord a gentle gentle twist to see if you get better contacts.maybe try to hold it sideways with a bungie cord but it takes awhile for myx2s to decide if the batteries do need a charge so move slowly and give it time to give you green lights. i heard somewhere else that some plugs have shoulders"that dont fit in very goodthe cords seems to be a table top computer cord easy to find if you dont already have some spares.
. maybe try a newer cord or different technique-good luck hope it is an easy cheap fix for you. listen to the mtoguy hes the battery guy.im not im just praying you have a simple cheap fix.like a poor connection not a bad charger or battery.

I will try this tonight and I certainly hope is just that.

[KSagal]

Good luck, but if unplugged that long, it is likely that they will need to be replaced, or minimally, recharged by a facility with more capacity than an owner is likely to have.

Typically, the rear battery goes dead first, as it feeds the radio board. In your case, you indicated that both are dead.

Good luck, but it may be very soon that you are in the market for new batteries.

[airdale]

Originally Posted by KSagal

Typically, the rear battery goes dead first, as it feeds the radio board. In your case, you indicated that both are dead.

If that is true, would it be a good idea to switch batteries after a few years then?
Kinda like the same thing we do to get more mileage out of car tires...Our batteries are only as good as the weakest.

[Tritium]

Originally Posted by airdale

If that is true, would it be a good idea to switch batteries after a few years then?
Kinda like the same thing we do to get more mileage out of car tires...Our batteries are only as good as the weakest.

As long as they're topped off often, there should be no need to.

[energetic]

Here is an update with the situation. Yesterday night the Segway was plugged and the rear light was indicating red. The front indicated nothing. Up to this morning there was no change.

This morning I did the following steps:

1) I pressed the info key and there was no response at all from the Segway.

2) I plugged the Segway, both lights turn green for a second, the front becomes red for a second and turns off, then the rear becomes red and turns off.

3) I have plugged/unplugged the Segway and sometimes the front light turns green for longer (two seconds) it turns off and the rear light remains red.

4) I removed both batteries and plugged the Segway, both lights are solid red without the batteries installed.

5) I installed back again by swapping the batteries, the front to the rear and vice versa.

6) After the swap, I get the same results as in step no.2 but the other way around. Now the rear turns green and suddenly the front becomes red and after ten seconds it turns off.

7) Also sometimes when plugging the Segway, both lights turn green, then red and then there is no light.

8) Another time, they are both green, then red then quickly green, red, and off.

I am not an expert but I think that there is no failure of the BMS and CSB, because the Segway understands that the batteries are swapped as described in step no.6. I don't know if the way I describe it, makes any sense to you guys. By the way, I also tried three different cables to be sure.

Any ideas of what is going on? Your feedback in this matter is highly appreciated.

Originally Posted by KSagal

Good luck, but if unplugged that long, it is likely that they will need to be replaced, or minimally, recharged by a facility with more capacity than an owner is likely to have.

Typically, the rear battery goes dead first, as it feeds the radio board. In your case, you indicated that both are dead.

Good luck, but it may be very soon that you are in the market for new batteries.

I think that you are right and I believe that the batteries need to be waken up so they can be charged again. This is what I think after the steps I described above.

Originally Posted by airdale

If that is true, would it be a good idea to switch batteries after a few years then?
Kinda like the same thing we do to get more mileage out of car tires...Our batteries are only as good as the weakest.

Tritium is right, as long as you keep them charged and topped.

Originally Posted by Tritium

As long as they're topped off often, there should be no need to.

I agree as well.