19.2 Volt Craftsman Battery Won't Charge? (Possible Causes & Fixes)

Ryan Womeldorf
by Ryan Womeldorf

The feeling can be quite an annoying one. You go to grab your Craftsman drill, pull the trigger and nothing happens. You make sure that the battery is secured but still nothing. So, assuming the battery is dead, you pop it into your charger and still nothing happens.

There are two likely reasons: an internal component has gone bad in either the battery itself or the charger. If you have a compatible charger around, test the battery there. If it charges, the charger is the issue. If it doesn’t, then you know that the battery is the issue. Then it comes down to either replacing or rebuilding the problem component.

Why is the Battery not Charging?

When you find out that the battery itself will not charge, it can be an aggravating experience. Moreover, there does not seem to be a readily available answer as to why it won’t charge. There are two answers here, one specific and the other vague.

Circuit board. First, check the circuit board. Use a tester to ensure that it is functioning properly. If it isn’t, replacing it is certainly possible, though you may have to rebuild the entire battery. If you have a ton of experience with soldering, you can reassemble the battery without the circuit board and charge it using an AC charger (like a laptop charger).

Loose connection. It could also possibly be due to a loose connection. Again, some experience is required here. If you don’t know what you are looking for, the various internal components can be confusing, and you won’t be much help.

Should You Fix the Old Battery or Buy a New One?

Depending on the severity of the issue, it is possible to fix or rebuild the old battery (more later). The real question comes down to whether or not it is worth the time, effort, and money to fix the old battery instead of just replacing it.

Replace. There are a few obvious signs indicating that you should just replace the old battery. If you notice burn marks, leaking, swelling, or the battery overheating often, it may be best to just get a new one.

Should you notice any of those things, it indicates that the battery isn’t functioning properly and could even be at risk of exploding. Replace it immediately and make sure that you follow proper protocols for disposal.

Rebuild. Don’t notice any of these signs and want to save a few bucks? It is possible to re-build the battery to get it functioning once again. Just make sure that none of the previously-mentioned signs are there because that risk of explosion is nothing to mess around with.

The charger. Maybe the battery just doesn’t hold a charge. In that instance, check out the charger first. While it may seem like the battery is at fault every time, the charger can be the responsible party. Should the charger work find, you can move on to replacing or rebuilding the battery.

How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Battery?

Maybe you just want to skip the hassle and get a new battery as soon as possible. If you can’t return the battery back to the manufacturer or return it to the place where you bought it, it may feel like you are stuck.

Replacing the old battery is a straightforward decision and you can get back to having a working drill in short order. But that convenience comes at a cost. It all comes down to where you purchase it from regarding just how big that cost is.

Battery cost. Depending on the vendor that you choose, 19.2 volt Craftsman batteries can start as low as $35. That said, they can also run as expensive as $65-$70. While that may seem like a steep cost, it can at least provide peace of mind in knowing that it will work as it is supposed to. If you are attempting to re-build the battery, there is always the question of whether or not you are doing things the right way.

How to Rebuild a Craftsman Battery

After doing all the necessary testing, you have determined that the battery is the culprit. You have also decided that the price tag to replace it is out of your budget. Instead, you are going to rebuild the battery and hope that it works.

Step 1: Come Prepared

Like any job, there are tools necessary to get the job done. Many of them are common tools that amateur DIY types have around the house. Some of them will likely require a trip to the home improvement store. Here is what you will require:

  •         Wire cutters
  •         Wire strippers
  •         #10 Torx bit and driver
  •         Needle-nose pliers
  •         Soldering iron
  •         Soldering paste
  •         Solder
  •         Solder wick
  •         Hot glue gun
  •         Small piece of black wire
  •         Shrink tube
  •         Black and red insulated alligator clips
  •         Universal multi-output voltage laptop charger (20v output option)

If you need to pick up more than a few things, it could be a good investment in the future. Nearly all of these tools will come in handy at some point in the future. So, while it may seem expensive to have to buy these tools in the short term, the investment will be a worthwhile one.

Step 2: Getting Inside

Start by opening up the case. This is where the Torx bit will come in handy as you will need it to pop the four screws out of the case. If you have a regular Torx bit, use the scratch awl and a little pressure to break the pin off from the middle of the screw head.

The latter may take a few different angles to achieve but it is possible. Whatever the case, take out the screws and pop the case top off. Make sure that you also remove those plastic locking tabs. Be careful not to use too much for (we don’t want to break them).

Step 3: Taking Out the Circuit Board

Now that we can see the innards of the battery, start by prying up the white plastic charge connector support. Just make sure that it is loose, you don’t need to remove it entirely. Then turn your focus to the four screws that hold the circuit board down.

Locate the thinner wires on the outer edge of the holder; there should be one blue and three red. Cut them. Find the black wire at the connector terminal as well as the red and blue wires at the terminal, cutting all of them.

An important note. The red wire that is opposite of the black wire in the connector terminal should be cut at the circuit board. Do not cut it anywhere else.

Final steps to remove the circuit board. Desolder the connector tab from the board and then pry the board up, tilting as you do. Locate the red wire at the bottom of the board and cut it. Finally, take the sponge tape that holds the thermal protector down off and pull out the board. Make sure that you separate the connector stand from the board itself.

Step 4: Rebuild the Battery

Set your charge connector base back into the original position and make sure the two pins are in place. With a little glue, fill in the space and attach the two legs to the battery holder so that it stands firmly. Strip out the red wire from your charge connector as well as the red wire from the battery pack.

Shrink tube. Take some shrink tube and put it over one of the wires, soldering both together and then covering the joint with more shrink tube. Find a piece of similar wire (black, if you can) and then solder one end directly to the charge connector at the spot where you cut the first black wire.

Put it back together. Put all the spring tabs back, the snap case on, and the screws back in.

Step 5: Build the Charger and Test

Finally, we are going to build the charger for our rebuilt battery. That universal laptop charger is fine so long as it has a 20v output position.

Insulated gator clips. Cut the wires where the multi-connector is and put the clips in the corresponding position. Just make sure that your negative and positive wires are properly positioned. If you aren’t sure, use a voltmeter to check which is which.

With the charger ready, connect your positive to positive, negative to negative, and let it charge for an hour. It should work!

Ryan Womeldorf
Ryan Womeldorf

Ryan Womeldorf has more than a decade of experience writing. He loves to blog about construction, plumbing, and other home topics. Ryan also loves hockey and a lifelong Buffalo sports fan.

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