Troubleshoot a Broken Battery Charger

hand holding phone cord with tape
  • 1-2 hours
  • Intermediate
  • 0-30

Battery won't charge? You might be dealing with a broken charger. Here's how to troubleshoot the battery charger and determine the root cause of the problem. Worst case scenario, you might be stuck replacing it.

Step 1 - Check Your Power Outlets

Before you declare the battery charger faulty, ensure that your electricity supply systems are all functioning. Start by checking your wall outlets.

Try the charger on a different outlet—one you know is working. Alternatively, check the outlet you're trying to charge from by plugging in a device you know is functional.

Look for indicator lights on your battery charger to see if it's getting any energy at all.

Step 2 - Check the Battery

In some cases, you can get caught up trying to fix your charger when it's really the battery that needs fixing. If you can, try charging the battery with a different charger. If the battery charges well, chances are that the issue is with your charger.

You may also use your charger on a different battery. If our charger does not work well on a different battery, chances are it has a problem.

Step 3 - Check the Charger Hardware

The next step should be observing the charger for any physical signs of breakage or damage. Look at the charger to see if any parts are broken. Ensure that there are no parts that are bent, broken, or missing. If there is rust on any part of the charger, have the rust washed by dipping a rag in alcohol and cleaning the rust. If the charger has clear breakages that could be causing the problem, fix them.

If it doesn't show any signs of breakages or rusting, move on to the next step.

Step 4 - Use a Voltmeter to Test Your Charger

voltmeter with metal measurement prongs

The next option would be using a voltmeter to test the charger. A voltmeter is a device used to detect the charge passing through any electronic device. To test your charger, connect it to a power source and touch the charger's contacts with the voltmeter probes to see if you get a reading.

If there is no reading, switch the robes and try again. If you still do not get a reading, the chances are that your battery is dead.

Step 5 - Get the Charger Fixed

After you have taken all the above steps and your charger still won't work, there is no doubt that it is faulty. However, a faulty battery charger can still be repaired. Depending on the level of damage, you may either repair the charger yourself, have a technician perform the repair, or replace the charger entirely.

To repair your charger, try fixing any physical damages. If you find that there are wire breakages or hardware disconnection, try fixing such issues. If the hardware is okay, try cleaning the charger.

Use alcohol or acid on a piece of cloth to clean the corroded parts of the charger. Do not clean your charger with soap or water. After cleaning, take some time before plugging it back to the power source.

hand cleaning electronics with alcohol wipe

Bottom Line

The only way to deal with a battery charger that has failed to work is to troubleshoot. Troubleshooting will help you find the problem to figure out the possible way of fixing the issue. This guide provides a clear step-by-step way of troubleshooting a defunct battery charger and the right way to get it fixed.