Is my lipo battery toast?

[Dmkkings]

I have a few Spectrum Smart 3s 50c lipo batteries! One in particular likes to store charge at the following volts per cell! They are usually as follows, 3.88, 3.88, and 3.83! At those volts after store charging my lipo, does it mean that that Lipo battery is starting to go bad or is bad! Thanks for the replies! No peepee's need to respond!

 

[JvG]

I’ve had a few chargers and most storage charge to 3.80 volts per cell. Except one cheap charger did 3.85v.
Anyway all cells should have equal voltage after storage charging.
Can’t tell if the battery is faulty or the spektrum stuff, i have no experience with that.

 

[BonerChamp]

How long has it been doing this?

 

[Engineer]

Is it timing out or does it indicate that storage charging is complete? Is it always the same cell that shows low (3rd cell of every pack) or does it vary based on the pack?

 

[Jerry-rigged]

Can your charger take an IR reading for the cells? If one cells has a higher IR, it will give you problems like this. Are you setting your charger to "Storage Charge" or "Balance Storage" or is this the magic Smarts at work?

 

[Cereal_killer]

Check IR levels. I'm not familiar with spektrum chargers.. I've got two batteries that "storage" one cell is 3.79 the other one is 3.85. There IR is tad higher than the other cells. Which is why it's takes longer.

 

[SrC]

You need the Spektrum SMART lipo programmer to evaluate and customize the discharge parameters. Need to check the Internal restance of each cell.
I think those Smart lipos are normal for what they are. Don't expect much more. They are quite $$$ and nothing more. That whole Smart ECO Fluff thing.
Because I am a Peepee head, I have to say it.....
Spektrum lipos suck.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

Yeah, the whole "Smart" system is a double-edge sword. Same for the Traxxas system. Makes it very easy for the new guys to jump in, but then they don't learn the basics of how Lipos work and need to be treated. Then when something goes wrong, they don't know why, or what is actually wrong. Add to this, the over-priced equipment and batteries leads to most normal people feeling like "I paid more so it must be better" so lots of folks won't take the advice that chargers and batteries that cost 50%-75% less can actually be BETTER, if they are willing to learn a few simple basic lipo handling rules.

But, I get it, I was new to Lipo (feels like) not that long ago. The desire for an "Easy Button" is strong, especially after you watch a few Lipo Fire youtube vids...

 

[SrC]

^^^+1

Yeah, just that Smart Lipos and Chargers are not any more safer to operate than Dumb lipos and chargers. Smart probably less safer, not understanding them, assuming they are "Smarter" than the user. Not. The Smart Chip within the Lipo is known to fail. ( BatGo chip).
AT least there is a 1 year warranty on Smart Lipos.. FWIW. You will need it.
And Spektrum Smart Marketing will fool many into this false sense of security.
I like my Dumb lipos.
Maybe I am the Dummy?
But I am fine with that.

 

[dure16]

check the Internal restance

What kind of resistance readings would indicate a bad battery?

 

[SrC]

I normally find that IR's in the single digits to be normal for a rather new Lipo. With age they creep up. Best IR readings are when the Lipo is fully charged.FWIW. How the Lipo Mfrs, grade their cells.
The key here is that the IR's across all the cells should be very close.

 

[Jerry-rigged]

When a MFGR builds a lipo, they generally match the cells based off internal resistance. So any cell that the IR is way off is a red flag. A low quality 3s lipo may have a reading of 6-7-8, where a high quality pack may be 2-2-3. A pack on its way out would be one that is 4-5-15.

To add to what SRC said, I have some older packs that are in the range of 13-15-14, and they still run fine, but I would not use them for something that needs high amp pulls, like a speed run, or in my 6s Outcast for an open field deep grass high speed bash.

 

[SrC]

+1
All of it exactly, so true.

 

[Wrjunnor]

I put a new spectrum 3s on a smart charger, with in seconds the alarm started screaming. The led screen on charger stated low voltage scrap battery! I was ped , I have a old nitro warhead and the 12v charger I used for the old school battery back. I hooked positive up to orange Wire and the negative of course, and turned on the charger. After 3 minutes I removed old school, and hooked up the smart charger and I pert near spit lol. It's charging! Yes one cell is showing a difference of.3v. It is still charging at the moment but it seems to be getting closer to even on all cells. PLEASE NOTE I DON'T WANT ANYONE HURT. Just sharing my experience.