In many repairs, a screwdriver gives a significant advantage in time. Of course, this is a very convenient and practical tool, which is a pleasure to use. Nevertheless, the battery life in such devices is negligible, and after five years, many batteries are unable to fully provide the electric motor with the required amperage. However, there are several ways to bring the device back to life.

Complete battery replacement

The easiest way to return the screwdriver to full functionality is to completely replace its battery with a similar new one. However, new batteries are quite expensive and sometimes it’s more advisable to buy a new tool than to spend more than half of its cost on replacing a power source. Still, throwing a screwdriver every time the battery becomes unusable is very unreasonable, and therefore you should familiarize yourself with the following methods.

Partial replacement of worn cells

Replace some of the worn "cans" is perhaps the best option for restoring the battery. However, it is not so simple and requires enough patience. Gently opening the battery pack can be difficult, because manufacturers, developing them, try to make the case monolithic.

A bunch of batteries should be removed from the housing. It is important that the battery is fully charged in advance. On each individual battery, you need to measure the voltage with a multimeter. Those elements in which it is much lower require replacement. Replace only with similar batteries or similar. The combination of nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion batteries is not allowed. When working with the latter, you should be careful, since Li Ion batteries do not tolerate overheating. It is not recommended to solder them, it is better to give preference to the resistance welding method.

Electrolyte Topping

Over time, the batteries dry out and practically stop working. You can try to reanimate the power source by adding electrolyte. This is a rather lengthy and time-consuming process. Which is not always advisable.

Unfortunately, the batteries do not have a special hole for adding electrolyte, and you will have to make it yourself with a thin drill. The process is as follows:

  • drill a hole near the upper edge of the element in a small crimp recess;
  • pour as much distilled water as possible with a syringe;
  • try to charge all the batteries in a bunch. In this case, the resuscitated elements should give a full voltage of 1.2 V;
  • if the battery works normally for several charge-discharge cycles, the hole can be completely filled with silicone.

Using this method, you can significantly save money on restoring a screwdriver, but, unfortunately, it is not always enough.

Elimination of the "memory effect"

The effect of battery memory is the property of a battery to discharge faster if it was previously charged and not fully discharged. To deal with this should be the conduct of several charge-discharge cycles.

After the battery is fully charged, a load is connected to it, which discharges it almost completely. This cycle must be repeated at least five times. For better detail, you can use a special device, such as imax B6. It will allow you to measure the current applied to the battery charge and discharge during each cycle. However, even without such lotions, the difference will be more noticeable each time.

There are many ways to restore a screwdriver battery. They will help you avoid the additional cost of acquiring a new screwdriver or battery.