Did I just wreck my 3s lipo?

[biggreen96]

I left it plugged into the ESC (HW 1080) for a week or so after a camping trip.

Now it has a slight puff and it seems that one or two of the cells is at 0v

Does the 1080 have a slight draw all the time? I used to leave my lipos connected to my Castle Sidewinder for weeks at a time with out issue, but that had a physical on/switch, not this power button type on the 1080.

[Jboucher]

Yeah it's dead
Pretty sure you are not supposed to leave a battery connected.

If you have a servo connected straight to the battery like the Holmes SHV500 it will drain the LiPo over time even when "off".

Just like any TV or electronic device is never really off, they have a small drain

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[HumboldtEF]

Yes, I would dispose of this battery and always unplug your battery and storage charge it after use. It's a safety matter and required so that you aren't ruining Lipo's.

Its fortunate that didn't cause a fire.

[QuesoDelDiablo]

Originally Posted by biggreen96

I left it plugged into the ESC (HW 1080) for a week or so after a camping trip.

Now it has a slight puff and it seems that one or two of the cells is at 0v

Does the 1080 have a slight draw all the time? I used to leave my lipos connected to my Castle Sidewinder for weeks at a time with out issue, but that had a physical on/switch, not this power button type on the 1080.

This is basically just an info post as the previous posters already answered your questions..

Unfortunately very few switches will ever cut off the draw to a true 0V & 0A. As you've learned (sorry you had to learn the hard way) a switch should never be depended on to power down a rig for more than a few minutes. it's a big part of why I always delete the switch on any ESC I buy before I even put in a rig (coupled with the fact that switches almost always fail).

If you have a BEC or direct wired servo, that will further drain the pack beyond the parasitic drain through the switch.

You probably just got lucky with the Castle ESC that didn't drain.

The puff is a function of that battery being drained too far - as the lithium in a LiPo degrades, it off-gasses and then we start to see this puffing - it can also occur when batteries are run too hard (i.e. C rating too low for the draw required) or it happens when packs start to get old and reach the end of their life.

Back to your original question - Yes, that battery is dead. Often if a pack dips slightly below 3.0V you'll encounter people using an NiMh charge cycle to "bump" the voltage but that's an incredibly dangerous thing to do.

To dispose of it just cut the leads (at different lengths) and tape so they can't short circuit and take the battery to any battery disposal facility.


Don't believe anyone that tells you about the "salt-water soak" that's old info and new research is indicating that it's actually creating a more dangerous situation by creating a false reading.

[mikemcE]

Real cell voltage , if close yes you can bump that cells voltage. If truly at zero, disposal is in order. Best Bit, and other retailers will dispose of them.


Hang up and Drive

[HumboldtEF]

I'm guessing you meant Best Buy?

My local recycling centers also take old Lipo's (free of charge)

[biggreen96]

Thanks guys.
If I had a nimh charger I'd experiment, but I don't. To battery disposal it goes.
I guess I just got lucky with the sidewinder.

[ferp420]

ive brought a few back from 0 but i alway keep a eye on the temps when im charging them i use tbe nicad setting at .1 amp till theres enuff a charge to get the lipo seting to take a charge and i slow charge it for the next few charges and always keep a eye on it if it takes the rated mahs its probably ok

one time i got 2 brand new batterys that were dead on arival 0 volts and used those batterys for 2 years they puffed but never let loose they stoped taking more than 2000 mah and i put them in the safe and there they stay till they go away

[Topher Builds]

Not to thread jack, but it’s on topic and seems the OP got the answer sought.

When y’all are recycling batteries at Best Buy, do you drop them off with any kind of charge still in them?

I have an old venom lipo and a protek lipo, each with a dead cell but two of the three have a charge. Do I need to discharge those before I can recycle or can I clip and tape the leads and drop them as is?

[HumboldtEF]

I'm not sure what they want but I always drain them to zero. I have a small light bulb (blinker from a car) hooked up to a battery plug that I'll hook up overnight.

The way I look at it is the sooner they're discharged the better, no need to chance anything.

[Topher Builds]

Originally Posted by HumboldtEF

I'm not sure what they want but I always drain them to zero. I have a small light bulb (blinker from a car) hooked up to a battery plug that I'll hook up overnight.

The way I look at it is the sooner they're discharged the better, no need to chance anything.

Good idea, I think I have a 12v automotive bulb around somewhere I can rig up.

Thanks!

[soze]

Do you guys ever use the discharge function on the charger? I've used it once, but I'm wonder why I haven't heard of more people using it, of if maybe it doesn't do what I think it does?

[Topher Builds]

Originally Posted by soze

Do you guys ever use the discharge function on the charger? I've used it once, but I'm wonder why I haven't heard of more people using it, of if maybe it doesn't do what I think it does?

I’ve used it before on batteries that I’ve charged fully then wouldn’t end up using for weeks. It works, slowly, on my charger.

Unfortunately, I can’t use it for my bad lipos since the dead cell throws an error on the charger.

[ferp420]

Originally Posted by soze

Do you guys ever use the discharge function on the charger? I've used it once, but I'm wonder why I haven't heard of more people using it, of if maybe it doesn't do what I think it does?

ive never used it for a lipo but i have for other batterys to cycle them them a few times trying to bring them back from the dead

[soze]

I used it on a puffy and it seemed to work fine and drain all the way. That's why I was wondering why people don't use it.