My Ridgid vacuum battery won't charge - any ideas?

Hey folks, my Ridgid 4 gallon vac just stopped charging. It's the 18V battery, been working fine for months. Plug it in, light comes on for a second then goes off. Tried a different outlet, no luck. Anyone had this issue? Bought it used so no warranty.

Could be the battery's BMS (battery management system) tripped. Try jumping it with a known good battery if you have one, or open it up and check the voltage on each cell. Sometimes one cell goes bad and the BMS shuts down. Or it might be the charger itself. Got a multimeter?

I've seen that happen with Ridgid batts. Before you tear into it, try smacking the battery on a bench a few times - serious! Sometimes the internal contactors stick. Also make sure the contacts on the vac are clean. If that don't work, might be a dead battery. Ridgid's LSA is good if you can find the original receipt, but for used you're outta luck.

Thanks guys. I'll try the smack trick first (lol). Haven't got a multimeter but might pick one up. If the cells are dead, is it worth trying to replace them? Or just buy a new battery?

Replacing cells is doable if you're handy with a soldering iron. But for the cost of quality cells (like Samsung or LG), plus the risk of messing up the BMS, I'd just get a new battery. Ridgid batts are often on sale. Or look for a used one at pawn shops. Good luck!