Help! My cordless screwdriver is making a weird grinding noise and won't hold a charge

Hey folks, having a weird issue with my DeWalt 20V screwdriver. It started making this grinding noise when I use it, like metal on metal, and now the battery won't charge properly. I put it on the charger, the light blinks red for a few minutes then goes out. Tried cleaning the contacts with isopropyl alcohol but no luck. Anyone dealt with this before? It's only about 2 years old.

omg i had something similar with my ryobi! the grinding noise turned out to be the planetary gears wearing out. my boss said it's common if you use it a lot without cleaning out dust. but the battery thing... have you tried a different charger? sometimes it's just the charger being weird. also maybe check if the battery terminals are bent?

DeWalt batteries are expensive to replace. Before you buy new ones, try the freezer trick - put the battery in a ziploc bag and freeze it overnight, then charge it. Sometimes revives old lithium cells. For the grinding, could be debris in the gearbox or worn brushes if it's brushed motor. Cheaper to buy a new tool on sale than repair sometimes, just saying.

Thanks both. Wendy - charger works fine with my other batteries, so not that. Carl - freezer trick sounds wild but I'll try it. The gearbox theory makes sense - I've been using it on some dusty drywall projects. Might open it up this weekend to check. Anyone know if DeWalt sells replacement gear sets or am I better off just getting the whole assembly?

my shop teacher always said to check the brushes first! they're usually cheap and easy to replace. if it's the gears tho... i found a youtube video once where a guy 3d printed replacement gears for his drill? but that seems extreme lol. maybe contact dewalt support? sometimes they send parts for free if it's a known issue!