Battery not charging on my new drill - any ideas?

Hey all, I just got a new 18V drill and the battery won't charge. The charger light flashes red, then goes green for a sec, then red again. It's brand new out of the box. Anyone else have this issue? I'm kind of bummed out, was planning to build a deck this weekend.

Hey Mike, sorry to hear that. A flashing red/green usually means a communication error between the charger and the battery. Sometimes it's just a dirty contact. Try cleaning the metal contacts on both the battery and charger with a dry rag or a pencil eraser. If that doesn't work, it might be a defective battery. I've seen it happen, even with new ones. You might need to take it back or contact the manufacturer for a warranty replacement.

I also had a similar issue once. Turned out the battery had been sitting on a shelf for a while and the charge controller went into 'sleep mode'. Try plugging the charger in and out a few times, or leave it on for a few minutes even if it looks like it's not charging. Sometimes it just needs a to 'wake up'. Also, check if the charger is plugged into a GFCI outlet that might be tripping. I've seen that cause weird behavior.

If none of that works, you might have a lemon. I've had good luck with Makita, but every now and then a dud slips through. The fact that it's brand new - I'd just return it and get a replacement. Don't fiddle with it too much, because if you void the warranty, you're stuck. Also, make sure you're using the original charger - some aftermarket ones can cause issues.

Thanks guys. I tried cleaning the contacts and leaving it plugged in for a while, but still no luck. Looks like I might have a defective one. I'll head back to the store and swap it out. Appreciate the help! Hopefully the next one works so I can get my deck done.