Quick answer
- The Ryobi P118 charger uses two LEDs (red and green) and the COMBINED state is what tells you what's happening — reading just one color in isolation will mislead you.
- Fading red (a smooth pulse, like breathing) means defective battery pack OR defective charger. The pack is unrecoverable on this charger; replace it (or test on a known-good charger first to rule out the charger).
- Flashing red (sharp on/off blinking) means the pack is in testing mode — too hot, too cold, or deeply discharged. The charger will resume automatically once conditions are in range. Do NOT throw out a pack that's only flashing red; it's almost always recoverable.
- Confusing the two patterns is the most common reason people discard otherwise-fine batteries.
Symptoms
The P118's LED behavior, per the Ryobi P118 owner's manual:
| Red LED | Green LED | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| ON | FLASHING | Charging in progress (the active-charge state) |
| OFF | ON (solid) | Charging complete, charger in maintenance mode |
| OFF | FADING | Fully charged, Energy Save mode |
| FLASHING | OFF | Testing mode — pack too hot, too cold, or deeply discharged |
| FADING | OFF | Defective battery pack OR defective charger |
| ON | OFF (no battery) | Charger powered, ready to receive a battery |
The two states most often confused are FADING red and FLASHING red. Watch the LED for 5-10 seconds:
- Flashing: distinct on/off cycles, roughly half a second per state, looks like a strobe
- Fading: smooth ramp up and down in brightness, looks like the LED is "breathing"
If you cannot tell from looking, count: a flashing pattern repeats roughly twice per second (sharp transitions), a fading pattern is slower (one-to-two seconds per cycle, no sharp edges).
Quick checks
Before concluding the pack is defective, verify:
- Is it actually fading, not flashing? This is the #1 thing to confirm. Watch for 10+ seconds. Sharp on/off = flashing (recoverable). Smooth pulse = fading (defective).
- Is the battery temperature in range? A pack just pulled from a cold truck or a hot tool is often in testing mode (flashing red), not defective (fading red). Bring the pack to room temperature for 30-60 minutes and try again.
- Are the contacts clean? Dirty or corroded contacts on either the pack or the charger can mimic a defective state. Wipe both sets of contacts with a dry cloth and reinsert.
- Test the charger on a known-good battery. If a different P118-compatible Ryobi 18V battery works in the same charger, the original pack is the problem. If no battery works on that charger, the charger itself is the issue.
- Check the pack age. Ryobi 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion packs typically last 3-5 years of regular use before capacity degrades. A pack that's been heavily cycled for several years is more likely to fail.
Step-by-step fix
If you've confirmed the LED is FADING red (not flashing), the pack is defective on this charger. Here's the order of operations:
-
Remove the pack from the charger. Don't leave a defective pack inserted — it's not going to recover, and leaving it in serves no purpose.
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Test the charger on a different battery. Find another Ryobi 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion pack you trust. If the charger works normally with that pack (red ON + green flashing during charge), the original pack is confirmed defective.
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Test the suspect pack on a different charger (if you have access to one). If a known-good P118 also shows fading red on this pack, the pack is confirmed defective.
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Recycle the pack properly. Lithium-Ion batteries should never go in the trash. Drop off at any Home Depot, Lowe's, or Call2Recycle location — collection is free. Do NOT puncture, crush, or burn the pack.
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Replace with a genuine Ryobi 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion battery that matches your tool's needs. The 4.0Ah PBP004 is a popular middle-ground choice.
View Ryobi 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion 4.0Ah Battery (PBP004) on Amazon (paid link) View Ryobi 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion 4.0Ah Battery (PBP004) on Home Depot (paid link)
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If both packs you tested showed the same fault state on this charger, replace the charger instead. The P118 is widely available; the P118B is a newer revision with USB output. Either will work for any Ryobi 18V ONE+ Li-Ion pack.
If it still isn't working
If you've verified the LED pattern, swapped batteries, swapped chargers, and the result still doesn't match what the manual says — three less-common possibilities remain:
- Multiple defects. Both the pack and the charger could have failed independently. Cross-test against a third unit if available.
- Counterfeit battery. Third-party batteries marketed as "Ryobi-compatible" frequently fail to communicate properly with the P118's BMS, producing odd LED behavior. Confirm the pack is a genuine Ryobi 18V ONE+ Li-Ion pack with the correct sticker, voltage rating, and terminal layout.
- Charger past its life. P118 chargers from 10+ years ago may have degraded internal electronics. The newer P118B is the current production unit.
Ryobi's standard warranty covers 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion batteries for 3 years from date of purchase. If your pack is within warranty and you have proof of purchase, contact Ryobi customer service or take it to a Home Depot service desk — they'll initiate a warranty exchange.
FAQ
Why does the P118 use two LEDs instead of one? The two-LED scheme lets the charger communicate more states than a single LED could. Most other Ryobi 18V ONE+ chargers use the same scheme. Only by reading both LEDs together can you distinguish "charging" (red on + green flashing) from "charged" (red off + green on) — they're different states with the same green LED behavior.
Is fading red ever recoverable? Per the P118 manual, fading red specifically indicates "defective battery pack or charger". Unlike flashing red (which is a temperature/discharge condition that resolves itself), fading red is the charger's verdict that the pack cannot accept a charge cycle on this hardware. The only way to recover is to test on a different P118 — if that one also shows fading red, the pack is the problem.
Can a deeply discharged battery be revived from a fading red state? A deeply discharged battery shows FLASHING red, not fading red. The P118's testing mode includes a recovery cycle for deeply-discharged packs — it'll trickle-charge them slowly and ramp up if voltage recovers. Fading red is a different (terminal) state.
My P118 shows red on and green flashing. Should I be worried? That's the normal CHARGING state. Leave the pack in and wait. When the green LED turns solid (with red off), charging is complete.
Are the P117, P118, P118B, and P119 LED schemes the same? The P118, P118B, and P119 use the same Lithium-Ion-only scheme described above. The P117 is a dual-chemistry charger (handles Lithium-Ion AND legacy NiCd packs) and uses a slightly different LED pattern — refer to the P117's printed label for its specific scheme.