Tool
Charger light-code decoder
Pick your charger and the lights you see, and this decoder gives the meaning and next step from the manufacturer's own manual, with the page number. It covers the nine chargers whose manuals we have, from DeWalt, Makita, Milwaukee, Ryobi and EGO.
If a light pattern means a bad pack, this page links to a replacement guide. Those guides contain Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, GearGuiders earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Choose a brand, a charger and what the lights show.
Every light pattern in the manuals
Same data as the decoder. Where a manual shows a pattern only as an icon, we use the wording in its text.
| Charger | Lights | Meaning | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCB115 | Red light blinks continuously | Charging has started. | 2 |
| DCB115 | Red light stays on | Charge is complete. The pack may be used or left in the charger. | 2 |
| DCB115 | Red light blinks and the yellow light is on | Hot/Cold Pack Delay. The charger suspends charging until the pack reaches an appropriate temperature, then resumes automatically. | 2 |
| DCB115 | No light at all | The charger indicates a faulty battery pack by refusing to light. The manual adds that this could also mean a problem with the charger. | 2 |
| DCB118 | Red light blinks continuously | Charging has started. | 2 |
| DCB118 | Red light stays on | Charge is complete. The pack may be used or left in the charger. | 2 |
| DCB118 | Red light blinks and the yellow light is on | Hot/Cold Pack Delay. The charger suspends charging until the pack reaches an appropriate temperature, then resumes automatically. | 2 |
| DCB118 | No light at all | The charger indicates a faulty battery pack by refusing to light. The manual adds that this could also mean a problem with the charger. | 2 |
| DC18RC | Green light flashing, no battery inserted | Ready to charge. | 2 |
| DC18RC | Red charging light lit | Charging. | 2 |
| DC18RC | Red goes out and green stays lit | Charging is complete. | 2 |
| DC18RC | Red light flashing | The battery is too hot (just used in a tool, or left in direct sunlight) or too cold. Charging may not start. A hot pack starts charging after the fan cools it to a chargeable temperature. | 3 |
| DC18RC | Green and red flashing alternately | Charging is not possible. The manual gives two causes: the terminals on the charger or battery are clogged with dust, or the battery is worn out or damaged. | 3 |
| DC18RC | Yellow light flashing | Cooling warning: trouble with the cooling fan, or incomplete cool-down of the battery (for example vents clogged with dust). The battery can still be charged, but takes longer. | 3 |
| DC18RC | Yellow light lit | Conditioning charge, which extends battery life. It happens when recharging a hot, cold or already-full battery, or an over-discharged one, and takes longer than usual. | 3 |
| DC18RD | Green light flashing, no battery inserted | Ready to charge. | 3 |
| DC18RD | Red charging light lit | Charging. Each of the two ports works independently. | 3 |
| DC18RD | Red changes to green and stays lit | Charging is complete. | 3 |
| DC18RD | Red charging light flashing | The battery is too hot or too cold. Charging may not start. A hot pack starts once the fan cools it. | 4 |
| DC18RD | Two charging lights flashing red | Battery temperature is more than about 70°C. | 4 |
| DC18RD | One charging light flashing red | Battery temperature is about 50-70°C. | 4 |
| DC18RD | Green and red flashing alternately | Charging is not possible. The terminals on the charger or battery are clogged with dust, or the battery is worn out or damaged. | 4 |
| DC18RD | Yellow light flashing | Cooling warning: trouble with the cooling fan, or incomplete cool-down of the battery. The battery can still be charged, but takes longer. | 4 |
| DC18RD | Yellow light lit | Conditioning charge. | 4 |
| 48-59-1812 | Continuous red | Charging. A fully discharged pack in the normal temperature range takes about 30 to 240 minutes. | 3 |
| 48-59-1812 | Continuous green | Charging is complete. | 3 |
| 48-59-1812 | Green light flashes | Maintenance charging. The charger keeps a pack left on it fully charged. | 4 |
| 48-59-1812 | Fast flashing red | The battery is too hot or too cold. Charging begins when it reaches the correct temperature. | 3 |
| 48-59-1812 | Slow flashing red | Battery charge is pending: charging begins when the first pack is fully charged. | 3 |
| 48-59-1812 | Flashing red and green | Damaged or faulty battery pack. | 4 |
| 48-59-1812 | No light indicator | Not defined as a state in the manual. Its troubleshooting text covers the case where the indicator does not come on. | 5 |
| P118B | Red on, green off, no battery inserted | Power. Ready to charge a battery pack. | 5 |
| P118B | Red flashing, green off | Evaluate. The pack is hot, cold or deeply discharged. A hot pack begins charging when it has cooled, a cold pack when it has warmed, and a deeply discharged pack is pre-charged until normal voltage is reached. | 4 |
| P118B | Red off, green flashing | Charging. | 5 |
| P118B | Red off, green on | Fully charged. Charging is complete. | 5 |
| P118B | Red flashing and green flashing together | Error: battery pack or charger error. | 5 |
| P118B | None of the LEDs lit during charging | The manual says to remove the battery pack from the charger to avoid damaging the product, and not to insert another battery. | 4 |
| P119 | LED flashing in the Evaluate pattern: two quick pulses, then a pause | Evaluating. The battery is being tested. If voltage is low it is conditioned first, and if it is hot or cold, charging begins when the temperature is right. | 5 |
| P119 | LED flashing (charging pattern) | The battery is being charged. | 5 |
| P119 | LED on | The pack is fully charged and the charger is in Energy Save mode. | 5 |
| P119 | LED does not light | The manual says to remove the charger from the battery to avoid damaging the product, and not to insert another battery. | 4 |
| CH5500 | All four LEDs shine green briefly on plug-in | The charger is working correctly (self-check). | 14 |
| CH5500 | LED 1 shining red, other LEDs off | The battery is too cold or too hot. Charging begins when it returns to 37°F (3°C) to 135°F (57°C). | 15 |
| CH5500 | LED 1 flashing red, or all LEDs off | Defective: the battery pack or the charger is defective, or there is a bad connection between them. | 17 |
| CH5500 | LED 1 flashing green, then the LEDs shine green in sequence | Charging. The LEDs show charge bands of under 25%, 25-50%, 50-75% and 75-90%. | 15 |
| CH5500 | All four LEDs shine green continuously | Fully charged (90-100%). Maintenance charging. | 15 |
| CH5500 | Intermittent quick green flashing | Self-maintenance (sleep) mode. A pack left off the charger for a month or more drops to about 30%. | 15 |
| CH7000 | All five LEDs shine green briefly, then go out, on plug-in | The charger is working correctly (self-inspection). If no LEDs light green on plug-in, the charger may be defective. | 14 |
| CH7000 | Middle LED (LED 3) shining red, other LEDs off | The battery is too cold or too hot. Charging begins when it returns to 37°F (3°C) to 135°F (57°C). | 16 |
| CH7000 | Middle LED (LED 3) flashing red, or all LEDs off | Defective: the battery pack or the charger is defective. | 17 |
| CH7000 | LED 1 flashing green, then the LEDs shine green in clockwise sequence | Charging. The five LEDs show charge bands of under 15%, 15-35%, 35-55%, 55-75% and 75% or more. | 16 |
| CH7000 | All five LEDs shine green continuously | Fully charged (90-100%). Maintenance charging. | 16 |
Charging temperatures, from the manuals
- DCB115: Do not charge below +40°F (+4.5°C) or above +104°F (+40°C). Best battery life at 65-75°F (18-24°C) (p2).
- DCB118: Do not charge below +40°F (+4.5°C) or above +104°F (+40°C). Best battery life at 65-75°F (18-24°C) (p2).
- DC18RC: Do not charge when room temperature is below 10°C (50°F) or above 40°C (104°F). When the battery is under 0°C (32°F), charging may not start (p2).
- DC18RD: Do not charge when room temperature is below 10°C (50°F) or above 40°C (104°F). At cold temperatures charging may not start (p3).
- 48-59-1812: Recommended ambient charging temperature 40°F to 105°F (the manual gives Fahrenheit only) (p3).
- P118B: Do not use, store or charge packs where the temperature is below 50°F or above 100°F (p2). It works best at normal room temperature.
- P119: The manual gives no numeric charging temperature; it says charging works best at normal room temperature.
- CH5500: Recommended ambient charging temperature 41-104°F (5-40°C). Charging starts when the pack is between 37°F (3°C) and 135°F (57°C) (p12, p15).
- CH7000: Recommended ambient charging temperature 41-104°F (5-40°C). Charging starts when the pack is between 37°F (3°C) and 135°F (57°C) (p11, p16).
The manuals give different limits, so a pack that charges on one brand's charger in a cold garage may be refused by another.
FAQ
What does a blinking red light with a yellow light mean on a DeWalt DCB115 or DCB118?
Hot/Cold Pack Delay. The charger suspends charging until the pack reaches an appropriate temperature, then resumes automatically. Nothing is required. If the pack still does not charge, the manual lists: check the outlet with a lamp, check for a light-switched outlet, move the charger and pack to about 65-75°F (18-24°C), then go to a service center.
What does it mean when a DeWalt DCB115 or DCB118 shows no light at all?
The charger indicates a faulty battery pack by refusing to light. The manual adds that this could also mean a problem with the charger. Take the charger and the battery pack to an authorized service center to be tested.
What does a flashing red light on a Ryobi P118B mean?
Red flashing with green off: Evaluate. The pack is hot, cold or deeply discharged. A hot pack begins charging when it has cooled, a cold pack when it has warmed, and a deeply discharged pack is pre-charged until normal voltage is reached. Wait. Hot or cold packs can be left on the charger and charging starts automatically. Red and green both flashing: Error: battery pack or charger error. Remove and reinstall the pack. If the error repeats, try a different battery. If the different battery charges normally, dispose of the pack that errored. If the different battery also shows Error, the charger should be replaced.
How long can a Ryobi P119 stay in Evaluate?
Evaluating. The battery is being tested. If voltage is low it is conditioned first, and if it is hot or cold, charging begins when the temperature is right. If Evaluate lasts longer than 30 minutes at room temperature, the pack may be defective. Remove and reinstall it. If it repeats, try a different battery. If the different battery charges normally, dispose of the defective pack; if it also shows Evaluate for more than 30 minutes, the charger may be defective.
What is the difference between fast and slow flashing red on a Milwaukee 48-59-1812?
Fast flashing red: The battery is too hot or too cold. Charging begins when it reaches the correct temperature. Slow flashing red: Battery charge is pending: charging begins when the first pack is fully charged.
What does green and red flashing alternately mean on a Makita DC18RC?
Charging is not possible. The manual gives two causes: the terminals on the charger or battery are clogged with dust, or the battery is worn out or damaged. Check the terminals on the charger and the battery for dust. The manual gives no further steps; if the terminals are clean, the pack may be worn out or damaged.
What is the difference between a steady and a flashing red LED on an EGO CH5500?
Steady red on LED 1: The battery is too cold or too hot. Charging begins when it returns to 37°F (3°C) to 135°F (57°C). Flashing red on LED 1, or all LEDs off: Defective: the battery pack or the charger is defective, or there is a bad connection between them.
What this does not cover
Chargers with no manual saved are not listed, and we do not guess their patterns. That includes the Makita DC18RF (the file we had is the DC18RA/DC18RC manual), the Ryobi P118 (we have the P118B) and other models. Check your charger's own manual for those.