What happened to my 14500 batteries?

[mighty82]

I had 8 trustfire 14500 protected batteries in a drawer for about one year. Now that I decided to check on them 5 of them had 3.97V exactly but one had 2V and two was dead (0V). What happened to the dead cells?

Why would some of the cells just rapidly self discharge now when they all came with the appropriate voltage when I bought them? :thinking: All the cells had about 1-2 cycles on them. I also have a bunch of 18650's, and they are all fine.

 

[mdocod]

You should email trustfire with that question..................................

 

[mighty82]

I'm throwing them away in stead, they're cheap anyway.. I was just thinking maybe someone else had experienced the same thing, and I was thinking that it might be the pcb that's the problem, not the battery itself, but I really don't know.. Well, who cares..

 

[oronocova]

I had an unltrafire 10440 i was using in a light. I had used it for about 3 weeks, the light did not dim any but I checked it at about 3.7 and recharged it. Took it off as soon as the charger turned red (~4.0V) It was in the light for only a week of similar use as the past 3 weeks and the light became dim. I didn't use it after it became dim, came hom and checked it at 2.2V. I had another one sitting in a drawer for probably 3 months it was still at 3.8 ish I think. I'm getting rid of the one I was using and am not going to use the other. Especially since they aren't protected in anyway.
OTOH I have had good luck with my ultrafire 14500s so far.

 

[9x23]

I had a similar experience with Ultrafire Lion batteries a few years back. I bought around 12-14 batteries of various sizes including RCR123, 17670, and 18650 and a short time later I only had 3 batteries left that still worked. All failed batteries tested 0v on the multimeter, and I recall that someone here posted that it may be the protection circuit that is the problem but the cell may be fine. I didn't bother to find out so I just recycled them. A couple failed right out of the wrapper and wouldn't charge, and the others failed while just sitting in a light or on the shelf waiting to be used, with not much more than 2-4 charging cycles each. After that experience I will only purchase reputable brands such as AW, LG, Samsung, and have never had a cell failure with any of those brands in the last 2+ years.

9x23

 

[cave dave]

Wait a sec let me go grab my sigline from over at market place.....

There is hardly anything in the world that some men cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only, are this man's lawful prey. – John Ruskin

There's your problem!
:sigh:

 

[VidPro]

i have been using/testing/storing 3 different brands of the AA sized li-ion, and they are all not lasting time.
i dont see an option to purchace a supreeme quality cell, in that size.
guess my option now is to not have extras of it, and re-buy new and as fresh as possible each year.

 

[mighty82]

Li-ions age a lot just from sitting in a drawer, so I don't buy expensive cells. I buy them all new every year or so anyway. The trustfire 18650's are great. Advertised capacity and no problems yet. The 14500's are a different story.