Ryobi 4 v lithium screwdriver red light blinking

This query does not appear to relate in any fashion to cameras or camera equipment. Would it be advantageous to repost it in a more appropriate forum ?

Just a thought, lithium batteries wont charge in Ryobi's old chargers. I upgraded my batteries but not the charger until I found this out.

it might be that your battery need changing even though the machine is lightly used the battery might have aged prematurely.

The Ryobi charger will flash green as it charges and then remain steady or slowly flashing green when fully charged. Flashing red means testing and if it remains steady or slowly flashing red it is defective.

check output on transformer, 2 check pcb ,could be a regulator

This is not right. They should last much longer then that. I have one of the more expensive 18V lithium batteries (the one with the button on it that tells you if it needs charging or not) and I can use mine almost all day before it needs to be recharged. I do construction work and I use my Ryobi products almost all day. Either both batteries are bad (I don't believe that is the case) or the charger is not charging them all the way to a full charge. With this charger, you do need to make sure that you remove the batteries as soon as the green light comes on. It is not good on these batteries to stay charging after they are fully charged. You also should not leave the charger plugged in without any batteries charging.Please tell me more about the charger. When you plug in the charger, does the red light come on? When you plug in a battery, does the red light stay bright and the green light blink? Does the red light go off and the green light stay on bright when you remove it from the charger?
If the charger is not working correctly, then return it for a new one.

sound to me like you have a bad battery, a lot of ryobi batterys don't last like they should i have had the same problem, but my battery was less than a year old and i took it back and they give me a new one.

Because it is Lithium Ion it is supposed to hold its charge for years.

So once it is charged what is the point of using electricity to keep it standing with a full charge in its cradle ?? (Does not compute)

My Bosch screwdriver sits on a shelf for months and has never failed to start when required.

If you are doing a lot of work then have the cradle handy and pop the drill on after a few operations and for 10 minutes before you put it away.

Once the full indicator comes on put it to bed ready for the next time it is needed

Hi, Thanks for getting back to me. The yellow and blinking red indicate a defective cell. Since it has lithium cells and is that new any repair to it would be a waste of your time. Ryobi tools purchased in 2008 have a 2 year warranty. I am guessing you probably got it at a home depot and you should return it under the warranty. All new Ryobi tools have a three year warranty. Good Luck! and Thanks for using fixya!

For others with the same problem (flashing red light won't go off)...make sure you FIRMLY PUSH the battery down onto the charger and engage the latches. Simply resting the battery on the charger will not work.