Front view of the JBL Clip 4 ultra portable speaker.

JBL Clip 4 Not Charging, How to Fix

Most JBL Bluetooth speakers, including the Clip 4, offer truly portable operation via their lithium ion batteries inside. And when said battery dies, you can recharge the speaker with an AC or car adapter. Sometimes though, the JBL Clip 4 is not charging fully, even when everything appears right.  Thus to solve that, we’re here to help.

How to Tell that the JBL Clip 4 is Not Charging

You can tell that the Clip 4 is not charging by reading the status lamp on the top. Normally this light changes from white to pulsing red during play. So this alerts you that the battery is low.

But there’s a problem if this flashing keeps up when you attach the charger.  Why?  Because the lamp should change at this point though, to solid red, when you apply charging power.  When the light stops flashing red, this means that the speaker is getting some power from the adapter. But if the red blinking continues, then correct recharging is likely not happening.

You can also feel the power supply’s side panel ten or fifteen minutes after connecting it to the speaker.  At that time, it should feel warm.  The same with the speaker too.  Note that the speaker itself heats up a little also during proper recharging.  But if you detect no warmth, then again, the JBL Clip 4 is likely not charging.

Moreover, the status light normally shows battery recharging status.  I.e. As long as charging continues, this lamp also continues glowing solid red.  And this light either changes to white.  Or it goes out when charging finishes.  But if that lamp stays red after several hours of recharging, then chances are, charging is not going well.

Thus when the speaker is not recharging, you’ll want to determine what’s wrong and how to fix.  So in this post, we offer reasons why the JBL Clip 4 may not charge. Then we give possible fixes.





 JBL Clip 4 Not Charging: Reasons and Fixes

As we stated above, it’s normal that the power status lamp pulses red when the battery inside is about dead.  But again, the light should switch to a solid red when you connect the charger. If it does, then battery recharging begins.

Picture of the red light glowing on the JBL Clip 4 speaker.
The red light glowing on the JBL Clip 4 speaker.

Normally though, this lamp only glows or flashes white when the battery is not near dead.

The status lamp glowing white on the JBL Clip 4 speaker.
JBL Clip 4 speaker status lamp, glowing white.

Or, once recharging finishes, the status light goes dark when the speaker is OFF.

Dark status lamp on the JBL Clip 4 speaker.
JBL Clip 4 speaker dark status lamp.

Now the light may not change to a continuous red glow when you connect the charger. If not, then several things might cause this.

1.The Power Outlet May Be Cold

The Problem

The adapter may not output any energy because it is not receiving any to begin with. This can happen due to a defective circuit or tripped breaker.  Blown fuses, faulty wiring, and general power failure can also cause this.

The Fix

Check that your outlet has power by plugging in a lamp or other device.  Then, reset circuit breakers if tripped. And if the outlet has a light switch that controls it, then flip that switch ON.  Or just try a different outlet.

2. The AC Adapter is Defective or Too Small

The Problem

The JBL Clip 4 not charging can also happen because the adapter is outputting SOME but not FULL amperage. Now as adapters age, their output energy can fall over time. So this power supply might not deliver the correct amount if it is very old.   So the status lamp may turn solid red. Yet it never turn back to white or goes dark. Please note that this speaker needs 0.5 amps at 5 volts (2.5 watts) to fully recharge in 3 hours.  But charging will likely not go this fast if the charger does not deliver on these requirements.

The Fix

Get a new adapter. Buy one that has a USB-A plug and delivers the maximum 5 volts at 1 amp (5 watts). Many common USB chargers meet these requirements… even the very inexpensive ones.





3. The Battery in the Clip 4 is Defective

The Problem

As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their ability to fully recharge. And the characteristics of the current they draw, changes as well.  Normally, as a battery recharges, it draws less current as it fills. But in cell failure, it may draw too many or too few amps. Thus the charging circuits might acts as though no charging is occurring.  Then they keep the charge voltage ON.  So the status lamp shows that charging is not happening. It does this either by never stopping its solid red glow, or never glowing steady red at all.

The Fix

To repair this, replace the battery. But realize that you can’t easily get the old one out of the Clip 4. Indeed, changing the battery means that you must take the speaker apart, and this would be an intricate effort.

Also note that doing this likely breaks the moisture seal.  So the Clip 4 will no longer be safe to use, should you expose it to water afterwards.

Breaking this seal may alter the sound quality as well. So get someone to replace the battery who knows how to pick the right Clip 4 replacement. They should also be able to restore the seal to as it was, as they reassemble the speaker. A good battery should fit well inside the speaker and provide 3.85 watt-hours. But we suggest using only JBL certified batteries for this speaker.

4. The Speaker Might be Defective when the JBL Clip 4 Is Not Charging

The Problem

Even if you have the proper adapter, the current that reaches the battery may be low or high.  This can happen when the battery management circuits inside the Clip 4 go haywire.  Note that these systems read the battery status. Then they stop the current when the battery reads full.

But when they go bonkers, the battery might see no power at all though the power supply itself is okay.  Thus, the speaker never charges.  Again, in this case, the status lamp might never stop blinking, even with the charger connected. Also ,the speaker doesn’t play as long before running dead. Or it might not play at all, even when you connect the charger.

The Fix

The best answer here, is simply to get a new JBL Clip 4.  Why?  Because the electronics in this unit are quite small.  So unless you can replace the system board(s) yourself, we suggest just buying another speaker.

Other Posts About the JBL Clip 4

    1. JBL Clip 4 Red Light Stays On – Won’t Turn Off
    2. How to Turn On JBL Clip 4 Bluetooth Speaker
    3. How to Turn Off the JBL Clip 4
    4. JBL Clip 4 Reset Routine
    5. JBL Clip 4 Charger Details

References for JBL Clip 4 Not Charging

    1. JBL Clip 4 Official Product Page
    2. Where to Buy the JBL Clip 4