Many JBL speakers, including the Flip 3, have a light that glows or blinks red when the battery runs low on power. In the case of the Flip 3 speaker, we see this lamp in the battery gauge on the button panel. But sometimes, this red light stays on or blinks for long periods as the speaker plays. E.g. The lamp starts flashing during play and does not stop, even when you connect a charger. Thus in this post, we offer reasons that this can occur, and give possible fixes for this typical problem.
Why JBL Flip 3 Red Light Stays On
It’s normal that the battery gauge gives off a blinking red light when the battery drains to very low stored power. But this light should change from red to white when you connect the Flip 3 to a properly working charger, and battery recharging begins.
Normally, this meter only glows white, and the number of lamps that glow tells you how full the battery is. It can appear as follows.
Or, if the speaker is OFF when charging starts, and you don’t turn it ON during charging, then once recharging finishes, all lights in this meter go out. See this in the next picture.
But if the red light does not change to white when you plug the charger into the speaker, then several things might cause this. We list these below thus.
1.The Power Outlet May Not Be Live
The Problem
The AC or car adapter for the JBL Flip 3 may not deliver any power because it is not receiving any to begin with. This can happen due to a broken AC or car circuit, tripped circuit breaker, blown fuse, faulty wiring, power loss, and the like.
The Fix
Check that your outlet has power by testing it by plugging in a lamp or other device, and seeing that that device works properly. Reset circuit breakers if tripped, and if the outlet has a light switch that controls it, then be sure that that switch is in the ON position.
2. Power Supply is Not Working Well
The Problem
The JBL Flip 3 red light might continue blinking because the AC or car adapter you have provides SOME but not ENOUGH recharging current, even though its getting the correct power from the wall or car outlet. Also, your adapter’s output energy can fall over time, as it ages. So it might not deliver the correct amount presently. Please note that this speaker requires 1 amp of charging current at 5 volts (5 watts) from the supply to fully recharge in the specified time of 3.5 hours.
The Fix
The solution is to replace the power adapter, preferably with a suitable model. We suggest chargers from Key Power, Belkin, and Anker, that deliver at least 2 amps of USB current (10 watts of power) for this speaker.
3. The USB Charging Cable is Too Long, Too Thin, or is Broken
The Problem
The USB cable can limit the charging current to the Flip 3 too much, even if your power supply is working well. This might happen with very long or thin cables.
The Fix
To resolve this, use as short a cord as workable. Or, upgrade to a thicker, higher current cable. We advise keeping cable lengths to six feet or shorter, and to select a cable that is certified to carry at least 2 amps.
4. The Battery in the Flip 3 is Bad
The Problem
As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their storage capacity. Plus, the characteristics of the charging current they draw changes as they get older. Indeed as a battery recharges, it draws less and less current. But in the case of battery failure, it may draw too much or too little amperage for the expected charge rate. Thus, this can confuse the charging circuits in the JBL Flip 3 into behaving like no recharging is happening. So, the red lamp stays on and keeps flashing.
The Fix
To stop this, replace the battery. Keep in mind though, that you can’t easily get to it in the JBL Flip 3. Indeed, swapping the battery means that you must take the speaker apart, as there is no battery compartment door to easily open.
But note that disassembling the speaker breaks its water resistant seal. Thus the speaker will no longer be protected if you get it wet, unless of course you can re-seal it when putting it back together.
Breaking this seal may also change the sound quality too. So get someone to change the battery who knows how to pick the right replacement. They should also have the skill and compounds to restore the seal to as it was, as they reassemble the speaker. A good battery should fit well inside and provide 3.7 volts and at least 3,000 mAh (11.1 watt-hours). But we suggest using only JBL certified battery units in this speaker.
5. The Speaker Might be Defective when the JBL Flip 3 Red Light Stays On
The Problem
Even if you have a sufficient size power supply, and cable with a working battery, the charging current that actually gets to the speaker may be too low or too high. This can happen when the battery management circuits inside the Flip 3 fail, or the battery itself develops a short. Note that these systems read the battery status, and shut off the charging current when they sense that the battery is full.
But when these components fail, the battery might get no power at all. Thus, it never recharges. Again, in this case, the red light might never turn off even with the charger connected. You may also see that the speaker doesn’t play as long before going dead. Or it might not play at all, except when you’re charging it.
The Fix
The best solution here, given the relatively low cost of the JBL Flip 3, is simply to get a new one. Moreover, the circuits in this model are quite small. So unless you can replace the system board(s) yourself, or know someone who will do it for you, save yourself the headache, and just purchase another speaker.
Other Posts About the JBL Flip 3 Speaker
- How to Turn Off JBL Flip 3 Bluetooth Speaker
- How to Turn On JBL Flip 3 BT Speaker
- Turning On the Bass Mode on the JBL Flip 3
- JBL Flip 3 Buttons Guide, Functions, Codes, Combinations
- JBL Flip 3 Firmware Update Instructions
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References for JBL Flip 3 Red Light Stays On
Revision History
- 2022-07-26: First posted.