Many JBL speakers, including the Flip 5, have a blinking red light when the battery is almost out of power. In the case of the 5, we find this lamp in the battery gauge on the speaker’s buttons panel. Sometimes though, this red light blinks for long periods as you play the speaker. E.g. It starts flashing during play and does not stop, even when you connect a charger. Thus in this post, we offer reasons that red light blinking happens on the Flip 5. Then we give possible fixes for this common problem.
JBL Flip 5 Blinking Red Light: Reasons and Fixes
It’s normal that the battery gauge gives off a blinking red light when the battery is very low. But this lamp should turn white when you connect the speaker to a charger, and battery recharging begins.
Normally though, this gauge only shows white lights. The amount of the bar that glows tells you how full the battery is. It can appear as follows.
Once recharging finishes, all lights in this gauge go out when the speaker is OFF.
Now the blinking red lamp may not change to white when you connect the charger. If it doesn’t, then this could have any of several causes. We list these below thus.
1.The Power Outlet May Not Be Live
The Problem
The charger may not deliver any power because it is not getting any to begin with. This can happen due to a defective power circuit or tripped circuit breaker. Or a blown fuse, faulty wiring, or general power failure could be to blame.
The Fix
Check that your outlet has electricity by testing it by plugging in a lamp or other device. Reset any tripped circuit breakers. And if the outlet has a light switch that controls it, then flip that switch ON.
2. Power Supply is Not Working Well
The Problem
The JBL Flip 5 red light continues blinking perhaps because the adapter you’re using provides SOME but not ENOUGH current. Its output can fall over time. So it might not deliver the correct amount presently if it’s really old. Note that the speaker needs 3 amps at 5 volts to fully recharge in the spec time.
The Fix
The solution is to replace the adapter, preferably one that delivers at least 5 volts at 3 amps (15 watts).
3. The Battery in the Flip 5 is Defective
The Problem
As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their charge-ability. And the characteristics of the current they draw changes with age. Normally, as a battery recharges, it draws less current as it goes. But when it fails, it may draw too much or too little amperage. So this can confuse the charging circuits. They may behave like no charging is occurring. So the red lamp keeps blinking.
The Fix
To fix this, replace the battery. But keep in mind that you can’t easily get to it in the Flip 5. Indeed, changing the battery means that you must take the speaker apart.
But note that doing this likely breaks the water resistant seal. Thus the speaker will no longer be safe to use, if you get water on it.
Breaking this seal may also change the sound quality too. So get someone to replace the battery who knows how to pick the right 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.
5. The Speaker Might be Defective when the JBL Flip 5 Red Light is Blinking
The Problem
Even with the correct power supply and working battery, the current that actually reaches battery may be low or high. This can happen when the battery management circuits inside fail. Note that these systems read the battery status. Then they shut off the current when they detect a full battery.
But when they fail, the battery might get no power at all. Thus, it never recharges. Again, in this case, the red light might never stop blinking, 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, is simply to get a new speaker. Why? Because the circuits in this model are quite small. So unless you can replace the system board(s) yourself, or know someone who can, just buy another speaker. This is easiest.