Explains why you might see when a JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge here. Now most Bluetooth speakers, including the JBL models, offer portable operation via their lithium ion batteries. And when said battery dies, you can recharge them with an AC or car adapter. Sometimes though, you may notice the JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge fully, or at all. So to solve that, we offer solutions below.
JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge: How to Tell
You can tell that the speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge by reading the battery status gauge on the top. When the battery is completely dead, the unit does not come ON without external power. But if it does turn ON, note that this meter changes from white to pulsing red during play as the battery reaches critically low charge levels.
But there’s a problem if this flashing keeps going, even when you attach the charger, or the unit does not turn ON at all. Why? Because the battery gauge should change at this point though, to blinking white, when you apply charger power, even with the speaker OFF. When the gauge 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 occurring.
You can also feel the power supply’s case ten or fifteen minutes after connecting it to the speaker. Then, it should feel warm. The same with the speaker too. The speaker itself indeed heats up a little during correct recharging also. But if you detect no warmth, then again, the JBL Speaker is likely not charging.
Also, the battery gauge normally shows battery recharging status. I.e. As long as charging continues, one of the progress lights in the meter flashes white. And, as mentioned, the gauge fully darkens when charging finishes up. But if the meter still blinks after several hours on the charge, then chances are, recharging is not working correctly.
Thus when the speaker is not recharging, check out why. Then figure out how to fix this. So in this piece, we offer reasons why. Then we give possible solutions.
JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge: Reasons and Fixes
As we stated above, it’s normal that the battery status gauge pulses red when the battery is almost dead. But again, the light should switch to a blinking white when you connect the charger.
Normally though, this gauge stays dark except for just after you press any button when the speaker is ON. In that case, the gauge lights up white as long as the battery is not nearing dead.
Or, once recharging finishes, the battery level meter goes dark whether the speaker is OFF or ON.
Now the meter light may not not change to flashing white when you connect the charger. If it doesn’t, then several situations might cause this. We list these below thus.
1.The Charger Power Outlet May Be Too Low
The Problem
The adapter may not output any energy because it is not getting any to begin with. This could be due to a defective circuit or a tripped breaker. A blown fuse, faulty wiring, or general power failure may also be to blame.
The Fix
Check that your outlet has power by plugging in a test light or other device. Then, reset circuit breakers if tripped. And if the outlet has a controlling light switch, then flip that switch ON. Or simply try a different outlet.
2. JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge: The USB Adapter is Either Dead or Too Small
The Problem
The JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge can also happen because the adapter is outputting SOME but not ENOUGH amperage.
Now as these adapters age, their output energy can fall off over time. So this power supply might not deliver the correct amount if it is very old. So you may see the speaker’s battery status gauge start flashing white. But it never goes dark. Yet normally it should go dark when charging finishes. Note that this speaker needs 3 amps at 5 volts (15 watts) to recharge in the 2.5 hours spec time. Yet charging will go slower if the charger does not deliver what the speaker wants.
The Fix
Get a new adapter. Buy one that has a USB-C plug and can deliver at least 5 volts at 3 amps). Most common USB-C adapters meet these requirements. But be clear that the one you plan to buy does.
3. The USB-C Charging Cable is Too Long, Too Thin, or is Defective
The Problem
The USB-C cable can reduce the charging current too much, even if your power supply is working well. This can happen with very long or thin cables.
The Fix
So to resolve this, use as short a cord as you can. Or, switch to a thicker, higher current cable. Keep cord lengths to six feet or shorter, and select a cord certified to carry at least 3 amps. This yields the fastest charging.
4. The Battery is Faulty
The Problem
As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their ability to fully charge. Furthermore, the characteristics of the current they draw changes as they get older. Normally, as a battery recharges, it draws less amps as it fills. But in the case of cell failure, it may draw too many or too few amps. This therefore, can confuse the charging circuits. They may act respond as though no charging is occurring. So the battery meter shows this, either by never stopping its red blinking. Or it never changes to white when you connect the charger.
The Fix
To repair this, replace the battery. But understand that you likely will not easily get the old one out. Indeed, changing the battery means that you must take the speaker apart, and this can be a daunting effort.
Also note that doing this likely breaks the moisture seal. So the speaker 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 replacement. They should also be able to restore the seal to as it was, as they reassemble the speaker. Furthermore, a good battery should fit inside the speaker well. It should also provide 3.6 volts at 4.8 amp hours, or 17.28 watt-hours. But we suggest using only JBL certified batteries for this speaker.
5. JBL Speaker Won’t Turn ON or Charge: The Speaker Might be Defective
The Problem
Even with the proper charger, the current that reaches the battery may be too small or too large. This can happen when the battery management system inside fails. Note that these circuits monitor the battery status. Then they switch off the current when they detect a full battery. At least, that’s how they work normally.
But when they go askew, the battery might see no power from the charger at all. Thus, the speaker never recharges. Again, in this case, the battery gauge might continue blinking white and never stop. You may also see that the speaker doesn’t play as long before running dead. Or it may not play at all until you connect the charger.
The Fix
Finally, the best answer here, is simply to get a new JBL Speaker. Why? Because the electronics in this Bluetooth speaker are quite small. So unless you can replace the system board(s), or know someone who can, just buy another speaker. Believe us. This saves a bunch of tension.
Other JBL Speaker Posts
- How Many Watts
- How Many JBL Speaker Can Connect
- How to Check JBL Speaker Battery
- Reading the Charging Indicator
- How to Skip a Song
- How to Make JBL Speaker Louder
- Does JBL Speaker Come With a Charger
- Light Flashing Meaning