Most JBL Bluetooth speakers, including the Xtreme 2, offer portable operation via an internal battery. And when that battery goes dead, you can recharge them via an AC or car adapter. To facilitate recharging this speaker, the Xtreme 2 comes with a 19 volt AC power adapter. Sometimes though, the JBL Xtreme 2 experiences charging Issues when you connect the adapter. And for these times, we discuss some solutions.
How to Tell that the JBL Xtreme 2 Has Charging Issues
You can tell this for one, by looking at the battery status gauge. Find it on the front lower portion of the unit. This meter starts blinking red during play to let you know that the battery is running low. And the flashing does not stop, even when you plug in the charger. It should change at this point though, to blinking white. This indicates that the speaker is getting some power from the supply. But if it continues red, then recharging is not occurring.
You can also feel the AC adapter’s side panel ten or fifteen minutes into the charge cycle. The speaker itself heats slightly as well during correctly charging operation. But if you feel no warmth, then again, your JBL Xtreme 2 probably does have charging Issues.
Then too, the battery gauge normally shows recharging progress. I.e. as the unit recharges, more and more of the lamps light up white. But if more lights don’t come on after a couple hours, then recharging is not working well.
Thus when these sorts of charging Issues crop up, find out what’s wrong and how to solve them. So in this post, we try to help with that. We offer reasons why the speaker may not recharge. Then we give possible fixes.
JBL Xtreme 2 Charging Issues, Reasons and Fixes
AS we said above, it’s normal that the battery level gauge blinks red when the battery is about dead. But this meter should turn to a flashing white when you attach the charger.
Normally though, this meter only displays white lights. The number of these lamps glowing tells you how full the battery is. It can appear as follows.
Or, if the speaker is OFF, then once recharging finishes, all lights in this gauge go dark.
So the gauge may not change to white when you plug the charger into the speaker. If not, then several things might cause this. We list these below thus.
1.The Power Outlet May Be Dead
The Problem
The charger for the JBL Xtreme 2 may not output any power at all. This can happen because it is not receiving any to begin with. This might be due to a defective AC or car circuit or tripped breaker. A blown fuse, faulty wiring, power failure, and the like, can also cause this.
The Fix
Check that your receptacle has power by plugging in a lamp or other device. Set circuit breakers back to ON if tripped. Also if the outlet has a light switch that controls it, then flip that switch ON.
2. The Adapter is Defective
The Problem
JBL Xtreme 2 charging Issues can also occur because the charger provides SOME but not FULL current. Now as the charger ages, its output energy can decrease over time. So it might not deliver the correct current presently.
So when this happens, you may see the gauge turn to a flashing white light. But it does not gradually advance toward full charge. Or it may advance, but do so more slowly than usual. This is a sign of trouble.
Note that this speaker needs 3 amps at 19 volts to fully recharge in the 3.5 hours spec time. But charging speed may not go as fast as we expect if the charger does not deliver on these requirements.
The Fix
The solution is to replace the power adapter, preferably one that delivers the 19 volts at 3 amps (57 watts). We advise that you order a replacement directly from JBL for fastest yet safest charging.
3. The Battery in the Xtreme 2 is Faulty
The Problem
As lithium ion batteries age, they lose their ability to fully charge. Plus the characteristics of the charging current they draw changes over time. Normally, as a battery recharges, it draws less and less current as it fills.
But in the case of cell failure, it may draw too many or too few amps. So this can confuse the charging circuits. Therefore they might behave like no charging is occurring. So the gauge shows this.
The Fix
To address this, replace the battery. But keep in mind that you can’t easily get the old one out of the speaker. Indeed, changing the battery means that you must take the unit apart, and this is a delicate exercise.
Also note that doing this likely breaks the water resistant seal. So the Xtreme 2 will no longer be safe to use, should you expose it to water.
Breaking this seal may well change the sound quality too. So get someone to change the old battery who knows how to pick the right replacement. They should also have the skills and supplies to restore the seal to as it was.
Furthermore, a good battery should fit well inside the speaker. It should also provide 3.6 volts and at least 10,000 mAh (37 watt-hours). But we suggest using only JBL certified batteries.
4. The Speaker Might be Defective when the JBL Xtreme 2 Experiences Charging Issues
The Problem
Even with a good power supply and speaker battery, the current actually reaching the battery may be wrong. This can happen when circuits inside the speaker itself break down. Note that these systems monitor battery status. Then they shut OFF the current when they deem the battery full.
But when they break, the battery might get no power at all. Thus, it never recharges. Again, in this case, the battery gauge might never stop flashing, even with the charger attached. The Xtreme 2 may not last as long per charge before going dead, if it lasts at all. Or it might not play any amount of time from the battery.
The Fix
The best answer here, is simply to get a new JBL Xtreme 2. Why? Because the electronic parts in this model are quite small. Now perhaps you can confidently replace the system board(s) yourself, or know someone who can. But if not, then just buy another speaker to save a bunch of aggravation.