Multiple issues with my Charge 5

[critor]

I have a Charge 5 that unfortunately ran out of warranty in May. I've tried receiving support from Fitbit/Google but all they offer is a 35% discount to replace it. Given the seemingly widespread issues that I and other customers have received, it's clear that Fitbit/Google don't know how to manufacture devices that last and are completely uninterested in supporting customers whose devices have mysteriously become "bricked" for no apparent reason.

Onto the issues. The two issues I noticed after having not used the device for many months was that it refused to charge. I cleaned the contacts on both the charging cable and on the device with IPA. I've noticed some dark spots on one of the two copper contacts on the device and attempted to remove them but I'm guessing they are signs of corrosion.

The bizarre thing about charging is that this issue is intermittent. Depending on the time of day or day of the week, the device will charge. It's nothing simple or obvious like mis-aligned contacts - I've tried jiggling ever so slightly the positioning to account for that. It seems that if I give up on charging for several hours/days and then reconnect the charger, it shows signs of charging (vibrates and the screen lights up with the Fitbit logo).

This very thing happened a short while ago but rather than remaining on charge the device seemed to stop charging (I didn't disconnect it - merely placed it down gently, then tapped the screen lightly seconds later to see what's happening).

Aside from the intermittent charging issues the battery was draining from 100% to 0% in about 40 min. I assumed the problem to be with the battery so I replaced it. The original battery was slightly bloated so it gave me some confidence that it might have been the issue.

Initial signs were good - the device with the new battery was remaining at near 100% for an extended period of time. But when I checked the device several hours later it was completely dead.

I noticed that the intermittent charging issues still remained. This suggests to me that even if there was an issue with the battery, it wasn't the battery alone to blame. I've done some checks to see how long the battery lasts. I fully charged it and checked the display every 10 min and found it to drain in just under 4 hours. When this device was working properly the battery was lasting for about 4 days.

The settings are all default (normal brightness, default GPS setting, etc). so there's no reason to believe that the battery is draining quickly due to user settings. I also unpaired the device, uninstalled the Fitbit app (Android) and have restored the device to factory settings (more than once).

I've tried the various multiple button presses or long-presses on the charging cable as recommended in various posts related to charging issues. I've also tried multiple chargers.

Should I persist in trying to diagnose and bring this device back to working order or should I simply bin it and buy a Garmin? Any advice would be much appreciated from any of you who have experienced these issues and have found a resolution.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[critor]

I should have added a summary:

- The device only intermittently charges (despite having cleaned the contacts, having tried multiple chargers and fiddled with the reset button on the USB connector)

- When I am able to charge it, the battery drains rapidly (< 4 hours) from a full charge (with the device on a desk only checking the display every 10 min)

- Sometimes it will become unresponsive (black screen) despite having had charge on it

[RiekoC · Accepted solution]

Hello @critor 

You've pretty much done all the troubleshooting steps that we would suggest. 

Although I'm not sure that this will work for your issue, there's one unorthodox method that you might consider. A user was able to restore their Charge 5 by exposing it to freezer temps. This thread (<-- click) describes what they did. This method has worked for some, but not all users. Still, it might be worth a try before you dispose of your device as electronic waste. 

[MarreFitbit]

Hi there, @critor. Welcome to the Fitbit Community Forums. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm sorry to hear about your Charge 5. We‘re taking your comments and sentiments in regards to our products and services into consideration.

Even though I truly appreciate you took the time to come here and express your feelings towards your experience with your Charge 5 and also want to find a resolution to your issue, my best advice is to keep the conversation with our Support Team. As @RiekoC has mentioned, it seems like you've done all troubleshooting steps to repair your Charge 5 so there is nothing else we can suggest now.

We appreciate your understanding. 

[critor]

Hi Rieko,

Thanks very much for bringing to attention the freezing method. I have never heard of it but was more than happy to give it a go.

I initially kept it in a freezer for 2 hours. The process seemed to bring the device back to life - I was able to recharge it (without any bizarre intermittent issues with the device responding to the connection of the charger). After charging it for about 8 hours I logged the depletion rate but sadly it depleted even more quickly than the previous log.

When I connected the now dead device back to the charger, as before, there was no sign of it charging (no vibration, no Fitbit logo). In other words, back to the previous behaviour.

I then stored it in a freezer for 12 hours for one last attempt. After charging for about 8 hours, the depletion rate was nearly identical and as before. When I connected it to the charger, there was a vibration but the screen did not light up with the Fitbit logo initially. After a few minutes of charging the display reads 92% charged - which is absurd, given that the battery was discharged yesterday to zero and it could not have possibly have charged to 92% in a few minutes.

In short, it the freezing method seemed to do something - it momentarily resulted in what looked like normal behaviour but the battery still depletes rapidly and the various intermittent issues persist after reaching an empty battery state.

Following is a chart showing the depletion rate of the original battery (prior to replacement), and four different loggings of the depletion rate for the new battery:  the first two (solid lines) were without prior freezing, and the last two (dashed lines) were following 2 hr or 12 hr of cold storage.

Even though your suggestion did not work for me, I think it's a worthy option for those who have reached the end of the line in resolving issues, so I will mark it as the best answer. You have offered far better than any support than anything I received from Google's customer support line (just to be clear, they didn't provide any support - merely a 35% discount to replace it).

[critor]

Hi Maria,

Thanks for your concern. I tried seeking advice/support from the support team - twice. In both cases, all I got from them was a 35% discount on a new purchase - no diagnoses, no troubleshooting - nothing that resembled tech support at all, but rather pre-sales support.

[RiekoC]

Hi @critor 

Thanks for sharing your experience and graph. Sorry that the freezer temps didn't restore your Charge 5. Still, you got some really great & interesting info. I really appreciate you gave the method a try and reported back.