Repair a drill yourself
Like any tool — a drill will wear out, and you may need to replace parts over time. Problems often occur due to careless use or contamination with dust. Proper maintenance can prevent these types of defects. If your drilling machine suddenly stops working or is not working properly anymore, this can have several causes. Here we discuss a few common issues that you can solve yourself.
Cord breakage
When a corded drill suddenly dies, the first thing to check is the cord. In 50% of cases, the problem is a broken cable since cords can break easily during use. The most common breakpoints are access to the handle of the device and the soldering place of the contacts on the start button. You can check this with a multimeter, cut off the broken piece and reconnect the cord. However, if the break is in the middle, you will need to buy a new cable.
Battery problems
If your cordless drill suddenly stops working, the problem may be the battery itself. Firstly, check which type of battery you are dealing with: Ni-Cd or Li-Ion. Each type of battery has its own problems. With the Ni-Cd battery, the problem may be that part of the capacity has been lost due to the ‘memory effect’. If the battery is charged while it is not empty, a Ni-Cd battery permanently loses that part of the capacity. Fully discharging and recharging solves the problem.
Problems will occur less quickly with a Li-Ion battery. But it can happen that the voltage is too low, which causes the charger to no longer detect the battery. The solution: make a connection between the battery and another battery. Disconnect the battery when the voltage level has returned to normal. After this, it will charge again.
The start button
The drill’s on/off button is one of the most malfunction-prone parts. A common problem is a build-up of dust, which causes the ignition to stop working. You can solve this by opening the machine and removing the dust with a brush.
Carbon Brushes
If you have an older drill, chances are it is equipped with carbon brushes. The graphite from which these are made wears out over time, and the brushes need to be replaced. A major sign that the brushes need replacement is a sparking and jerky operation of the machine. Most drills have a slotted screwdriver cap somewhere on the back of the motor that you can unscrew to access the carbon brushes.
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