DeWalt 20v Battery Reverse Polarity?

[truckster]

I've never seen this before... I bought some new 20v DeWalt batteries. One of them was DOA. I contacted DeWalt and they replaced it, so it's just been sitting around.

Today I disassemble the casing, thinking I might use the battery pack for a different project. I thought I'd see if I could charge it with my variable DC power supply. When I hooked it up (power off) I got a spark... I got out my multimeter and checked the voltage. I have 12.75 volts, but the positive and negative are reversed. Have any of you ever seen anything like this?

[kwmech]

I'd let Dewalt know, maybe there is a big mishap during assy? The could be quite a few out there like this.. Which amp batt was this?

[truckster]

Originally Posted by kwmech

I'd let Dewalt know, maybe there is a big mishap during assy? The could be quite a few out there like this.. Which amp batt was this?

It's a 5 amp 20 volt. I think DeWalt might already know about it, because they were quick to replace it when I gave them the lot number. Still, contacting them with what I know sounds like a good idea.

I'm thinking about just unsoldering the leads and reversing them. I can plug it into my reserve (cheaper) charger and see what happens.