Dewalt multitool DCS354 stopped working

[Dan McCartney]

Perhaps someone can share some thoughts: while using my Dewalt multi tool to free up some old windows painted shut, it simply stopped. Not overheated, fresh batteries, proper use, ideal environment; stopped dead in it’s tracks. Can only get light to flick on and off when depressing trigger. Can anyone offer ideas? Thanks, Dan.

[Jronman]

@Dan McCartney When you press the trigger do you hear motor noise but no blade movement or nothing at all? If you hear noise then your transmission might be shot. I had my DCS355 omt have its transmission go bad. The gears inside are supposedly plastic. After 2 years of what I would call extreme use (multiple sessions fully draining a flexvolt 2/6 ah battery). It would have been a $200 fix.

[midogrumpy]

how can he have 2 years service ?

he means dcs355 !! ??

 

 

dcs354 & dcs356 just came out befor BF

both are $99 and of course under FULL warranty

by the way

Merry xmas to ALL !

"my the tools be with you"

 

[Jronman]

5 hours ago, midogrumpy said:

how can he have 2 years service ?

he means dcs355 !! ??

 

 

dcs354 & dcs356 just came out befor BF

both are $99 and of course under FULL warranty

by the way

Merry xmas to ALL !

"my the tools be with you"

 

I'm the one that had the 355 2 years before it died. I don't think @Dan McCartney specified the age of his.

[Jronman]

13 hours ago, AlexW32 said:

$200? I got mine as a free bare tool when I purchased my DCD796 & DC887 kit for $299CAD.

That was just the price to fix mine if I wanted. I got mine as the kit which I don't remember what price I paid.

[Dan McCartney]

Thank you for the replies. When I press the trigger absolutely nothing happens, and you can hear nothing, except you get a quick blink from the light. It does not stay on, only comes on for a second when you press the trigger and then goes out. As far as the age, I do not know. It was given to used. Any additional thoughts?

[fm2176]

2 minutes ago, Dan McCartney said:

Thank you for the replies. When I press the trigger absolutely nothing happens, and you can hear nothing, except you get a quick blink from the light. It does not stay on, only comes on for a second when you press the trigger and then goes out. As far as the age, I do not know. It was given to used. Any additional thoughts?

DeWalt uses a date code etched into the battery housing (look it up on this site or Google to decipher it).  Possible dumb question as I have batteries everywhere, and suspect most of us have more than one, but have you tried different batteries?  I have a DCB204 that somehow got a corroded contact.  It did the exact same thing with various tools (light came on briefly but didn't power the tool otherwise), due to it being unable to charge properly.  Fortunately DeWalt warrantied it.

[Sparky_John]

3 minutes ago, Sparky_John said:

Answer

After looking on a few sites, I have found that dry joints hidden under heat shrink sleeving and DeWalt intelligent battery's are the reason for the tools not working.

 

Where to look. (on the tool),

• at the battery connection area the two big spade connectors at either end are the positive and negative connection to the battery.(these will normally never give any problems)
• the other two or more smaller spade connectors are the Usual Suspects. Due to the way the DeWalt intelligent battery works, there is a connection from the (TH) thyristor (heat sensor) and the (C3) third cell group connection.

The (TH)-(C3) connections are required to be connected fully or the working LED light will just flash once, but the tool wont do a thing.

 

how to fix;

• check the connections under the heat shrink sleeving.
• check the connections going in to the trigger controller, remove the silicon squirted over the connections.

then just repair (Normally with solder, burning your fingers and a reasonable amount of swearing)

 

if this does not fix the broken DeWalt drill, impact gun, jigsaw, LED light, multi tool or other DeWalt thingy then you need a better man than me.

 

 

Peace, Love & Sparkies rule the world

"Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength"

[Kirkk]

I had the original 20v oscillating tool which had a solid epoxy inside around the trigger assy, the tool itself was heavier than the new model which I replaced it due to the blade clamp release went bad(silver plastic looks like metal) and despite it being brushless, the whole multi tool would get white hot. The new model is lighter with silicone and better on vibration but maybe the silicone heated up which loosened connections. I forget the model #'s. In my experience and only makes sense like the 20v circ saw, recip saw, and flexvolt saw which I had original models and updated each for the new models.  the numbers always start at 1 or 0 and progress up to the newer models. The gen 1 20v circ is dcs570. Power detect 574. Flexvolt gen 1 is 575, brand new gen 2 flex model is 578, flex recip saw is dcs798, new gen 2 is 799. U got me? can always try some PB blaster see if it just seized up

[Cantfixshit]

I have the same issue were u able to fix

[ScottyB]

On 12/29/2019 at 4:52 PM, Dan McCartney said:

Thank you for the replies. When I press the trigger absolutely nothing happens, and you can hear nothing, except you get a quick blink from the light. It does not stay on, only comes on for a second when you press the trigger and then goes out. As far as the age, I do not know. It was given to used. Any additional thoughts?

 

[ScottyB]

So did anyone find an answer for it not working?? Mine does same EXACT THING!! Any help would need greatly appreciated

[James8169]

On 6/19/2021 at 8:54 PM, ScottyB said:

So did anyone find an answer for it not working?? Mine does same EXACT THING!! Any help would need greatly appreciated

Did you get any answers? Mine packed up too in the same way!

 

[DNOBLE1]

You guys ain't going to believe this!  While taking mine apart to see what I could see I found on mine if I removed the 2 screws nearest the trigger it works perfectly.  You just can't make this crap up.

[K3BREE]

This led me to the answer. 
Heat shrink ripped off, solder applied, done!