The charging indicator on the LEGO® Education SPIKE hubs turn green when the battery reaches 80% charge. This happens when the battery voltage reaches its nominal level, and the charging current starts to decrease.
Green Light Too Soon?
If your dead battery shows a green light when you plug it in, you may have a bad cell or your cells are out of balance. You can check it with a USB power meter. If the current drops to almost zero after the green light appears, your battery likely has a dead cell and you’ll need to request a replacement battery from LEGO Education customer service. If the current remains above zero, your cells are imbalanced, you can try leaving it plugged in for an extended period and see if that correct the problem. If the problem continues, contact LEGO Education customer service.
If the battery gets warm or hot, it needs to be replaced. Again, you’ll need to contact LEGO Education customer service.
Flashing Orange Light
If your charging indicator is flashing orange, it needs to be charged. Plug it in to your computer and open the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ App. Click on the hub icon button, and you can see the charging percentage. If it remains at 0% when plugged in for a while, sadly the battery is dead. In this case, you’ll need a replacement battery from LEGO Education customer service.
If you are feeling adventurous, check out Marek Lewandowski's blog. Marek was able to revive a dead SPIKE Essential battery with a lab power supply with adjustable current limit and adjustable voltage
Charging Your Hub
Charging is usually simple, just plug it in until the light turns green. Try not to let the battery fully drain! You can extend the lifespan if you charge it when it gets below 50%.
Vacation Storage
If the hub isn’t going to be used for an extended period, you should fully charge the battery and remove it from the hub before storing it. There is a known issue with batteries dying completely and not being able to be recharged if they’ve been unused for an extended period. If this happens contact LEGO Education customer service for replacements. LEGO Education recommends recharging at least every six months.
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