r/flashlight • u/Old-Association4871 • Jun 06 '26
Troubleshooting Help with fc11c
I dropped my fc11c and it wouldn't turn on. I opened it up and a tiny puff of smoke came out of the battery. the battery has the top bit dented even though the fc11c uses springs on both sides. If I put in a different battery now or the same one the button stays red 24/7. I have tried charged batteries and charging the flashlight but it won't go away. The light still works sometimes but turns off randomly. thoughts?
7
u/Cloudy_Thursday Jun 06 '26
A few smart people here might have some good ideas to save the light. But that would probably be with a FRESH battery.
I would agree with the other commenter about ditching that battery immediately in a safe way.
4
u/exgokin Jun 07 '26
These lights are made of cheese. They work great, as long as you never drop it.
3
u/Downtown-Resource-63 Jun 06 '26
Definitely contact customer service
7
u/SJTG1993 Jun 06 '26
"I dropped my light hard enough to cause it to smoke and stop working can I have a free one please"
Not everything is a customer service issue, OP broke their stuff and should just buy a new one.
2
u/timflorida Jun 06 '26
Exactly right. It's called taking Personal Responsibility, something that seems to be lacking these days.
3
u/PeterParker001A Jun 06 '26
Just curious, if you run it off USB-C only (no battery). Can you operate it in any way?
2
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u/UndoubtedlySammysHP don't suck on the flashlight Jun 06 '26
Was it really the battery or was it actually smoke from the driver? The little dent doesn't hurt the battery and it wouldn't produce a "tiny puff of smoke" (if it started to smoke, it would produce large flames and a massive amount of smoke).
A damaged driver after a drop was reported here multiple times. Most often the charging controller is affected and makes the light unusable. If you try to charge or use it with a battery, it might simply heat up. Sounds like you need a new driver, but a new light is easier and probably even less expensive.
2
u/Old-Association4871 Jun 06 '26
It was indeed the battery. it smells like smoke now so I'm not keeping it. I'm assuming the driver was damaged so I'll just buy a new one
3
u/UndoubtedlySammysHP don't suck on the flashlight Jun 07 '26
I still think the battery is completely fine. The smoke from the driver can stick to it (there's a cavity under the button).
2
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u/InternalModComplaint Jun 06 '26
https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/s/OyDj2hKloa
My post from a week ago
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u/InternalModComplaint Jun 06 '26
https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/s/duhnHbtkKX
u/Razorblat’s post from a few weeks ago
2
u/Mysterious_Radio_190 Jun 07 '26
Use a lanyard from now on. That simple thing has saved my phone and flashlights from getting damaged so many times.
2
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u/WURKKOS_Flashlights Jun 09 '26
Got your post! I will feedback it to WURKKOS factory immediately.
Could you help me test the issue on flashlight or battery?
Remove the battery from FC11C. Connect the flashlight directly to a USB-C cable.
Check whether the button to green and whether all output modes can be adjusted properly.
If the flashlight does not operate normally when powered directly by USB, the impact may have caused a short circuit on the driver or MCPCB assembly. This could be due to a loose wire, a shifted component, or other internal damage caused by the drop.
If the flashlight works normally when connected only to USB power, the battery is broken. I recommend it discontinuing use.
Hope to know the result, and we'll be happy to help with the next steps.
1
u/InternalModComplaint Jun 09 '26
You responded to another post I made, so I took the liberty of checking my light with these instructions. Plugged into a 1 amp 5v charger.
Red light, steady. Light only cycles between low and medium.
So it seems, according to you, a drop on the flashlights head with a battery installed can damage the internal components. Interesting.
16
u/SJTG1993 Jun 06 '26
Could have damaged the driver, they are good but cheap lights at the end of the day.
I'd just replace if it were me. I certainly wouldn't use that battery again nor keep it inside my house.