The situation when your smartphone refuses to take charge, always takes you by surprise, especially if we are talking about a reliable Xiaomi Redmi 5A. This device has proven itself as a “workhorse”, but even time-tested equipment has failures in the power supply system. The user may encounter the fact that the indicator is on, but the battery percentage does not increase, or the screen does not respond to the connection of the cable at all.
The reasons for this behavior can range from the banal contamination of the port to serious hardware damage to the power controller. In this article, we will examine all possible scenarios, from software errors to the need to replace the battery. Understanding the nature of the malfunction will help you save money on maintenance or properly prepare for a visit to the workshop.
Before you panic and look for the nearest service center, you need to do a basic diagnostic, and often the problem is not the phone itself, but the accessories or software freeze, and let's look at the initial steps you need to take to eliminate simple errors.
Diagnostics of charger and cable
The most common reason the Redmi 5A doesn't charge is because of external equipment failures: Micro-USB cables used in this model are prone to frequent perihilations and fractures of the veins. Visually, the integrity of the wire may be maintained, but the internal structure of the conductor is already broken, which prevents the transmission of current of the required force.
Also worth paying attention to is the power supply itself. If you're using a non-original low-current charger, the smartphone system can block charging for safety reasons. The power controller may simply not recognize the power source if its parameters do not meet the requirements of the device. USB-port.
- 🔌 Check the cable for clogs, scuffs and oxidation of contacts.
- 🔌 Use a power supply with an output current of at least 1A or 2A.
- 🔌 Try charging your phone from another source (PowerBank, PC, car).
- 🔌 Make sure the socket is working and there is tension in it.
⚠️ WARNING: Using cheap Chinese chargers without certificates could lead to voltage surges, which would knock out the charge controller on the motherboard.
If the situation has not changed since the cable and power supply were replaced and the phone is still dead, the problem probably lies deeper, but eliminating external factors is the first and mandatory step in the malfunction algorithm.
Problems with the Micro-USB connector
Mechanical damage or contamination of the charging port is the second most common reason for the Xiaomi Redmi 5A's failure to charge.The Micro-USB connector is structurally less reliable than modern USB-C, and over time its contacts can disperse or oxidize.Inside the port, dust, pile from pockets and fine debris often enters, which is compressed and prevents the cable from entering to the end.
For diagnosis, carefully inspect the port in good light, preferably using a magnifying glass or a macro shot of another phone. If you see compressed dust, you can try to remove it, and you should do this extremely carefully using a wooden toothpick or plastic spatula, so as not to damage the thin contacts inside.
How to safely clean the connector
If the contacts inside the connector are blackened or have a greenish coating, this is a sign of oxidation, in which case a special liquid to clean the contacts can help, but it is better to consult a specialist to replace the port. A loose connector that is only held on a miracle also requires soldering of the new component.
- 🧹 Carefully remove visible dust with a dry soft brush.
- 🧹 Blow the port with compressed air (a balloon for cleaning the optics).
- 🧹 Check if the cable plug is sitting tightly in the nest.
- 🧹 When oxidizing, use a contact cleaner (Contact Cleaner).
The cleanliness of the contacts is the key to a stable current transfer, and even a microscopic layer of oxide can create high resistance, which will charge the phone with jerks or not charge at all.
Software failures and system freeze
Sometimes the problem is purely software-based. The MIUI operating system on the Redmi 5A can get a critical error in the power management module. In this case, the phone is physically healthy, but logically "forgot" how to take charge. The screen can remain black even if the battery inside is discharged to zero.
This requires a forced reboot, which is safe for user data and often helps to revive controllers, and you need to pinch certain buttons and hold them for a long time to reset the residual voltage and restart the system.
Press the On + Volume Up (or Down) button and hold for 15-20 seconds.If the screen blinks with the MI or Android logo, the system is alive. Check the charging status after booting. If the phone turns on but charging is slow or the percentage is jumping, try updating the software or, in extreme cases, resetting to factory settings.
☑️ Reboot algorithm
⚠️ Warning: If after a forced reboot, the phone is cyclically restarted (bootloop) and does not charge, the problem may be in the damage of system files or flash memory.
Battery calibration and deep discharge
Lithium-polymer batteries, such as the Redmi 5A, are sensitive to deep discharges. If the phone was discharged for several weeks, the voltage on the cell could drop below the threshold at which standard charging starts automatically, in which case the controller blocks the current supply, considering the battery to be faulty.
To rock this battery, you need a push charging method, plug the phone into a powerful power source (like a computer or the original 2A unit) and leave it alone for a few hours, even if the screen doesn't light up. Sometimes the process is very slow, and the indicator doesn't show up until 1-2 hours later.
If the phone is still on, but it's 1% and it shuts down immediately when you turn off the charge, or it's 100% and it drops to 0%, calibration is necessary, which is a process that helps the system correctly determine the actual capacity of the battery.
- 🔋 Discharge the phone completely before turning off.
- 🔋 Put on charging in the off state to 100%.
- 🔋 After the 100% Hold on. 1-2 hour.
- 🔋 Turn on the phone without turning off the cable and make sure there are 100%.
For advanced users, there is an option to calibrate through an engineering menu or root rights, but for most cases, a full discharge and charge cycle is enough. This helps to reset errors in the batterystats.bin file, which stores energy usage statistics.
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Do not leave the phone on charge unattended overnight if the battery was subjected to a deep discharge - in the first hours, strong heating of the case is possible.
Battery wear and replacement
The most natural cause of charging problems is the physical wear and tear of the battery’s chemical component: the life of modern Li-Pol batteries is about 500-800 full charge-discharge cycles. For the Xiaomi Redmi 5A, released a few years ago, this means that the native battery could have run out of life.
Signs of a worn-out battery include fast discharge, bloating (very dangerous!), sudden shutdowns in the cold or when you're loading. If the phone shows that it's charging, but the percentage is not rising, and the battery is hot, it's likely that its capacity has fallen critically low.
| Symptoms. | Probable cause | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The phone is only activated with charging. | Critical wear of AKB | Battery replacement |
| Charging goes up to 80% and costs | Calibration error or wear | Calibration or substitution |
| Bloating back cover | Gas generation within the ABC | Urgent replacement (dangerous!) |
| Sharp jumps % (90% -> 10%) | Cell degradation | Battery replacement |
Replacing the battery in the Redmi 5A is a moderately complex procedure. The back cover is removable, which makes it easier to access. However, if you don't have experience, you should trust the professionals to do so, as there is a risk of damaging the plumes or the new battery itself if you do not properly remove the glue.
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If the battery is more than 3-4 years old, replacing it will solve 90% of the problems with autonomy and unstable charging, even if it is visually intact.
Failures of the power and charge controller
The most serious scenario is the failure of the hardware of the smartphone. The power controller (IC charge) is a chip on the board that regulates the supply of current. Power surges in the network, the use of substandard charging or moisture can cause it to burn.
Also, the sub-board where the charging connector is located often suffers, and in the Redmi 5A, it connects to the main board with a flexible plume. If this plume has broken or broken, the charging will not go, sometimes just reconnecting the plume helps, but more often it requires replacing the bottom board entirely.
Diagnosing these problems requires a multimeter and a knowledge of electronics, you need to call circuits for short circuits or breaks. If the power supply is 0A or vice versa, goes into short circuit (0.05A and higher without a reaction), the problem is precisely in the "iron".
- ⚡ Check the current consumption in the laboratory power supply unit.
- ⚡ Examine the board under a microscope for burnt items.
- ⚡ Check the integrity of the flexible plume between the boards.
- ⚡ Warming up the fee (rebolling) can help with the collapse of contacts BGA.
⚠️ Warning: Self-repair of the power chain without the appropriate equipment and skills can lead to a complete failure of the smartphone without the possibility of recovery.