Milwaukee Excessive Current Draw or Battery Capacity Loss

Vacuum runtime is significantly shorter than specified, even with a fully charged battery.

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Possible Causes

Aged M18 battery with reduced capacity, Clogged filter increasing load, Failing motor drawing extra current, High-resistance electrical connections

How to Fix / Troubleshooting

Safety first: Remove the battery before internal inspection.

  • 1. Compare batteries: Test runtime with another known-good M18 battery of similar capacity. If runtime improves, the original battery is worn out.
  • 2. Reduce load: Clean or replace the filter and ensure all airflow paths are clear to reduce motor load.
  • 3. Check for overheating: If the tool or battery becomes very hot quickly, the motor may be failing and drawing excessive current.
  • 4. Inspect wiring: Look for corroded or loose connections that can cause voltage drop and higher current draw.
  • 5. Replace failing components: Replace the battery if capacity is low, or the motor assembly if it overheats and draws excessive current.
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Repair Difficulty

Easy 2/5

Required Part

M18 Battery Pack / Motor Assembly
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