DeWalt DC970 Troubleshooting

Your battery will not charge or will not hold a charge

Find an electrical outlet nearby and plug the battery charger in with the battery attached. The light on the front panel will blink red if it is charging.

Over time, a battery deteriorates and loses its ability to hold a charge. You will need to purchase a new battery if your battery is old.

The fuse in the battery charger may have blown due to a power surge. It must be replaced. Check out our replacement guide for replacing the fuse.

The charger may not be charging the battery efficiently at all due to other broken parts or wear and tear. You will need to purchase a replacement battery charger.

Your drill will not work when the trigger is depressed.

Your battery may by low on power or out of power. If the battery is low on power, the drill may work slowly or not at all. To replace the battery, check out our replacement guide.

First, check to see if the battery needs charging. If it is fully charged, but does not hold the charge for long while using the drill , you may need to purchase a replacement battery.

The battery charger may not be working. See the "Defective Battery Charger" section above for how to test the charger's functionality. If it does not work, you may need to purchase a replacement battery charger.

The brushed that are attached to the motor may be old or have accumulated dirt. They may need to be replaced.

The motor is the main source of power for your drill. If it is not working, then the drill will not either. To replace the motor, check out our replacement guide.

The connections to the motor may be dirty. Clean them with a clean cloth.

When operating the drill, the chuck is wobbling.

The chuck is a specialized clamp that holds the drill bit in place to ensure smooth drilling. It is the spinning black piece located directly behind where the drill bit is inserted. The chuck will wobble if it is not fully tightened. To fix this, rotate the chuck clockwise until the wobbling stops.

Build up could be blocking the chuck from being able to fully tighten. Remove the chuck and clean any build up. You may need to replace the chuck.

Corrosion may have built up inside of the chuck. The chuck must be replaced.

The gears are making a squeaky noise while the drill is operating

The clutch of the drill is located directly above the reverse switch and allows you to control the amount of torque being applied to a screw so it doesn’t go in too deep. So if your drill gears are making a loud noise or any noise that does not sound normal when it is rotating it may help to take the clutch off and see if it is broken. To replace the clutch, check out our replacement guide.

The drill will only drill in the reverse direction.

There is a switch located just above the trigger that makes the drill switch directions when pressed. Switch it to the opposite position and see if this causes the drill to go forwards again,

Dirt and grime build up may cause the reverse switch to become stuck in the reverse position. Clean the area around the reverse switch.

You may need to replace the reverse switch. Check out our replacement guide for replacing the switch.