A classic case. One bud charges nicely, the other lies in the case like a teenager on a Monday morning — doesn’t react to anything. Usually the cause is mundane and doesn’t require service, but let’s go through it step by step.
Why isn’t the right bud charging?
There are usually three culprits:
1. Protective film on the contacts. If the earbuds are new, check this first. The case’s charging connectors and the bottoms of the buds have small metal surfaces that carry power. Sometimes they still have the factory protective film in place. It’s thin and transparent, so it’s easy to miss. Gently scrape with a fingernail — if a piece of plastic comes off, you’ve found the culprit.
2. Dirt on the contacts. Earwax, pocket lint, and other life’s grime accumulate on the charging points surprisingly fast. Clean both the contacts on the bottom of the bud and the corresponding surfaces in the case. A dry cotton swab or a soft cloth is enough. Do not use water.
3. The bud is stuck at the software level. Electronics can be stubborn. A factory reset fixes this.
How to fix it
- Clean the contacts. Remove both buds from the case. Wipe the metal charging connectors on the bottom of the bud and inside the case with a dry cotton swab. While you’re at it, check that protective-film thing.
- Place the buds back in the case. Make sure they sit properly in place. Right bud on the right side — obvious, but worth mentioning.
- Perform a factory reset:
- Keep both buds in the case
- Open the case lid (the notch is on one side; don’t pry from the hinge)
- Press and hold the case button for 5 seconds
- The buds’ LED lights will flash — the reset is done
- Reconnect the earbuds to your phone. Remove old NL25 pairings from the phone’s Bluetooth settings before pairing again.
- Charge the case for a while. Connect the USB-C cable and let the case charge the buds for at least 30 minutes. Then check whether the right bud is showing as charging.
If that doesn’t help
If the right bud is still dead after these, it may be a hardware fault. It’s rare, but it happens — electronics are electronics.
Send us a message at info@valco.fi. Include:
- Order number (or purchase receipt if you bought from a reseller)
- A photo of the inside of the case showing the contacts
- A brief description of what you’ve already tried
Our service team in Kajaani will check the device. During the warranty period (24 months) the repair is free. Outside the warranty, we have a repair package to get it sorted anyway — we don’t throw earbuds away.
With these instructions, the problem is solved in nine cases out of ten. The tenth case is there so that Jasse and the rest of the service team have work to do.
