Battery Issue -- Phonak Marvel M90-RT

My Phonak M90 - RT has the right side losing battery strength at a faster rate than the left side. In the morning, when I get up, the batteries both show 100%, but within an hour or two, the right side shows 80 compared to 90… Yesterday, the right side failed at 6% while the left was at 60%… What do you suppose is causing this?. These batteries are not replaceable, and the aids are a little more than than two years old.

I am thinking the charging contacts need cleaning, oir perhaps a dirty wax guard is making the right side work harder… Any suggestions?

George

The right Aid is the master Aid so will drain more battery then the left, especially so as your hearing loss is quite equal.

Altho I don’t believe the difference should be so great, as yours is.m

EDIT - You could ask for the master Aid to be transferred to the left to see if the battery drain evens out and determines exactly what the issue is.

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Thank you so much. I was thinking of reversing the charger positions, also, Rjght aid in left charger and left in right charger to see what if anything happens. Otherwise, quite happy with aids… Right now at 11 am, left aid is 90 % vs. 70 % for right. Haven’t had this problem before.
George

Old photographer’s trick…I used to clean battery contacts with a pencil eraser. It worked. Suggest you clean the battery contacts and the recharger contacts.

Hope this helps. I’ve done it with my hearing aids.

Dave

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I have the Costco KS10s, which is almost identical. I’ve had up to 10% difference, for reasons others listed already. Usually it’s less than that. That’s not uncommon. But 60% difference is not normal.

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What brand and model cell phone are you using? I have a Google Pixel 6 and this behavior started with the January Android update for me.

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I have a Google Pixel 6 Pro, and have the same excessive battery drain from the Bluetooth master hearing aid (in my case, the left side). I end most days with the right aid at 40-50%, but the left in the 10-20% range.

I’ve verified that the problem is tied to the phone: if I use my old Pixel 3XL instead, the battery life is fine, even though it also runs Android 12. Pretty sure the problem is related to the Bluetooth radio in these new Pixel 6 phones.

Hopefully Google will fix it in an update soon.

I forgot to mention that I actually have Paradise, not Marvel aids. P90R.

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I have KS10 rechargeables. Strangely for me the left one drains faster.

I have a 5 Pixel, but the Jan. update could have something to do with this.
George

If the batteries both show 100% at the start, it isn’t a dirty connection problem that will be resolved by rubbing a pencil eraser. (That is a good technique to keep in your bag though. Just be sure to get all the stuff off when done.)

Either there is a configuration issue with something connected to the master aid drawing it down from a BT connection, or that HA battery is shot. I’d ask for a new one under warranty if it were I. If they aren’t under warranty any longer, might be worth it to pay to have the battery replaced if you aren’t up for new HAs. I’m betting Phonak comes out with a new Audeo platform hearing aid line toward the end of the year. They’re due, as they have been releasing on about a two year cycle. Maybe hold out until then? (I assume your Marvels are Audeo, although you didn’t state it that I could see.)

You can also get the BT master switched to the other aid. I did that and it gives me more time in the day as my rt ear is worse and it draws a little more power for the hearing aid function. Switching balanced things out a little.

WH

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I’ve only had an issue once…rt Paradise P90 died late in the day. The left one still had35% charge.

I cleaned the contacts as I said above and charged it. Issue solved.

(I used to do a lot of work with Nikon F2’s and F3’s. If the battery died I was shut down. I regularly cleaned the contacts. Just in case. My back-up camera was completely mechanical, and had no meter.)

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I have Phonak Marvel M 90 rechargeables, and had a sudden problem with my left hearing aid dying early in the evening…very unusual. After a second incident I contacted my audiologist who suggested a battery reset:

“Hold the volume down button for 15 seconds then release wait 4 seconds and put into the charger, eventually it will start blinking and this means its been reset.”

I did that and problem solved! Hope this helps and is something else to try at least.

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Thanks Sunny! Much appreciated.

Very welcome!! I hope it helps you!

My audiologist says this can help with many battery issues so its a great little option to try.

Why don’t we know more about this kind of solution as part of getting oriented to new hearing aids?

Thank goodness we have this forum so we can help each other!

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I expect that you mean BT? So by changing the side for BT would level the wear on the batteries?

Your loss is also quite equal so I expect you won’t really notice the difference unless you have excessive battery drain on the right, then it’s worth trying the left as the master, just to see.

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Took HAs to Audiologist, and she is sending out to Phonak for repair. Will be withoutt aids for 9 days. George

That’s a pain, hopefully you got a loan pair or some backups, 9 days to go without HAs is far to long.

After 2 years I started to have trouble, went to my audi, he sent them to phonak, back in 2 days. They sent new ones. easier to replace than repair.

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