How To Convert Fake Xiaomi MI Power Bank to Original | DIY.

Have you ever been cheated by seller and sold you a fake power bank (MI or Any)? here I’m about to tell you how did I manage to convert my fake MI power bank into original one with long lasting power capacity (10400mAh).

Sometime It’s worth buying fake power banks if you get that at really cheap price. I’ve bought that about 2 month ago around 300INR. Site was telling that it’s original power bank with festival offer so its cheap.. but it was fake.  I did little research and found that we can also get just power bank case without internal  “18650” batteries but that costs around 500INR on eBay.

Bingo !! we aren’t in loss. So here is the tutorial that will definitely help you if you want to apply this trick.

Many people are wondering over internet for identifying which power bank is fake and which is genuine, so here are my tips, according to that you’ll surely able to identify, whether power bank is original or fake..

• Based on Look And Feel..
• Weight of power bank, original has more weight than fake one.
• Power indicating lights are little bigger and yellowish in fake power bank compared to original one.
• Original power banks have Matt Finishing on surface where fake ones are Shiny.
• 10400mAh and other text is just printed at bottom so you can not feel fonts with fingers in fake power banks. And fonts are darker.
• Where Bottom fonts are embossed in original power bank so you can feel fonts with fingers. They are light in color. This gives it nice feel.
• Original Power Banks Do not have MI Symbol printed on its USB cable where fake have it.
• Fake power banks can be opened just like matchbox just by pushing from bottom, It doesn’t have screws. Where original is fit with screws.
• After opening it you can also measure it’s 18650 batteries with Multi Meter to identify whether its original or fake.

Well, in my case only one 18650 cell was actually connected to circuit & other cells are just put there for weight. I’m so sorry they were not even cells, other 3 cells are just something which lookalike cells but they aren’t. It have 0v coming out of it… so bad..

Here in picture below you can see those other unattached shiny cells, blue is working cell and other are fake one. But according to YouTube videos from other people stated that even working cell  have button cell inside of it so Chinese cell will drain quickly. And other fake cells are made up of Chinese sand inside of it :D

Genuine 6 Samsung cell from My HP Laptop Battery.

Get an old Laptop battery in non-working condition which you are about to throw away.

Open it up with screwdriver kit or just break above layer and you will get six 18650 battery cells. This depends on size of your laptop battery size i.e 6 cells, 12 cells, 16 cells, 18 cells etc. Above figure shows how 18650 cells are fit on laptop battery such a way in serial and parallel connection that will make 10.8v long lasting 4910mAh battery for laptop. It also has temperature sensor which you can also use inside power bank if you want just like original one.

The reason behind using old battery is that. you will get guaranteed original 18650 cells in less price or cheap. Otherwise fake “Ultra Fire” cells won’t benefit you anymore if seller cheats you again. 

Single original Samsung 18650 cell costs around 500INR which is of 2600mAh which we will get for free & we will use 4 out of 6 taken out from laptop battery so it will be 4X2600=10400mah original Samsung power bank.

Now, I guess you might get a question that. Laptop battery was in bad condition or not working then how come our power bank will work?

In case of laptop battery all the cells are connected together forming a circuit. If any single cell stops working then whole circuit breaks and you’re laptop will show “Plugged in but battery is not charging”. And It leads us to think It’s gone forever. But answer is NO, still there is some juice storing capacity.

In my case 2 cells where bad, other 4 was In working condition so I’ve used those which has around 3.7v power supply  that you also need to measure with Multi Meter. Using that tool you can also test 18650 cells came along with Chinese power bank and identify which is fake and which is real.

Here in figure below, working cell shows around 3.7v and bad or fake cell shows 0.1v or 0v on Multi Meter. Keep regulator on 20v while measuring cells.

Now you have to test each and every cells came along with powerbank and also cells from laptop battery and get 4 good working cells  as we want to make 10400mAh power bank. Here is the table follow it according the number of working cells do you have.

1X2600mAh cell = 2600mAh Powerbank.
2X2600mAh cell = 5200mAh Powerbank.
3X2600mAh cell = 7800mAh Powerbank.
4X2600mAh cell = 10400mAh Powerbank.
5X2600mAh cell = 13000mAh Powerbank.
6x2600mAh cell = 15600mAh Powerbank and so on..

Following are some tools you will need to apply this trick, you can get them cheap on eBay in case if you don't have that. you can also use them in future for repairing other electronics so they are worth buying.

1. Multi Meter : For measuring cell voltages.
2. Screw Driver Kit : For opening laptop battery.
3. Soldering Kit (Soldering Iron, Resin core wire, Flux paste) : For soldering all things together.

In case if you don't want to buy those tools. just go to small electronics repairing shop, they have all these tools, measure voltage there.. and ask that shop keeper for soldering.. he might charge you for doing that..

Now take metal strip from old file or folder. cut it into 2 parts. Now we need to solder / Join working 18650 cells in parallel connection. so all “Positive(+)” node of battery will be stick together and all “ Negative (-)“ node need to stick to gather with that metal strip as shown in fig below.

Here note that. When we connect number cells in parallel In will increase it’s mAh capacity but its voltage will be same which is 3.7 to 4v. But if you connect those cells serially. It’s mAh will be same and voltage will be multiplied with number of cells connected which is 4 cells equals around 16v of power which may cause serious damage so you have got to have some knowledge about physics otherwise you will burn yourself up with battery blast. So take care while doing that and do it at your own risk being part of Disclaimer.

Here is video tutorial in case if you need any type of help. :)

Keep negative wire little longer than positive wire then solder them to red circuit on Chinese power bank case. Here Chinese cell where bad but that red circuit will be standard for all power banks so it will probably work good with our new Samsung cells.

When soldering is done.. cover it will with xiaomi Mi case back so it will look nice and also work good.. so taadaa.. now we have original Samsung Power bank with real 10400mAh and with the cover of xiaomi Mi. Nobody  gonna identify that. And in low budget we’ll get worth 2500INR of thing enjoy !!

By the way, Its my first post of the year 2016.. So Happy New year 2016 to all of you..& Have a Nice Day !! Happy Hacking !!  If you like it, please don’t forget to it share with your cool friends Because sharing is caring. Feel free to ask if any query in comment section below. ;-)