[RC-Monster Mike]

Your batteries may be fine, but your charger sounds like it gave the ghost. Generally, the power supply in the charger is a limiting factor determining how many cells it can charge and the charge rates it can charge at. The chargers you have are OK at best. they are fine for 6 cell packs and receiver packs, but they are certainly not up to the task of charging your 9 cell packs for e-maxx duty. The final voltage read will depend on a lot of factors (internal resistance of the cells, quality of the cells, resistance in the wiring, etc.). The MRC chargers most likely cannot charge 9 cells at 4.5 amps on their best day (power supply most likely can't deliver that current). The Integy 16x4 pro chargers in the store (this site) are great chargers for high cell counts and are very reliable. They can charge up to 15 cells at a time, so your 9 cell packs won't be an issue. These chargers can also cycle you batteries and may bring them back to life (they are probably not dead-the chargers may be the whole problem). Obviously, there are other chargers that will work well, too. I have quite a few customers who are very happy with this particular charger because it is reliable, easy to use and has good capabilities. For a charge rate, the 5.5 amp maxx of this charger will be fine. I charge all by packs at 5 amps. The higher the charge rate (amps), the more initial punch the packs will have when you first plug them in. Charging at a lower charge rate will slightly increase the runtime and decrease the punch. No big difference either way, though.