EASILY Clean Battery Leak Damage(Corrosion) In Electronics
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Learn how to easily clean battery leak damage(corrosion) caused by leaking Alkaline or other Alkaline chemistry batteries such as NIMH? In this video I'll show you a very easy way to clean battery leak damage to get your electronic device all cleaned up and back in operation. Enjoy the tip!
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Wondering how good Dollar Store Alkaline batteries are compared to a top brand? Watch my video below!
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Why are you using an acid to do this? I use baking soda and water and it neutralizes the battery acid. Is there a particular reason you use vinegar and not baking soda water?
tarstarkusz
baking soda(high Ph) will work for batteries that use an acid electrolyte(like car batteries) but you need to use an acid(low ph) to neutralize the alkaline electrolyte which has a high ph.
Vinegar won't leave a baking soda residue.
Hope this works on my old camera.
electronicsNmore (
Ive been cleaning corroded battery contacts this way for years now. One tip I didn't see is to hold devices like remote controls etc upside down when applying the vinegar and alcohol. This prevents it from running down inside and contaminating the circuit boards. Great video.
Well he does mention at 6 minutes and 30 seconds thought it would be a good idea to disassemble if possible for that reason. Though thanks for tip. It sounds easier.
If it is Alcohol, it doesn't matter because it won't contaminating the boards
Alcohol won't damage the circuit board. It will evaporate too quickly. You can clean a circuit board with alcohol.
@@RustyHinge In this case the alcohol is contaminated with vinegar and oxides and it will carry that to where ever it goes then the alcohol will evaporate and leave the contaminates there.
@@billshiff2060 , exactly.
My son used to make the Chewbacca sound but he passed away in 2012 at 18 from cancer. I missed that sound because it always made me laugh, so I bought a Chewbacca sound toy and left the batteries in and it corroded. I used this video and IT WORKED! I cannot thank you enough. ♥
So sorry for your loss. It is great to hear that you were able to save what I’m sure is a valued reminder of your son. May your memories of him always bring a smile to your face and joy to your soul.
Bro stay on topic😅
Oh, this is so sad and also so sweet 😖
@@koseraif Damn.
My guy, you’re a lifesaver! I just tried to fire up my old Wavebird controller to play my GameCube for some nostalgia, and realized I left the batteries in from like, 6-7 years ago. Thanks to your video, I saved her and am now playing some Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess! THANK YOU!
Glad to hear it!
Less than an hour ago I found my second Bung Doctor V64 Nintendo 64 development kits with a GameCube Wavebird controller sitting on top which had been missing for about 15 years. To my horror, I picked up the controller and found one of those rechargeable battery packs inside that have a 100% failure rate. I should know because I bought a bunch on clearance decades ago and every single one leaked… even the ones that remained sealed in the package. Around 2016 I even made a RUclips video about converting them to replacement Wavebird battery doors so I knew exactly what to expect here: blue corrosion on everything so bad that even the wires were detached… but the V64 was my big concern. The entire reason I had two units was because a NEC chip manufactured custom for Bung had a failed address or data line causing a DRAM error in one of the four memory banks. I recently traced it and found the failure was internal to the irreplaceable chip.
The only spare parts board I can see that was ever sold online clearly had that chip removed, which tells me it is particularly failure-prone and likely to be the issue in any future parts board that may crop up. The unit is extremely rare and expensive since they were technically illegal in the USA and are highly sought after by collectors today (Nintendo won an import ban because they also enable N64 piracy).
The Wavebird was directly over the vents. Sure enough, I found that the electrolyte went straight to the one chip I needed. The legs are crusty and blue on all sides with dark traces all around. When I brush as much away as I can the legs appear fused, especially at the point where they go into the chip package. Am I boned?
I only just found it because I was displaced by an EF4 tornado and clearing out my old game room “barn” to live in temporarily. At the same time I needed to sell my collection to make room. That is why I was recently looking at the other one to determine if it could be fixed (it can’t). I suspect that the chip will not tolerate transplanting well if they fail on their own. The nature of it being only one address or data line tells me it is likely a tenuous bond wire connection in the chip package that is failure-prone. Well, that, and the fact that the first time my original unit threw the error is was intermittent and quickly became permanent.
@@emmettturner9452 you sure like to hear yourself talk dont you...whats all that crap got to do with battery leakage corrosion cleaning?
@@gunzmith29r A valuable and rare collector piece was destroyed by freak chance from a leaked battery. It had just happened. It wasn’t even a battery-operated device. The corrosion went straight to the only chip I needed to recover.
Same with my nerf gun, baby
This tip may have been posted five years ago but it is timeless! I came across it by accident, as I happen to be half way through one of these recovery jobs, the remainder will be quicker and more effective. Thanks.
Glad you appreciated the video! You're welcome, and thanks for watching.
It just came up on my suggested list. I've fixed a few leaked gadgets by removing excess crud with a screwdriver or other object, and they've worked for years, but the vinegar thing adds a whole other level.
March of 2022 I tried to watch tv after not watching in ages . Nothing worked. Four remotes, one battery was missing. Some corroded so I'll try this, I'm guessing lemon juice may work too, but I've got white vinegar and the other items.
Same here
@veryslyfox
Brasso? Don't be an asso! Everybody knows Brasso is for military belt buckles and such. jk ;)
I've been doing this for years. Many of my electronic devices are from the garbage, the thrift store, or from the side of the road. It feels great to save money, recycle something that was headed to the landfill, and support our local thrift stores.
Next up: many rechargeable cordless appliances have a bundle of 18650 lithium batteries inside that are not designed to be user replaceable. What a deliberate waste! (Shame on the manufacturers for engineering products that are disposable like this.) With some careful electronic surgery, it is possible to remove the old 18650's and replace them with new ones. Appliance restored!
get lots of good 18650's from laptop batteries...six or 7 in each battery and probly one bad one which caused the no charge problem...i think the chip they put in the laptop baatteries is programed to kill the battery after so many hrs of use so people will buy a new one....you can also check the batteries and find the bad one and replace it .
@@gunzmith29r Thanks for that suggestion. I'll definitely give it a try!
I agree, products before the 80’s were amazing and work flawlessly to this very day. Yet, products now are designed for death at warranty, if your so lucky. Remember, the massive amount of different charging chords when cell phones became widespread.
@@gunzmith29r Yep, I take it apart and use the 18650s in my high-lumen tactical flashlights!
What do you do if the corrosion leaks through onto the circuit board? Will the vinegar damage it?
Perfect. Just saved me about 60 bucks fixing two corroded items that i just discovered yesterday, took 5 minutes. Used first tool at hand to scrape (nail cleaner tool from my nail clippers) and that worked fine. Simple. Effective. 9 minutes well-spent. Thanks.
Great to hear! Be sure to return the favor by sharing my channel with others. Thank you
Some notes:
- I also use a dental pick where the screwdriver won't quite fit.
- You can use some kind of electronic "dust off" to blast out residual moisture.
- Always follow up with De-Oxit as many ring connectors are not soldered, just compression fitted and sometimes they get badly corroded and partially loosened.
Deoxit is how it is spelled.
Thanks for the video!
One thing I want to mention is that if the battery contacts are so corroded it will remove the nickel plating(sometimes cheaper tin). After cleaning you are down to the base metal (usually steel) and you will now have dissimilar metals which can speed up the corrosion. (batteries are usually nickel or nickel plated which matches the nickel plated contacts) You will have to keep a close watch on devices in this case. Remove batteries as much as possible on devices that see little use.
That's correct. Thanks for watching!
You can use DeoxIT or a touch of paste used by electricians for copper to aluminum connections.
Just "replate" the contacts with solder. Lasts many years. See comments from James Jacobs.
you can also use dielectric grease
@@jamesjacobs7944 This is a good tip, but it's possible to overheat the contacts, which can melt the plastic that the contacts are attached to. I'm not saying you're not right, but DeoxIT is safer, IMHO.
Eye protection is recommended and also handy is a small nail style emery board, (the thinner the better) to assist with heavy corrosion. The rest is exactly how I deal with the same problem. Also a vacuum can be handy to deal with corrosive flecks brushed or scrapped away. They can cause skin burns or eye damage in the process. Good video.
Finally I see a smart person in the comment. Same with toilet cleaner. Long gloves, a simple face shield and no brushing, use hard sponges or soft sand stone scrubbers. Put a dust mash on when vacuuming, or smoke some acid if you are wanting an early death.
I just brought my acoustic electric guitar back from the dead thanks to this video! The corrosion was in a hard to reach spot so I couldn't do a perfect job but it worked well enough that the electronic parts now turn on. Thank you so much!
Great to hear! Be sure to look over my video playlists below for many other videos of interest to you, and most importantly take one minute to share a link to my channel with others on social networking sites. Thank you very much
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Omg. I’m literally watching this video for my guitar. The battery pack has been in there for years and they are T O A S T.😂😂
@@nikobuerk346 did it work for you?
@@neromoore Well yes and no. The method provided successfully cleaned off all of the corrosion and made it look new. However, the corrosion had been there a long time so it ate through the contacts. I’m debating wether or not I need to replace it or continue repairing it but that has more to do with its condition.
An old retired EET here. Well done young man! One tip though. If the battery pack can be separated from the PCB and other circuitry it's ok to simply rinse in clean water following the white vinegar treatment. Even soapy water followed by a clean rinse is OK. Just blow dry with a hair drier. For extra protection you can spray the contacts with electronic tuner cleaner .... uh .... if they still make that stuff any longer? The can of "Channel Master" that I have may be a valuable antique!😅
Wakodahatchee Chris
Tuner cleaner! Wow. I remember having a can of that back in the day. My first gig as a TV repair tech...testing and replacing old pentode vacuum tubes. Ya brought back a heap of memories. Lol.
Death by leaky batteries. I have only been "scraping and sanding" contacts for years but have saves a lot of great equipment in the process! Thanks for the tip on Vinagar and Rubbing alcohol.
I've been volunteering at a Habitat ReStore and quickly became the tech guy. I've pitched a few things because of this, which I REALLY hated to do. Now I know what to do with the stuff and I'll be making up a little kit to deal with these problems. Thanks!
Check out my ReStore video playlists. 😀
Overall a great video. I add a few steps to the start of the cleanup process. Whenever practical, I wash with clear water first. For the small, separate battery holder I would simply place it under slow-running water. In other cases I might dip the part in water or simply use the Q Tips dipped in water. Water is near pH 7 so neutralizes a lot of the corrosion. Then follow up with vinegar followed by a final flush with water as in the first part. The water returns to part to pH 7 or neutral. Often I can clean up sufficiently with simply a water flush and no vinegar. You are an excellent presenter, video recorder and teacher. Thank you.
I would finish with DISTILLED water only due to no mineral content and being a go to and tested electronics cleaner/Z solvent.
If the springs are riveted to a thin sheet metal thrust plate, that mechanical connection is often loose, and oxidized or tarnished; a common, major cause of intermittent flashlights, even prior to battery leakage having occurred. I solder the springs to the thrust plates, preferably before leakage occurs. It may be necessary to remove the metal thrust plates and springs from the plastic battery holder first, to prevent melting the plastic, unless you are skilled solderer with really good equipment (and it'll be much easier to solder the riveted springs *before* battery leakage occurs, because even after cleaning with vinegar, some corrosion will invariable remain at the junction of springs and thrust plate).
Thank you for this tutorial! I found some decorative twigs with lights at the thrift store. Was just about to toss when I discovered battery leak. My husband (A retired electrical engineer) advised me not to bother. So glad I was persistent! Followed your direction, and lights are shinning ever so beautifully. Thanks again
Wow! So complete and helpful! I was cleaning them allll wrong, no vin. - only alcohol, and it wasn’t getting very clean. Toothbrush, love it! Thank you!!!
Worked like a charm! Your video came up in my recommendations last night, I watched it this afternoon and used it to restore a miniature cube light. I thought it was useless, but I held on to it instead of tossing it. Now it is as good as new! Thank you for your video!
Glad it helped!
Great video - when you said "electrolyte" I knew you knew what you're talking about. FWIW, I spray the vinegar with one of those small travel sized bottles. It assures that the vinegar hits the nooks and crannies as it were. Then I rinse it with 91% Isopropyl.
Thank you. You saved my Dad's old flashlight. Nice to have some things to remember him by.
Glad the video helped you!
Watched this video years ago and it just popped up again. Want to say thanks again. I’ve used this method more than once.
Great video on how to clean up corrosion on electronics that use battery power. Speaking of disassembly, though, I wondered why you didn't remove the white clip (that has the red and black wires attached to it) from the circuit board. It looked like it would easily pull out, and you wouldn't have to fight the circuit board; you could also do a more rigorous cleaning of the battery holder piece if they weren't attached. However, you didn't treat any of the surfaces after you finished cleaning. By "treating", I mean put some type of light grease on them to prevent additional corrosion from occurring. I have a tube of Permatex Dielectric Tune-Up Grease that works great for that. After cleaning the contacts, I put a thin coat of this grease on them, as well as directly on the ends (terminals) of the batteries. I also put this grease on any new electronics I buy to prevent this issue from ever occurring with them. Additionally, I've put it on connectors going into the back of my computer. As a preventive maintenance measure, it has so far worked very well in each of these applications.
Great tip
I figured out the trick of using the automotive dielectric grease a couple years ago - helps prevent a recurrence and ALSO prevents a that ANNOYING flickering you get with cheap LED flashlights.
The biggest Achilles heel I have found with most flashlights and other battery powered devices is that almost all of them use springy clip assemblies made in China with cheap metal, with the spring loosely riveted to a metal thrust plate; and even before battery leakage occurs, the metal surfaces tend to become tarnished where the spring touches the thrust plate, and the rivet isn't tight enough to prevent movement and ensure a good electrical contact. *I solder the springs to the thrust plates*; This will eliminate the play between Spring and thrust plate and prevent loss of good connection as the metal's tarnish. Doing this will almost certainly eliminate any flicker that occurs when you shake the flashlight. I will warn you that once you have had a battery leak in that compartment, it will be very difficult to solder the spring to the thrust plate, and therefore it is best to do it in advance.
3:14 actual cleaning begins...
Omg. Thank you
😀 Thank you!
Thanks 😉
Thanks
Thank you
Excellent demonstration. Funny how some people really try to find something wrong with a video. For someone who didn't have the slightest idea on how to clean the corrosion this video was short and very detailed.
Thank you much and don't deviate on how you showcase your videos they're great.
Screw the haters and keep up the good work.
Glad you enjoyed the video Ed! I have a lot of excellent videos on my channel that cover many different subjects, so be sure to check out my extensive video playlists for other videos of interest to you, rate thumbs up, and share my channel with others. Thank You
Thx I sure will.
This could have been covered up in 1 minute!
Great advice! It worked to get my wife's $500 camera flash working again. This has made my wife very happy.
Moral of the story is to remove batteries when not in use for a while or a long time.
Yes, remove the batteries when not in use. Thanks for watching!
Yep, I forgot to do that on some Christmas lights I decorate my car with every year... Now it’s super corroded and gross. Gotta get out the vinegar!
A useful approach, seems problematic for flashlights. Maybe rubber-band a Ziploc bag with the batteries to the item so you can find the batteries in the dark.
Instead of removing the batteries, an easier/more convenient way to avoid leakage, is to simply turn around ONE of the batteries thereby interrupting any power drainage/leakage due to any possible flow of current through the circuit.. This will also prevent losing or misplacing the batteries for later use..
@@johnmcclintock8004 If there are an even number of batteries, turning half around will stop discharge.
Another technique is to place a small thin piece of paper or plastic over a battery terminal as an insulator.
However I have now thrown away several somewhat expensive aluminum flashlights because the batteries swelled up and I was not able to get them out.
i’ve used this process to recover several electronic items too. One observation is sometimes you can completely remove te battery holder from the device. Watching the video, you will notice a white connector on the other end of the power wires. Simply removing that connector separates the battery holder from the electronics. That makes it eaiser to clean, as you can emerse the holder in a shallow bowel of white vinegar to clean the contacts.i always finish this type of task with a rinse with distilled water, to neutralize the vinegar. Just makes me feel better. CAUTION do not get vinegar onto the electronics or you may damage them. If you accidently do so, you should immediately rinse that area with distilled an place the unit where it can dry out. Sitting it over a furnace air vent will do a good job of drying it out and not melting anything.
Good tips here, especially on the white vinegar
One of my favorite brushes are made from other brushes! I take a tooth brush and slowly heat the handle just behind the brush, bend up to 90 degrees or whatever.
The other is a so called "acid brush" These brushes come in various sizes, usually come with a formed metal tube handle. I will cut the brush down to at times as short as an eighth of an inch, depending on intended use. Acid brushes can be bought by the box for a few dollars from on line merchants or found in plumbing supply stores or home centers. Shortened acid brushes are great foe cleaning off solder flux when used with alcohol.
I have a few of those acid brushes, I use them when I sweat copper pipes. Very useful.
They are also called flux brushes at some stores.
You're the man... I had a bicycle headlight that was severely corroded.. I tried this technique, and it worked like a charm! Thank you!
Glad it helped!
Great video. I’ve been using white distilled vinegar for years.
I've been doing this for 30+ years to recover from leaky batteries.
Wear some eye protection. An old toothbrush is a perfect tool for this job, but it will also flick a chunk of alkaline right in your eye.
Most items I take the circuit board out, and clean up the corrosion in a sink.
After spraying it with vinegar, I let it set, then brush the corrosion off, then rinse the vinegar off, thoroughly.
Let the item dry. If you have a forced area furnace, dry it over a floor vent. Put it in front of a fan.
If you have to clean a circuit board with an integrated battery holder, carefully clean with vinegar, neutralize the vinegar with water, then flush with as close to 99% alcohol as you can find. The alcohol will absorb any water residue. Air, or heat dry. A circuit board can handle 90-100°F with no problems, and dry quickly.
Don't forget to neutralize the vinegar with water; it WILL cause more damage than the alkaline corrosion.
Very often the corrosion travels by capillarity along the wires . If the battery holder can be replaced , do it , wires included.
pecospest, I was saying this very thing to myself as I viewed the video. Sometimes more is less and vice versa. More cost, less work. But what "cost" is there to a battery holder? Not much. Don't forget to use the correct solder and a bit of liquid flux. (see Paul Carlson's posts here or on Patreon).
You sound just like actor Gabe Kaplan. Welcome Back Kotter.
pecospest thank you for explaining your point with the word “capillarity!!!” i recently experienced the STRANGEST and most random of issues with my ETHERNET CABLE.
please excuse my long winded story...sadly i missed the class on brevity. ( thus, i routinely become distracted when attempting to thoroughly explain something thanks to my own ADHD kicking in! ) so here’s the situation: my ex-fiancé ran a 100 ft long ethernet cable over the roof and into the master bedroom. this was done to extend our wi-fi range & enable his video game addiction performance via a second wireless router.
never had a problem with this ghetto set-up ( for over 8 years ) until last months heavy rain storm. the wireless router ( placed cockeyed & balancing on the top of a small flat screen tv ) “sprung a leak!” as i was vacuuming i noticed a huge puddle of water under the tv! knowing water & electricity are a deadly combination i unplugged the surge protector and sopped up the mess.
yet the water kept collecting...in the exact same place! i examined the bedroom ceiling for leaks and found nothing wrong. next i followed the water source and discovered the wireless router ( on top if the tv ) was soaked with water. i shook it and water sloshing sounds were followed by splashes of water flying out of this unit. WTF!?!? so i disconnected all the cables and power cord from the water possessed router so i could take it apart since this made ZERO sense! even the plastic cover surrounding the outside of the router was like a foggy windshield from the accumulated moisture... so it was probably a goner.
while cleaning up the wet mess this router created i was puzzled. how could there be no roof leak, yet this router was clearly waterlogged?!? thanks to my ADHD i left the bedroom to take apart this router. everything was disassembling easily until i reached one of those annoying security screws. now i’d have to track down my security bit set, so i put it aside for later.
returning to the bedroom...i found yet ANOTHER POOL OF WATER!!?!?! “that’s it,” i thought, “this house is possessed!” since, even the simplest of repairs in this 1947 home turns into a massive undertaking! i am truly losing my patience and sanity! WTF is causing more water to leak?!?! the router- which i thought created this problem in the first place was now sitting in my bathtub for further disassembly! i rechecked the bedroom ceiling, now convinced there had to be a hairline crack or pinhole sized slow leak... nope, the ceiling was dry! i even used a moisture meter to verify this!
exasperated i sat on the hardwood floor with a roll of paper towels and cleaned up another mysterious pool of water. THAT is WHEN i finally tracked down the problem! the water was actually leaking though my ETHERNET CABLE!!! the 100 feet cable thrown over my roof, under the crawl space beneath my house, up through a hole drilled in the hardwood
floors of my bedroom, traveling up the ethernet cable into the wireless router that was sitting on-top of my tv! times like this i wish i had studied both physics and engineering in school; surely that knowledge would have been invaluable for all future homeowners to know!
it may not have made logical sense for water to defy gravity this way, but once i shook the ethernet cable - it was clear that this had been the cause of my mysterious water leaks! the pride of discovering the root of such a strange experience was immense and even though i lacked the correct word for how this happened... seeing YOUR COMMENT ABOVE... suddenly made it all crystal clear to me!!! ........capillarity was the cause! thank you!
I have a slow moving quartz movement which suspect is due to a leaky battery. The problem is that it's one of those plastic snap on enclosed movement. I can't open it without breaking it off. Any idea?
Excellent detailed video. My daughter has an "iCat" (an electronic music-activated toy that works with an ipod) which was plagued with a corroded battery and she was almost in tears when it wouldn't work. I tried scraping it with a wire brush and it still wouldn't work. After carefully taking it apart and cleaning it as per your video, it works fine now. Me and one happy little girl both thank you.
Jim Sweeney Glad to hear that! Be sure to rate thumbs up, check out my video playlists, subscribe, and share my channel with others. Thank You
I want to thank you properly. I've been keeping this broken ring light for a couple years hoping it'll work again someday. I'm thinking of buying a new one but thankfully I found your video.
I don't expect too much, I just do it. Apparently it works like charm! So thank you once again and keep the good work.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching! Be sure to share.
@electronicsNmore, This video helped me repair my wifes' decorative Autumn lights. The AA batteries exploded in the battery case, leaking battery acid. Thankfully the leak wasnt major, nor was the corrosion. I followed all of your directions - now the lights work like new!!!! THANKS!!!
Tried this on my Macro Flash that I hadn't used in ages and forgot to take the batteries out !!!! It now works perfectly Thanks
Great to hear Trudy! Be sure to look over my "Useful Tips" video playlist below for other videos of interest to you, and most importantly share my channel with many others. Thank You
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Hello. I just want to thank you for this video. I was about to throw a rather expensive Nikon camera flash unit in the trash due to severe damage from battery leakage. Then I found your video, got some white vinegar from my kitchen, and 20 minutes later, my flash works fine. You saved me an expensive repair or replacement.
Tom Crawford Return the favor by sharing my channel with others. Thanks!
Great information - THANKS
Did you still use the alcohol?
I bet he does a really great Billy Crystal impression.
Heard that before. Thanks for watching! Please share.
My wife's Apple Magic Mouse was dead after batteries decided to leak in it. I had cleaned them with alcohol, but hadn't tried vinegar. That was the key. Thanks for keeping this mouse from being recycled unnecessarily!
Can’t thank you enough. Had a scale with a battery leak and watched this video, but did not fix. Then our heat went off and it was a battery leak in our thermostat. Did what you directed and both items are working. We would have been cold-no heat and would have had to pay for a new thermostat. Thank you again!!!!!
Glad it helped Helen! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for many other videos of interest to you, and most importantly take one minute to share a link to my channel with others on social networking sites. Thank you
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Good tip, I had always used rubbing alcohol, the vinegar seems much more effective at cleaning it up. Alkaline batteries aren't too bad at leaking, the old carbon zinc batteries were terrible about leaking! Carbon zinc batteries are still available, they will be the cheapest ones that you find, but for almost all uses alkaline batteries are a far better choice.
Be sure to check out my other videos and share. Thanks!
Practically every device I have that uses 3 or more alkaline batteries have had at least ONE cell leak and cause the corrosion on the terminals, even if the batteries are not just forgotten. Most recent was the HVAC thermostat. I will NOT use carbon-zinc batteries. In devices that use AA and AAA batteries, I use rechargeable batteries unless they don't provide sufficient power.
One of the most useful DIY’s I’ve seen ... have thrown out lots , that could have been saved by your video... quickly checked my flickering flashlight, did the DIY and full brightness back... thank you sir
Glad you liked the video Charles! Be sure to check out my wide range of helpful/informative videos and share. Thanks!
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I know this is an old video but it has be SO HELPFUL. I have so many little devices (remote controls, battery powered candles, flashlights) that have or are becoming corroded and I didn't want to throw them a way because they are still functioning well. Thanks for such great instruction!👍🏻
I have run into more leaking alkalines in the last two years than in the previous 20 years. Mostly Duracels! WD40 also works but white vinegar followed by alcohol to displace the vinegar and water appears more effective. Thanks!
Most of the corroded batteries I have encountered have been Duracells. First time in about 1993 with a 3 D cell Maglite, not even a year old and the middle cell had corroded while the other cells still had a full charge.
Your experience mirrors mine - years ago alkaline batteries I had NEVER leaked. Now, I find them leaking in the package - unused.
Yup! Duracells. I think every single thing I owned with Duracells in it leaked. I’ll never buy them again. And I quit using Duracells about 5 years ago now, and I haven’t had one thing leak acid since.
WD40 is a Water Displacement!
Bless you sir!!!! THIS WORKS. I have a tall beautiful light up cardinal snowglobe lantern that my mom got for Christmas a few years ago. I thought the batteries in it were dead so I went to get batteries for it tonight only for it to not work:( so opened it up and it was corroded. It was only corroded around one of the spiral rings but I couldn't clean it enough to get it to work until I saw this video! I only used a couple qtips and white vinegar since there wasn't much there, cleaned it out, popped the batteries in, and I screamed out of excitement! You made my whole day, thank you so much!!
Very good video! I've been doing this for years. We can build an orbiting laboratory, but we can't make batteries that don't leak! ARRGH!!! I have a couple of points that I'd like to make. 1.When you are done cleaning everything, coat all the contacts with dielectric grease. Just a light coat will do. It will help neutralize any remaining corrosion and will help prevent damage in the future. 2.We have had so many batteries leak that whenever anything battery-operated comes into our house, I coat the contacts with dielectric grease. It's also a good idea to follow the recommendation of the battery manufacturer to remove batteries from devices you won't be using often. 3.Dielectric grease works wonders to keep solar landscape lights working season after season. Coat the battery terminals and switch on each one and they will last a long time. 4. Most major battery manufacturers will repair or replace items ruined by their batteries. I'm not sure how often they will let you do it, but I have been compensated twice by both Energizer and Duracell because of leaky batteries. The largest amount was $60. I had a game controller ruined by Duracell batteries. They asked me how much it would cost to replace it and then sent me a check for 60 dollars. I ended up repairing almost everything and keeping the money to compensate me for all the time I have spent repairing battery damage. The only thing I couldn't repair was a MagLight that corroded the bottom threads so bad that I couldn't get it apart with two pipe wrenches. (One last thing... when you are brushing the corrosion away, do it outside or over a sink. Don't ever blow the dust away with your breath. You don't want that corrosion in your eyes or mouth. It burns like hell. Ask me how I know. LOL) Very interesting channel. Subscribed!
I agree with your advice about the corrosive dust. I was surprised to see him banging the battery compartment on the surface, spreading the dust around.
Dielectric grease is a MUST for any electronic or electrical equipment which it's contacts are subject to corrosion due to leaking batteries or outdoors exposed to the elements , I was at Grainger one day picking up a part for an HVAC unit and just happened to spot a spray can of dielectric grease and immediately bought one , The spray on is great for getting in those tight spots , Even though it's fairly expensive but very well worth it , You may be able to find it at your local electrical supply as well ,
That leaves out my girlfriends sex toys lol damn she hates when it gets corroded , oh wait , different type of corrosion lol
Dielectric grease is a special grease that won't conduct electricity but still allows for good electrical contact , I put a light coat on the base of light bulbs in the outdoor light fixtures to keep them from getting stuck in the socket and prevents corrosion of the socket as well , Great stuff , You can find it at Grainger or your electrical supply , Even though it's a bit pricey , But it's more than well worth it
Excellent suggestion to use the dielectric grease. Been doing that for decades after a tour in the Air Force.
I've had good success using a bit of dielectric grease after cleanup. Great, helpful tip.
Yes, even though the grease doesn't conduct, if you apply a very thin film to contact surfaces, it will move out of the way when the battery is installed allowing a good contact for the flow of current, and also prevent corrosion in the future. Thanks for watching Stan! I have a very wide range of videos on my channel, so be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for other videos of interest to you, and share. Thanks!
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This is great. Had no idea you could use vinegar to get rid of corrosion. I’ve brushed off corrosion with a toothbrush and also used a small hummingbird feeder brush to get inside those tiny coils. Thanks for sharing!
You helped me save my favorite Christmas decoration!
Bought a GBA on eBay that had a perfect screen but unmentioned battery corrosion in the holding chamber. Used this video and it worked like a charm. Held it upside down while applying liquids to avoid leakage into the system. Thank you.
Thanks for the most practically useful video I've seen for months!
Thank you for this thorough and helpful video. You helped me fix a battery pack that was preventing me from getting into my safe!
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I'm so glad I came across this video. I have an electric nail filer that I absolutely love but I couldn't get the batteries to work. I did exactly as you said in your video to clean the corrosion and it is working like brand new. Thank you so much for posting this video.
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As a consumer electronics repair technician, CET, etc, for 5 decades, this works very well. Just be sure to rinse out the vinegar and dry completely.
I just fixed my polaroid camera camera thanks to you, the batteries leaked about 5 years ago and I totally forgot about it and yesterday I tried cleaning it with only water and it didn't do much so my hopes for the camera were very low but because of you I saved it thank you so much!!!
Glad the video helped you! Be sure to check out my wide range of videos and share my Channel with others. Thank you
Thanks, great help. I was in a lot more trouble than losing some $ throwing out good equipment: Battery holder in my thermostat must work or I do not have heat. Used your method (used can of air to help dry quicker) and so far so good.
You have a good knack for teaching. Battery leakage is a problem that seems ageless. Are batteries EVER going to stop leaking and creating these problems? Hopefully many people will now save their corrosion infested flashlights and other battery operated stuff. Great topic.
Glad you enjoyed it! I have many excellent videos on my channel, so be sure to check them out and share.
Alkaline batteries used to NOT leak very often - I think they have cheapened them like they have everything else and now they leak as badly as the old carbon zinc ones did.
@@KarlsLabReport the newer lithium non-rechargeables are advertised not to leak. I haven't tested that theory. Also. What are your thoughts on the environmental effects on whether or not an alkaline battery will leak?
@@KarlsLabReport , Duracell are the worst, they almost always leak and cause massive corrosion. I've had better luck with Eveready Energizer, and Panasonic batteries. The special Eveready "Lithium Max" disposable batteries are supposedly guaranteed to not leak, at least in storage anyway, for 10 years. They're kinda pricey, especially the 9 volt batteries, which I've been putting into expensive test equipment with hard-to-access battery compartments, such as Fluke multimeters where you have to unscrew the back to access the batteries. A tip: wrap the battery in Saran wrap to help contain any leakage (9 volt batteries usually leak from the bottom, penlite batteries leak from the negative end). PS, don't mix and match batteries; use same brand/same batch batteries, or the weakest, different battery will leak first ---- or, it might internally flip polarity! I have seen this happen!
Thanks for this video, I thought I was going to have to throw out a very expensive piece of electronics. I am glad I found your video first.
Glad I could help Dave! Be sure to rate thumbs up, consider subscribing, and look over my video playlists below for many other videos of interest to you. Taking one minute to share a link to my channel with others on social networking sites would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
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A big thank you to you!
I had a brand new label maker and I moved. It was packed and in storage for 5 years with the batteries in tact. Yesterday when I got it out of storage the batteries leaked everywhere! I was gonna just toss it. But then I came across your video....I cleaned it up today using your technique and it works perfectly!
Again, THANK YOU! Not only did you save me money, but you also gave me knowledge! 😊
PS - I watched your video on Dollar Store batteries VS top brand....I am using Panasonic batteries in the label maker! 😁
IT WORKED! Came across your video last night after I found serious corrosion on four battery operated automotive flares! I was truly bummed..thinking they were ruined! Today, I did exactly what you recommended…fizzed like a sob…dried them out in the AZ sun…and couldn’t wait to try them out! Whalllah! You absolutely ROCK! Batteries don’t last 1 year here..so I did go thru the entire house and replaced everything that takes a battery. Date etc! Thank you so much! Now I’m thinking..how many items did I throw away…up until last night??? ALOT!!!! have a great day
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Thank you so much!
I was able to fix my old Leapfrog Explorer for my little bro.
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I've always loved using baking soda and water to clean off the corrosion on battery terminals. It is super fast and with a little rinse and maybe some light brushing they are cleaner than ever!
Same here. Works on car batteries too.
Peter Bowman and so will a can of Coca Cola, as it is mostly acid, ...lol, ...
Usually did this (Baking Soda) vs Vinegar... Although I have used the Rubbing Alcohol half often enough. Usually it cleans off enough to make it work again. Since Baking Soda usually tends to be messy I'm going to try Vinegar next time...
How To Video Channel Car batteries are acid batteries and so baking soda works because it neutralizes acid. These little batteries are alkaline batteries so an acid like vinegar neutralizes them. I have had little luck neutralizing these little batteries with baking soda and that makes sense because it violates the laws of Chemistry.
Simple... know the chemistry of the cell or battery you are trying to clean and use the opposite pH to clean it. Since Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate is a salt which dissolves in water) has a pH higher than 7, you use it on cells or batteries with a chemistry lower than 5, like a sealed lead acid battery in a car, etc. Obviously, the opposite is true and you use vinegar (Acetic Acid) to clean Alkaline cells like the common AA and AAA cells and their holders. Use a bit of water (neutral pH) to clean off those chemicals afterward.
It worked!!!!👍😀just fixed my blood pressure machine as the battery contact was corroded. Works great 👍 thanks 🙏
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Thank you so much for the video. I bought a miniature carriage clock at a thrift shop. The battery had corroded the complete compartment. I am not good at fixing things, but I thought for a dollar (what I paid) would be worth a try. I was so proud of myself when I put the new battery in it and it works perfectly. Thank you again!
Great to hear, and you're welcome!
Came here to thank you, this method saved my Band Hero Drum unit, I was nearly tossing it away as there's no service for it. I actually did not think this was going to work as the leak didn't seem to cover the entire contact, leading me to think there was another fault or at best the leak damaged the inside of the electronics, dunno if that's a thing too. So although the leak did not look very bad, at the microscopic level it still prevented the batteries from working! So it's always worth a shot, no matter how it looks...
Note: I also dipped the tooth brush in Vinegar, but I still suggest dipping it after applying it dry.
Thank you very much for creating this video and sharing such a cool tip. We have a high-end exercise bike with battery corrosion and your video saved us $150 from replacing a new monitor !
Great to hear my video helped you Art! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists below for other great videos/tips of interest to you, and most importantly share my channel with many others. Thank you!
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I almost always use a WD40 pen to put a light coat on the ends of batteries before I install them! I've had too many bad experiences of trying to extract and/or clean up after batter (especially in cylindrical things like Maglites)! Works great!
Thanks for watching! Be sure to share with your friends, and check out my latest "Bunker Bike" video.
Blakehx, WD40 is not the recommended spray for this purpose as it is a chemical compound designed to displace water (Water Displacement compound number 40). Other sprays will help. Read the suggested comments above.
Not really on point...but...like a few posts here... I experienced corrosion & cleaning issues with MagLites years ago when it was an over-rated and over-hyped product.
Correctly removing the inevitable battery corrosion at the bottom of the tube is not worth its retail price...in frustration.
I've switched to other reliable, maintainable, and cheaper alternatives which last longer than Mags, are slimmer, pocketable, operate longer, use brighter cree LEDs, and AFFORDABLE.
Somehow, these new pocket torches havent encouraged battery acid leaks after five yeats of real-world facility maintenance.
I have a mag lite that has a corroded battery stuck in it & I haven't been able to get it out. Is there any trick I can use or is it ruined? It's so frustrating. Poor design.
@@HM-uf1lv do you know any tricks to get a corroded battery out of a mag lite? What type of flash lights are you using now that you referred to?
I know that this is an older video but I have been using this technique for years and it has ALWAYS given me great results. Thanks for sharing this. I just wanted to say this...
I read all the comments. :-) Glad you enjoyed the video! Be sure to look over my extensive video playlists for many other videos of interest to you, and most importantly share links to my videos on social networking sites. Thank you
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@@electronicsNmore I'm trying to clean it as wel, the whole top of a 9v block battery is melted on my device... Someone tips?
Had a force fx lightsabre that had a lot of corrosion and therfore failed to work. Tried the advice in the video, 40mins later I have a perfectly working lightsabre. Awesome.
12 years later i found out that my Coleman Quad LED Lantern's uses AA batteries. I found out one had a leak and it won't work. I came here for help. All 4 lights are working now thanks to your help. I love my lantern.
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I didn't see Electronics Lubricant mentioned. Excellent final step to ward off corrosion in the future.
Yes, I added it to the video. Thanks for watching!
Hey man, thank you so much. Have one of those old AT-AT LEGO sets that have the motors that lets them walk. One of the batteries leaked but this vid saved me! Absolute legend🤟
Glad I could help
Thank you! I was trying to salvage my remote to temperpedic bad that hasnt been used in very long time and this worked!!
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Thank you, your video helped me clean a LED Magnifier for a Gameboy Pocket I bought off EBay. At first I thought the person who sold it to me scammed me, but then I realized that it needed cleaned where the batteries are. You earned yourself a subscriber!
Great to hear Manny!
I just took delivery of a used Elecraft KX1 (low power amateur transceiver). When I removed it from the packing, I noticed a smear of oily substance on the exterior of the case. On cracking the case, someone had left a brace of alkaline batteries in the unit, which of course had burst and leaked. I see no real damage to the case of PCBs, but need to pull the VFO knob and separate the PCBs from the case. I think they are fine and just a little cleanup of the case interior, plus a thorough cleaning of the battery holders will be required.
Your direction will make this a simple cleanup. Thank you.
73 de AG7TX
Wear glasses when using the toothbrush or scrapping! That gunk can go flying into your eye.
@Gun Slinger I did this prior to seeing this video using vinegar and baking soda, my own idea. Got aggressive and got some under my chin, felt irritated, wiped off with wet washcloth. Next morning after my shower it lit up. Ended up with a really dry burn that scabbed over. Yep, need to be extra careful with the toothbrush when dealing with battery acid.
Gun Slinger I learned this the hard way
What will happen if it got into the eye??
@@justinecarson6761 you need to flush your eyes out with water
Maybe he was wearing glasses! We couldn't see that he wasn't.
Maybe he didn't want to state the obvious....
Thank you! I knew the gist of this, but your video helped with some of the details I did not yet know.
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Thank you. You just saved Thomas the train from a terrible ending.
LOL
OMG it worked! I had a decorative light fixture and was so disappointed the find the batteries leaked. I kept the item for couple of years and today just thought of finally Googling it and found this. I used a tooth brush to generally clean it first then used cotton swab dipped in vinegar and a sewing pin that a covered with a bit of cotton taken from the swab to clean really hard to reach areas. At my first attempt with the battery it did not turn on. I was feeling defeated. but tried another and lo and behold it worked! it was just the battery lol it was dead. Thank you for this tutorial! now I know what to do from now on :)
Thank you for this tutorial! Just had to pry out 3 very corroded AA batteries with a slotted screwdriver from my son's discarded portable CD/Cassette/Radio player that I now use plugged in. I checked the battery compartment b/c I've been taking it out on my porch to sit outside & listen. I find the cord cumbersome so thought I'd replace the batteries. Now I can! 🫡
Interesting that it also requires 6 C batteries. All those were in clean shape, so I can check them to see if they're still any good before I put them in my hazardous waste stuff to dispose of properly. The contacts are sturdy wire on top of circuit boards & all was pretty easy to clean with your method. 👍
Thanks so much! I’m happy I was able to do this for my TI-84 calculator so I don’t waste money on a new one!
Glad the video helped! Be sure to share the video link with others. Thank you
thanks man i love u , I JUST RESORED MY OLYMPUS RECORDER
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Good tips, I've used sand paper over the years, I think I'll use your tips ,thanks.
Thanks for watching Adam! Be sure to look over my "Useful Tips" video playlist below for other videos of interest to you and share.
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Worked a great! Vinegar dissolved the corrosion immediately. The problem was was a battery powered door lock that has a 4-AA battery tray just like this one. Stopped working and went to change batteries as usual. The corrosion stopped the new batteries from making contact and the lock didn’t work. Washed the corrosion off with vinegar and it worked immediately.
Thanks for the clear, detailed video. I've seen a lot of others recommend baking soda, but I don't know if that even makes sense. The white gunk, potassium carbonate, is a base, and so is baking soda. Seems like you'd need an acid (like vinegar) to neutralize it. I guess old advice just echoes around forever regardless of whether it makes sense.
I cleaned the connection with the q-tip and vinegar on my beautiful mantle clock, which BTW stopped working a year ago. HOW did you get to be so SMART!? Thank you!
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Gets to the point at about 3:00. YW remove batteries, use brush (i.e. toothbrush) to get the more easily removable corrosion (crud) off of the contacts (dry), use Q-tip dipped in White Vinegar, swab affected areas, use small flat tip screwdriver to scrape more stubborn crud off of terminals (to get to the shiny part), then use Q-tip and rubbing alcohol swab to finish, wipe, dry.
This worked perfectly for a HORRIBLY corroded battery case, thank you!
I thought I had lost my expensive window candle…..they say keep batteries in for 18 months….even expensive ones leaked by a year! You saved the day! Thanks!
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I've been doing this for at least 20 years to my electronic devices that have corroded. I finally started using dialectric tune-up grease to the contact points after cleaning all the corrosion off and now put a dab of grease on the ends of batteries and contact points on every battery operated device I own. I find that it stops nearly all the corrosion. I also quit buying Duracell & Ray-O-Vac batteries which have seemed to be the worst to corrode & have switched over to strictly Energizer batteries. Great information in this video!
ALWAYS use lithium batteries for AA, AAA and 9 V applications. I have never seen lithium batteries leak. I never use alkaline unless that's my only option. (C and D size).
To your tools I would add a fiberglass pencil also called a scratch brush. It really shines things up and can remove solder mask (The green stuff) from PCB's (Printed Circuit Boards) when making repairs on them. Great tutorial !! Thanks
Yes, I have one, it's been shown in other videos. Thanks for watching!
Damn, wish I would have seen this video sooner! God only knows how many electronics I have tossed out because of corrosion. Thank you!
Used this today to clean lazer for my compound miter saw. One of the springs disentagrated but enough was left to stretch it out to make contact. After cleaning as you suggested it worked! Thought I was going to have to buy a new one. I didn't use it for over 10 years. It was at my wife's house in her garage. We lived in different cities because of our jobs. We nowlive together since we both retired. Thanks for the tip!
I am so happy to find you on RUclips. I had a stuffed fluffy Easter Bunny that had corrosion in the battery pack...what a mess! I hated to through it out, as it has been a family favorite. The white vinegar and Q tips did the trick... Thank you so much!!!
Thanks I will definitely try this for a few lights that rusted out after some crappy Duracell’s leaked and ruined the lights. This is why you don’t use Duracell battery’s.
Duracell batteries are the worst for leaks. Thanks for watching! Be sure to look over my video playlists below for many other videos of interest to you, and most importantly take one minute to share a link to my channel with others on social networking sites.
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lol this actually work, I had an Xbox one controller that I forgot to change the batteries and didn't wanted to tun on and well now is back to normal. thanks.
for infrequently used emergency devices, use lithium batteries instead. They will not leak like alkaline.
GREAT Advice. ...thanks
do you have a link for this?
lithium come with tripple A? Ive seen them in other sizes but not AAA
@@bzmanya4069 Energizer makes AAA lithium batteries. I've seen them at Walmart.
IF the device has 3 alkaline cells, you can use 1 rechargeable lithium cell with 2 "dummy" cells.
This worked so well and saved my £170 pocket balance scales... I was all set to pay £25 to gadget repair company to take a look, a light bulb moment and this "How to guide" saved me the expense... the scales are now working as they should. many many thanks "H"
Glad it helped!
Very thorough in execution, which rates highly in my book. Thank you.
Love it when I learn something new!! You are right, great tip!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
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