Best cleaning method and solution for battery contacts/ springs

usdiver

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Anyone know what's best to clean battery contacts/spring from alkaline poisoning? Corroded from leaking alkaline batteries
 

Lynx_Arc

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Use vinegar then clean that off with alcohol then polish or sand as needed. I often use emery boards and red pencil erasers on contacts. Some people use deoxit stuff and finish it with some sort of protective coat to keep from tarnishing.
 

Lynx_Arc

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If you don't have vinegar you can use lemon juice just don't use anything with sugar in it any dilute acid will neutralize the alkaline substance. I've used light bulb dialectric grease on occasion to protect contacts a little better but it does make the battery end a little greasy.
 

louie

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I really prefer removing the corroded parts from the device if at all possible. Then I can run everything under water, and toothbrush away as much soluble stuff as possible. Then you can see how much corrosion there is. I like to sandpaper or file away corrosion that directly contacts the battery and case. If there are crimps or solder, it may have to be re-done. I try to check resistance with my DMM. I'm left hoping that vigilant use of Deoxit or the like will be OK.

I cannot tell you how much I despise alkaline battery corrosion. Darn near everything with alkalines here has had a leak, and damage.
 

usdiver

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If you don't have vinegar you can use lemon juice just don't use anything with sugar in it any dilute acid will neutralize the alkaline substance. I've used light bulb dialectric grease on occasion to protect contacts a little better but it does make the battery end a little greasy.

Should I dilute the vinegar with water or does the strength matter?
Toothbrush sounds good and running water plus dielectric grease. The battery bay is VERY tight also and grease wouldn't hurt.
ImageUploadedByCandlepowerforums1549114423.350938.jpg
 

louie

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Yeah, that's pretty ugly. I doubt the strength of vinegar matters much; vinegar is pretty dilute as it is. Plenty of water afterwards. I would carefully check the resistance of the spring where it's attached to the plate - corrosion there is insidious. And I wonder why there isn't another spring? Sand or file contact surfaces, after removing the contacts from the plastic if possible. They usually just pry out, although you might have to bend a tab or unsolder a wire.

What I didn't realize until recently was that Costco alkaline AA cells have the whole body and tip as positive, and the negative is an attached disc and gasket. Thus, the leakage starts at the negative end, where the more delicate spring is.
 

usdiver

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Thanks guys vinegar did the trick, ate the corrosion right off then applied brass brush then good rinse with water. Dry....
The missing spring was broken off. Contacts are still there. Robbed a spring off a tv remote temporarily, bought a butane solder torch and stuff... but guess what got it to working ImageUploadedByCandlepowerforums1549132835.096191.jpg
Need to do some cleaning tweaking and minor repair but not bad considering I ve never had one nor seen one of these and how it works. I m wanting to find some history on it now.
 
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Lynx_Arc

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Yeah, that's pretty ugly. I doubt the strength of vinegar matters much; vinegar is pretty dilute as it is. Plenty of water afterwards. I would carefully check the resistance of the spring where it's attached to the plate - corrosion there is insidious. And I wonder why there isn't another spring? Sand or file contact surfaces, after removing the contacts from the plastic if possible. They usually just pry out, although you might have to bend a tab or unsolder a wire.

What I didn't realize until recently was that Costco alkaline AA cells have the whole body and tip as positive, and the negative is an attached disc and gasket. Thus, the leakage starts at the negative end, where the more delicate spring is.
Correct, vinegar is a rather dilute acid no need to water it down but as an acid you do need to wash it off. I sometimes finish with alcohol because it helps dry it out better. I keep forgetting I've saved batttery springs from things that I've trashed I could use to replace damaged ones. I just found a 1AA LED light that a 2010 Energizer puked in. My luck with leakalines isn't very good I've had to clean up after dozens of them in my lifetime often twice a year every so I've been spending the money on L91/92 lithium primaries to eliminate the problem.
 

usdiver

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My luck with leakalines isn't very good I've had to clean up after dozens of them in my lifetime often twice a year every so I've been spending the money on L91/92 lithium primaries to eliminate the problem.

L91/92? What about aa nicad or lipo?
I hate leaking batteries and this just made me decide no more leakalines (I like that comment) for me!
 

louie

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Thanks guys vinegar did the trick, ate the corrosion right off then applied brass brush then good rinse with water. Dry....
The missing spring was broken off. Contacts are still there. Robbed a spring off a tv remote temporarily, bought a butane solder torch and stuff... but guess what got it to working

Need to do some cleaning tweaking and minor repair but not bad considering I ve never had one nor seen one of these and how it works. I m wanting to find some history on it now.

Can't help, I've only used their MP5 and it didn't need batteries! What is that, a safe?
Go for lithium AA primaries or Eneloops unless you want to clean corrosion again. I don't do NiCds anymore if I can help it - poor self discharge and lifetime, if you can get them. I suppose you could modify the box for a 3volt lithium primary CR123. Dunno about a LiPo.
 

Lynx_Arc

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L91/92? What about aa nicad or lipo?
I hate leaking batteries and this just made me decide no more leakalines (I like that comment) for me!

Lipo is too much voltage and nicads don't hold a charge long enough and nimh cost more now than Energizer Lithiums and sometimes
the voltage gets too low for some things like outdoor sensors.
 

usdiver

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Thanks guys... and yes @ Loui yes it's a handgun safe. I want to keep it original so there won't be any modding.. didn't think about the lithium AA but sounds like a winner

I have a key too and when I got it the electrics were... well you guys saw. So I've cracked the safe, reset the electrics now has my pin code. Not sure how many digits memory will hold. Couple steel parts are slightly bent but only slightly. History is unknown but I do know it's old
 
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