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DougE's avatar
DougE
Explorer
Nov 22, 2014

Flashlight Battery Corrosion Fix?

All of us grab that seldom used flashlight and find that it glows feebly or not at all. Are there any cures (preventative maintenance) for this. I'm trying a couple of things right now but won't know if they'll work for quite some time. One thing I am trying is to put a dab of silicon grease on each end of the battery(s). The other thing I'm trying is to give the contacts a spritz of battery terminal corrosion inhibitor - the stuff you get for the car battery at the auto supply. Any thoughts?
  • Gjac's avatar
    Gjac
    Explorer III
    Nov 22, 2014
    I found that with the small led type flash light like from HF after they sit for a while they get dim (maybe from some slight corrosion) if you spin the batteries in place they get bright again.
  • DougE's avatar
    DougE
    Explorer
    Nov 22, 2014
    I don't know if what I'm trying will stop the corrosion, but if it prevents the contacts from getting corroded it would help a great deal because then just replacing the battery would be all that was necessary to get the item working again. No more scrapping and treating the contacts.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Nov 22, 2014
    Mobile phones make a pretty good flashlight.

    I don't know if there's any way to inhibit a battery's leakage. The suggestion above doesn't make sense because if the FL is off there's no current flow.

    Take the batteries out, as per manual on almost any device.
  • BuckBarker's avatar
    BuckBarker
    Explorer
    Nov 22, 2014
    Reverse one battery for storage, then turn the battery around the correct way when you need to use it. Fixed.

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