3 AA mag LED repair

Evan III

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Jan 24, 2008
Messages
47
I have a 3 AA mag LED that doesn't work anymore. The led has separated and there is some tan type power like substance underneth the led. What can I do (Never modded a flashlight before) to repair or upgrade this light?


Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Re: AAA mag LED repair

I have a AAA mag LED that doesn't work anymore. The led has separated and there is some tan type power like substance underneth the led. What can I do (Never modded a flashlight before) to repair or upgrade this light?


Thanks!

Um, you sure about that light? There is no AAA Mag LED unless you bought a dropin kit for an incan one.
 
Last edited:
Re: AAA mag LED repair

I don't get it... the original poster said 3AA, not AAA, and then Marduke said AAA, and then instead of correcting him, Evan III acted as though he was wrong. ???

There is a 3 AA mag led, so Evan III still needs the question answered... unfortunately, it will take someone who knows more about them than I do.... I just found the first three posts odd.

EDIT: Oh, I get it, he must have edited it before I read it. Makes for some confusion.
 
Last edited:
Exercise the lifetime warranty. Send MagLite a picture detailing your problem, and you probably won't have to mail it in.
 
does the LED itself still power up? what you need to do is pop the LED module out of the light and keep the LEDs leads intact, then find the polarity of the LED to the module and reconnect the LED and test to see if it fires up (don't put it back in yet). Then note the polarity (use a sharpie and mark a witness mark on the electronic module and LED lead) and remove the LED, clean the heat sink pedestal with rubbing alcohol, and then use a very small (pin head sized) drop of thermal epoxy such as arctic alumina or arctic silver and place it on the heat sink area, reattach the emitter and reassemble the module. then put the module back into the body of the light. From there do not put in any batteries and screw the the head on all the way, put in a set of batteries first (use a thin sheet of paper as a contact isolator for the time being, we just need the batteries as a pressure applier, then allow the light to sit over night so that the epoxy has time to setup and adhere the LED back onto the heatsink. If all goes well, the light should work good as new again, if not. E-mail maglite and they will either ask for you to send the broken light back and they will send you a new one or they will send you a new LED module.
 
I bought a 3AA magled when they first came out. They won't hold up in a industrial enviroment. If you go to the maglite website they will give you some trouble shooting tips. If you have no luck with that than you can send it back in to Mag. They will tell you that led failure is rare but I think thats what happened in my case. It takes about a month to get it back. It's now just a spare. Good luck.
 
I have a 3 AA mag LED that doesn't work anymore. The led has separated and there is some tan type power like substance underneth the led. What can I do (Never modded a flashlight before) to repair or upgrade this light?


Thanks!

the LED snaps in to the driver circuit through the contacts soldered on conducting "pegs". whats under the LED is thermal paste, which range in color from white to tan

have you tried extracting the LED [vertically] then push it back in the contacts until the base of the LED [black round object where the dome is mounted on] contacts the metal "heatsink"?
 
This is why I hate the AA MagLEDs lol. If only they would somehow redo those stupid peg things that are all weak, those lights would be decent. Let's try some actual SOLDERING, not some crap that allows the emitter to FALL OUT after a few mediocre drops.

Edit: Unfortunately Evan III, there is nothing you can do unless you can somehow pry the pill with the circuit in it out and get the LED back on there, I would probably solder also.
 
Last edited:
When I took the head off, the Led was loose and pretty much fell out. nothing really looks damaged. I have tried to push te led back in, but nothing happened. I wasn't sure what the thermal compound was or what it's purpose was so I haven't really messed with it much. Do you recommend cleaning off all the thermal compound? and if I were to solder it, what type of solder and what should I becareful of?

Thanks for all the help and advise, I actully like the light, but it didn't take much abuse to get were I'm at now.
 
Top