Help! melted battery in Maglite AA

[glockboy]

Anybody know how to open a maglite AA when the battery inside is melted?
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

 

[kitelights]

Has the light been modded? What kind of batteries? The major battery manf all stand behind their products. If it's a standard light, contact the battery manf via email. They will give you instructions on returning it. You will need to provide them with the cost or replacement value of the light (don't forget to include the cost of your shipping to send it to them) and they will reimburse you.

 

[glockboy]

It's a standard AA Maglite,duracell battery. the cost for shipping cost more than a new light. It's a gold color mag they don't make it anymore that's why I want to save the light. thanks

 

[Stanley]

Hmm.. when you say the battery has melted inside, do you mean that the battery is stuck on to the internal connector/switch in the barrel? If you pry off and pull out the plastic circle outside where the bulb sits (using a small screwdriver or blade), that should allow the bottom (internal) part of the switch to drop thru with the battery if the tailcap is open...

Sorry if I misunderstood your post and this is not the case...

 

[kitelights]

They will reimburse you the cost of shipping. You can tell them that you want it repaired, not replaced because of the color, etc. If you really want to salvage the light, you can always get the battery out and clean it up and then replace the guts with guts from another light.

Take the head off and then pry off the top cap that the bulb is in. Remove the bottom and place the light upright with the tail on something like a 2 x 4 and use a dowel rod and hammer the bulb holder and battery out. clean up the inside real good and replace whatever parts you need to.

If you post here on CPF what you need, there are probably plenty of people that will give you their Mag guts if you pay for the shipping.

If you really want to make it a decent light, then buy a sandwich from Dat2Zip. You won't regret it.

Good luck.

 

[Pellidon]

If it is stuck, try soaking in alcohol or spraying with contact cooler spray to loosen the cells. At least with a AA light, you can pound it back from the front. For a 2D I had to rig up a wood screw on a stick to screw into the battery to pull it like a dent puller.

Getting the crud and corrosion off the interior will be tough. I sanded and buffed with a bright boy pad and then clear coated the internals. I found if I did not buff out the goo scars, it caused batteries to leak rather quickly. That was in a 2D and it is still working. I purchased it early in the life of Mag's when they were expensive ($30 for a 2D in Indiana).

 

[Ratus]

I had this happen to my green mini-"Ontario Aluminum" in the summer of '95.

I had some cheap "heavy-duty" carbon-zinc batteries in it and one leaked and got stuck. I simply removed the "do not remove" bulb holder at the top and pushed it out.

I also sanded the inside glued some 400 wet/dry around a small wood dowel.

 

[glockboy]

Thanks everyone,but first I need to take the tail cap off,and it stuck,look like it weld to the body of the light.

 

[Stanley]

[ QUOTE ]
glockboy said:
Thanks everyone,but first I need to take the tail cap off,and it stuck,look like it weld to the body of the light.

[/ QUOTE ]

Geez! Sounds like it leaked pretty bad... Maybe you could stick a strong thin rod or something like that thru the keyring hole in the tailcap, and then use the rod as sorta a 'lever' to try and force/twist it to open. Threads should still be functional after that, but only thing you may have to replace might be the tailcap spring, but that's a minor problem... Good luck...

 

[turbodog]

I would not use a rod thrugh the hole. The aluminum is soft and will likely deform if not completely fail. Try some of the "strap" wrenches that Sears/etc sells.

 

[Steelwolf]

Go to a hardware shop. Look for the strap wrenches. The one you want has a rubber belt and usually a plastic handle. You may find something similar in the Automotive department used to remove the oil filter from cars. It will probably not work as it was designed for the fat, round filters and may not strap down small enough to hold a MiniMag. But it will give you a place to start from so you can describe to the sales person the actual thing you want.

Buy 2.

Use one on the tail cap, one on the body, set up to turn in opposite directions. Grip, grunt and turn. You may want to try heating the tailcap with a lighter, hot air gun or soldering iron just before you turn.

 

[doubleganger]

glockboy,
I'm just curious. Every light I've had that happen to had been left in a hot car and I was wondering if it was the same with your light? Now any light I leave in a car is gonna have lithium or nimh batteries.

 

[glockboy]

My wive left the light in the desk draw for two years with the battery in the light that why it melt.
thanks all for helping but the tail cap still not comming off.

 

[Experiment_626]

Have you tried neturalizing the acid with baking soda & water? Now that I think of it, you could always try the spray type of battery terminal cleaner used on car batteries. I know for a fact that it will dissolve the corrosion. Can't say how well the colored plating would hold up though.

Just a thought.....