Cleaning Corroded Batteries in a MagLite?

Is there a specific method of cleaning corroded/leaking batteries from the inside of a MagLite? It's a 5 C-cell, and I'd hate to throw it away considering that they don't make this model anymore. Thanks.

If you have the batteries removed and are just dealing with corrosion to the bore of the light , go to an auto zone/ napa/ advance auto and buy a cylinder hone for brake cylinders Try to locate one with the longest flex drive in order to reach the far end, be sure to neutralize and flush out the gunk in the bore.

I just recently (1 month ago?) had the same problem with the same light. My 5C Mag-Lite is about 15 years old, maybe a year or two less than that.

I mercilessly beat the snot out of the light getting the leaky batteries out. Then I took a paint stirrer and scraped the goo out of the barrel the best I could. I washed the whole thing with Simple Green thoroughly (I had unscrewed the front pieces and removed the bulb).

I let it dry overnight, swabbed the barrel out with WD-40 (I hate WD-40) but it has its uses) and dropped in 5 new batteries. Light seems to work as good as new.

It was a gamble and I figured it was at least a 50-50 shot the thing would never work again.

Man, that Simple Green will remove EVERYTHING from a metal surface (full strength).

Drop a little oil on concrete when working on a mower, that stuff will make it vanish.

Keep an eye on it. The corrosion has a tendency to come back in the maglight tubes.
Dave

I would send it back to MagLite. I sent in my 5cell with battery corrosion and they did a phenominal cleaning job. I tried flushing out another 5cell with baking soda and water and I got water in to the switch and was not able to get the water out. I ruined the 5cell.

Thanks for the replies. I was going to try baking sod and water to neutralize the battery acid. I'm glad I read this post first!

If you can get the switch out it will be easier to clean it. this is rather crude, but it works - get a stick long enough to reach the corroded area, wrap about 2-3 inches on the end of the stick, with an old rag or something, make sure it is slightly smaller than the tube. put a piece of sandpaper around this, ( note - this should be smaller that the diameter of the tube.) get the sandpaper to the area of the corrosion, then - sand it out. this is a poor man's cylinder hone...

don't put any liquid in there with the switch

getting the batteries out is most of the battle here...

dmz said:

I would send it back to MagLite. I sent in my 5cell with battery corrosion and they did a phenominal cleaning job. I tried flushing out another 5cell with baking soda and water and I got water in to the switch and was not able to get the water out. I ruined the 5cell.

Click to expand...

There are replacements for the switches available.. that is really the only part that should need replacing... I think all the D cell batteries have the same switch - there is a new style and an old style

I use white vinegar to clean off battery corrosion in the old cameras that I repair, takes it right off.

and getting a sheet of good, high rag content, paper and wrapping it around the batteries seems to cut down on that corrosion.