My month-old MiniMagLED 2AA is failing

I bought a MiniMagLED 2AA about a month ago, and was immediately pleased with it (light quality, brightness). It became my EDC in its belt holster, replacing my Inova T2.

As of two days ago, it is unreliable.

There were times when I would twist it on, and it would simply not light up; I would twist it off again, then on again, and it would be fine.

The problem seems to have gotten worse, though.
Now, when the light is established on, if I just shake it slightly, it goes off.
Also, when I take off the head and use it candle-style, if I press down on the LED assembly, and let it go again, most of the time it does not re-light.

I don't know where the problem is likely to be found. What I want is my confidence in the light back!

Has anyone had problems like this with the MiniMagLED?
I no longer have the packaging (and I'm not sure I even have the receipt). I would return it to Walmart if I did. What should I do about sending it back to Mag Instrument, then, if that is the way to go?

Thanks for any help.

-Jeffrey

I've noticed that positive contact tends to corrode easily. Had the same problem with my 3AA mag. You just have to clean it off. It is irritating though.

Where is the pos. contact?

The positive contact should be at the LED end of the battery tube.

Regarding WalMart's return policy, they have allowed me to return stuff with no receipt before; they just ask for ID and keep a record so they can limit how many no-receipt returns you make in a year. I don't know if that's company wide or unique to my local Walmart, but it might be worth a try.

Jaybird, edit out your suggestion.

Nevermind; I removed it myself following a non-response.

currently having the same issue with a 3AA

Speaking of this i had the same problem and Same Situation (No Package or Recept) Luckly The wal-mart associate was very kind and understanding as well as saying a few other people had returned the same lights days before, I was able to return it and get a new one with no hassle

So i'm guessing they are sending the defects back to Mag as this must be common

Well, that pretty much sucks.

While they are not my favorite lights by far, I haven't have any trouble yet. However, I do treat all my lights with Caig DeoxIt and DeoxIt Gold (contact cleaner and conditioner -- hmmm, "lather rinse and repeat?") and use silicone grease on them, too. In fact I have to do one of my lights today. I'm a believer in giving myself every advantage I can and then if a light fails I can rule out the obvious causes.

PAB said:

I've noticed that positive contact tends to corrode easily. Had the same problem with my 3AA mag. You just have to clean it off. It is irritating though.

Click to expand...

How do I get that thing cleaned off, then? It's way up there in the tube!

Is there some way a user can get that stuff out of the flashlight body for servicing?? That'd be cool...


-Jeffrey

I have that spray for electrical contacts... maybe that's it?

No problems here, and I use it every day everywhere

I cleaned the positive contact of my 3AA MagLED by scotch taping a Q-Tip to the end of a ball point pen, dipped the end of the Q-tip in rubbing alcohol, and just reached in there and swabbed away. It worked like a charm, and no more flickering so far.

sounds like a good idea, I cleaned it the same even thought had no issues.

chmsam said:

While they are not my favorite lights by far, I haven't have any trouble yet. However, I do treat all my lights with Caig DeoxIt and DeoxIt Gold (contact cleaner and conditioner -- hmmm, "lather rinse and repeat?") and use silicone grease on them, too. In fact I have to do one of my lights today. I'm a believer in giving myself every advantage I can and then if a light fails I can rule out the obvious causes.

Click to expand...

chmsam,
Can you recommend a source for Deoxit? I found their website but I'd really prefer to be able to hit a local store for it rather than ordering it and having to wait.

While I'm asking, where do you all get stuff like lithium grease, etc.? I've never bought the stuff, but people seem to find a myriad uses for it around here!

Oh, and finally, anyone know how to disassemble the MiniMagLED to make cleaning this contact real easy? I'd love to know. (Probably requires some special factory tech tool, though. )

I just did that.

I took a dental tooth pick (slightly longer than a tooth brush), taped a Q-tip to it and reached inside the 3AA version. (This is where the + contact is, all the way at the end)
I sprayed the Q-tip with some electrical cleaner.
I wasn't having any issues, so I did this pre-emptively.

I don't really understand why twisting the head makes it turn on, or what comes into contact with what. I want to clean things on the LED side also, not just inside where the cells go.

If you twist the head entirely off, you can see that the action of moving the head on its threads moves it away from the body of the flashlight.

The LED module apparently floats on a spring and makes contact when it is allowed to float some distance away from the tube as well. So when the head moves away, the LED module moves away under spring pressure (and reaches a stop somehow). The light is "held off" when the head is screwed back down, and the LED module is held against spring pressure and out of contact with the circuit.

You can test this by removing the head. The light is in "candle mode" then, and if you press on two sides of the LED module, it turns the LED off.

peacefuljeffrey said:

How do I get that thing cleaned off, then? It's way up there in the tube!

Is there some way a user can get that stuff out of the flashlight body for servicing?? That'd be cool...


-Jeffrey

Click to expand...

I actually removed the LED module to do it. It's only held in position by a plastic retaining ring. If you remove the batteries, you can push the module into the light, leaving the plastic ring behind. It just drops right out. Watch for the plastic retaining ring, it will fall out of the light in the opposite direction. Mildly tricky putting it back together since the retaining ring must be aligned with the LED module.

So, PAB, you've actually had the entire guts of the MiniMagLED out of the light?! It's cool to know that it's do-able. I think I'm gonna try it, just for the heck of it.
Thanks!

peacefuljeffrey said:

chmsam,
Can you recommend a source for Deoxit? I found their website but I'd really prefer to be able to hit a local store for it rather than ordering it and having to wait.

While I'm asking, where do you all get stuff like lithium grease, etc.? I've never bought the stuff, but people seem to find a myriad uses for it around here!

Oh, and finally, anyone know how to disassemble the MiniMagLED to make cleaning this contact real easy? I'd love to know. (Probably requires some special factory tech tool, though. )

Click to expand...

PM CPF member vortechs. He might have a few left.

One of the problems with ALL my mini mags is the contact spring at the bottom of the light. Try lengthening it.