Solution for oxide formation on mini MagLED battery contact?

The recessed contact button on bottom of the LED module twists and rubs against the battery's positive terminal everytime the switch is used. After a while it accumulates non-conductive oxides and the light becomes intermittent.

So far the repair is removing the module and cleaning both the button and the battery's terminal with a pink eraser, but this has to be done everytime the light becomes unreliable.

Anyone come up with a permanent solution?

Coat the contacts with ProGold, NyoGel, or a similar thin lubricant. If you don't have either one, WD-40 will help a lot although it might not last as long.

c_c

I have DeoxIT and ProGold. I'll try the PG. Thanks.

I don't have either handy with me, so for now I put a bit of vaseline. Hopefully it would reduce the metal-to-metal friction as well as slow down the oxidation.

Not to sound stupid, but maybe it could be coated with solder?

Handy, the DeOxit/ProGold combination is superb - you should try it. I wouldn't consider it "permanent" but I can't remember how long ago I treated my CR2 light with those, and it's working just fine.

Just out of curiosity, how often are you needing to clean the contacts, and how much use is that light getting?

When I disassembled a couple 2AA MagLEDs to Fix a LED Flickering Problem, I also added a bit of solder to the positive battery contact to improve reliability further. I have had no problems reported by either person I fixed them for since then.

Curious_character said:

Coat the contacts with ProGold, NyoGel, or a similar thin lubricant. If you don't have either one, WD-40 will help a lot although it might not last as long.
c_c

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Keep in mind that WD-40 is a Solvent.

Hi,

Bulb grease works too.

M I K said:

Keep in mind that WD-40 is a Solvent.

Click to expand...

I've used WD-40 for many years on a very wide range of materials, and have never found anything which it attacks. I'd appreciate very much hearing from anyone knowing of any plastic or other material harmed by WD-40.

c_c

MrAl said:

Hi,

Bulb grease works too.

Click to expand...

this is nothing but dielectric grease

greenLED said:

Handy, the DeOxit/ProGold combination is superb - you should try it. I wouldn't consider it "permanent" but I can't remember how long ago I treated my CR2 light with those, and it's working just fine.

Just out of curiosity, how often are you needing to clean the contacts, and how much use is that light getting?

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I've had it for three months or so? Besides the runtime experiments, which doesn't involve a ton of power cycling, it's still on the first set of batteries.

It gets used a few times a week, often time for (can't talk about it here) use. It malfunctioned while on a mission the other day and had to be tapped a few times to get it to stay on steadily. It is fixed after a pink eraser cleaning just like the first time.

I'll keep an eye on how much longer it would stay good with a thin coat of vaseline.

Handlobraesing said:

I've had it for three months or so? Besides the runtime experiments, which doesn't involve a ton of power cycling, it's still on the first set of batteries.

It gets used a few times a week, often time for (can't talk about it here) use. It malfunctioned while on a mission the other day and had to be tapped a few times to get it to stay on steadily. It is fixed after a pink eraser cleaning just like the first time.

I'll keep an eye on how much longer it would stay good with a thin coat of vaseline.

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untill it wears off, i wouldnt say for too long though, its not a permanet solution at all if that is what ur thinking

hizzo3 said:

untill it wears off, i wouldnt say for too long though, its not a permanet solution at all if that is what ur thinking

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There is no permanent solution for contacts made from the wrong materials, other than plating them with something more suitable. Silver is a good choice for contacts handling substantial current like a flashlight switch. Something like Cool-Amp plating powder might work. Otherwise the best you can do is keep air and moisture away from the contacting surfaces to reduce the rate of oxidation.

c_c

crampedson said:

Not to sound stupid, but maybe it could be coated with solder?

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I have done the same with several lights and it work very well. But use lead-free solder.

Handlobraesing said:

I've had it for three months or so? ...
It gets used a few times a week...
I'll keep an eye on how much longer it would stay good with a thin coat of vaseline.

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:thanks: for sharing that - yeah, let us know; it's always good to get "field reliability tests" on all the popular lights.

Caig DeOxit and ProGold. Cheese Louise, I love that stuff! I treat all the contacts including the batteries in every one of my lights and have very, very few problems. A little goes a long way, too. Just be sure to follow the directions.

Curious_character said:

I've used WD-40 for many years on a very wide range of materials, and have never found anything which it attacks. I'd appreciate very much hearing from anyone knowing of any plastic or other material harmed by WD-40.

c_c

Click to expand...

Being a patroleum based solvent, WD-40 desolves like based materials. Some desolveable materials react at different rates. WD doesn't attack, it desolves. One of the materials that WD desolves quickly is road tar. WD is probably the best road tar remover on the planet. It works great on cars, because it usually won't harm the finish. The reason it doesn't hurt the finish or most plastics, which are patroleum materials, is because plastics desolve at a much slower rate. So that aspect gives one time to wash the WD off without harm. Over time, WD can discolor plastics. Sure you can put WD on plastics and not notice anything for a long time. I don't recomend you leave it on your car's finish. And I certainly wouldn't let it get on a plastic flashlight lens that I want to remain as clear as possible. To protect against Oxide on a battery, WD is OK. You would just want to be carefull with it.

Contrary to popular belief, WD is not a lubricant either. Yea, it claims to "Quiets sticky mechanisms". Heck, Milk will do that for a while. Go out in your garage and read the label on your can of WD. The word "lubricant" is not even on there.

Through experience I have found that WD is a great penetrant, desolver, and cleaner. I have also found that Tri-flow with Teflon to be a great product that does all those things, AND is also a fabulous lubricant.

And no, I don't work for Tri-Flow.

JMHO Good Luck.

DonShock said:

When I disassembled a couple 2AA MagLEDs to Fix a LED Flickering Problem, I also added a bit of solder to the positive battery contact to improve reliability further. I have had no problems reported by either person I fixed them for since then.

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Fixed my flickering P1 today. Thanks for the tip.
:goodjob:

Actually, a little wiping action of a battery terminal against a contact is a good thing. It dislodges oxide, it doesn't create it. This is a nickel-on-nickel situation.

So I would expect the battery contact to be intermittent after lack of use, instead of heavy use.

This flashlight uses a rather flaky way of conducting from the battery terminals to the driver board. That's what I would be suspicious of first.

WD-40. Lubricates, Cleans, Protects, Penatrates, and Displaces moisture. Read the can.