Dried battery fluid

My brother had a mini maglite. He didn't use it for a while and the batteries leaked and dried. Now both the batteries are stuck inside the battery tube. What would be the best course of action now (other than chucking it and getting a new light)? Is there something that can be use on the batteries to soak them in to loosen them out?

Alkalines are just awful and IMHO should not be used in any light that you intend to keep for any length of time. You just never know when they are going to spew their toxic gutts. Lithium or NiMH are technically superior to Alkialines in so many ways its not funny. Heck I'd even take NiCD over Alkalines. Just my opinion If you catch Alkaline leaks early enough they can be cleaned with some warm water and baking soda/soap solution. I guess if you really wanted to you could try soaking the body + cells in a bucket of warm water and baking soda. Maybe they will work themselves out, but I highly doubt it.

One time I left 8 AA alkalines in my RC transmitter... the battery acid leaked and killed it!! $300 down the drain. Expensive lesson learned.

If the cells are swollen and fused to the light in a corroded mess, its time to just get a new light. I speculate getting the cells out is the least of your worries, chances are high the + terminal has corroded or completely disintegrated from the battery acid.

You can get AA minimags for $8 at Target. I've seen holster + minimag kits for $9 at Frys. Lighthound has drop in modules on sale for $6+S/H. Pick up some Eneloops and a charger FTW!! See it as a chance to upgrade.

IMHO.. of course

ziptrickhead said:

My brother had a mini maglite. He didn't use it for a while and the batteries leaked and dried. Now both the batteries are stuck inside the battery tube. What would be the best course of action now (other than chucking it and getting a new light)? Is there something that can be use on the batteries to soak them in to loosen them out?

Click to expand...

I'm in the same exact situation. My minimag has sentimental value because I've owned it for +10 years, so I definitely don't want to throw it out. It's just one of those things, you know? Yes, I can chuck it and get a new one for <$10 at Target, but this one's a keeper.

In the meantime I'm going to snoop the threads and find more info.

Well the thing is that it's not my light. My brother isn't all into flashlights so he doesn't carry one everyday and doesn't believe in expensive lights. Plus I bought him a Fenix L0D last Christmas so he's not in any rush to get a new light. He just wants to be able to use it camping next week (he has a niteize drop in for it).

I know that normally you can brush the powder with a baking soda/water mixture but in this case theres no way to scrub it.

I'm not sure how durable the plastic is but you can try taking off the head, removing the "Do not remove" piece, take a dowel or something, and try hammering out the batteries from the head end.

Someone on the forum suggested rinsing in vingear will get rid of the gunk.
Perhaps someone can chime in on this

Vinegar is an acid, the gunk in alkiline cells is, well, alkiline. It may work, but sometimes there's just no way to recover a light after alkilines have done their thing in there.

Don't know how safe this would be...
How about driving a long screw into the battery with a screw gun, and then pulling really hard on the screw?

Vinegar and boiling hot water 50/50 mix in a plastic or glass dish.
After removing the head and tail cap from mini mag flashlight
submerge the problem tube into the hot liquid. Use tongs to swish it about
and the corrosion inside will dissolve like magic. After a few minutes start poking at the stuck batteries with a screwdriver.
Wear eye protection.

Don't touch the used liquid. Pour down sink, flush with lots of tap water to rinse. Wrap the leaking batteries in leakproof bags and dispose per your local battery recycle regulations.

ziptrickhead said:

My brother had a mini maglite. He didn't use it for a while and the batteries leaked and dried. Now both the batteries are stuck inside the battery tube. What would be the best course of action now (other than chucking it and getting a new light)? Is there something that can be use on the batteries to soak them in to loosen them out?

Click to expand...

All my Mag (pre-CPF days) ended up this way. Try everything just cannot get the batteries out. Just had to dispose them.

Cheaper to get a new flashlights.

kramer5150 said:

One time I left 8 AA alkalines in my RC transmitter... the battery acid leaked and killed it!! $300 down the drain. Expensive lesson learned.

If the cells are swollen and fused to the light in a corroded mess, its time to just get a new light. I speculate getting the cells out is the least of your worries, chances are high the + terminal has corroded or completely disintegrated from the battery acid.

Click to expand...

Alkaline batteries don't contain any acid. They contain potassium hydroxide, which is a base.

Vinegar, as mentioned, may help to dissolve the corrosion, but the problem with potassium hydroxide and Maglites is how readily the aluminum of the flashlight reacts with KOH and literally cements the leaking cells in place.

Additionally, alkaline cells can physically expand as they are discharged, so an overdischarged and leaking cell may have a larger diameter than it did to start with. This makes it even more difficult to remove them.

After cleaning with vinegar/water the inside on the tube will look something like
wood thats been chewed by termites. Doesn't affect operation, its just
textured aluminum now instead of smooth. and invisible from the outside.
The more obsessive compulsive CPF'ers may still worry. Perhaps new meds
could help...