Maglite / Duracell Battery Interaction

[BobK207]

Question for the group.............

Has anyone had this experience?

Over the years I have had & have found Maglite flashlights (only 3 & 4 cells) wihere the Duracell batteries have leaked & gotten stuck.

At first I thought it was that the battery spring was too strong but now with my most recent experience (a 4 cell where the cell nearest the buld leaked & got stuck)

I'm thinking that the bore in the flashlight allows for insuffficient clearance for the battery?

Any thoughts on this?

Also since I only have one 4 cell flashlight (there rest are 3 cells) & I thought the bulbs were bad I wound up using a 3 cell buld in the 4 cell. It's REALLY bright & I like it but the bulb life must be reduced?

cheers Bob

[Richard J Kinch]

All batteries leak.

[John‰]                      Â]

If the battery *leaks* it's a bad battery; I don't see how one flashlight or another can cause an otherwise good battery to leak.

I lost a mini-maglite and a four cell in the last 60 days to the same thing. On the mini I was able to run a long screw into the back of the battery and lever it out with a pair of visegrips, but the leaky battery left so much crap in the barrel that I couldn't get a new battery in.

Got mad and sent the four cell to Duracell with a letter complaining about their cheap, crappy batteries. Got a very nice letter in return with a check for $38 to replace my two ruined flashlights and $12 worth of coupons for any Duracell product. If the damage to the flashlight was caused by the flashlight they probably would have ignored my letter or politely told me to get bent.

Sometimes creative complaining can be profitable.

John

[CBHVAC]

Any battery will leak....

Get a SureFire and be done with it.

BAtteries leak..we know this...as such, we need to check MagLites often??? I dunno..I quit using em.

I bought a X200 SureFire for one of my Glock 40cals and then got a C3 Centurion and I tell you what...get even a basic G2 Nitrolon and you will be hooked. Puts a Mag to shame. I keep an A2 on my van, and its all I use when I need a light for diagnosis....if Im gonna be under the home, or in a basement and need more, Ill pull out the halogen work lights, but for a BRIGHT light source, you cant beat em.

[m Ransley]

Dont leave old batteries in, they leak when they are dead.

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

-snip-

I would tend to agree that Duracell would point a finger at Maglight if they thought they could support it.

But as a couterpoint- I have been using Duracells exclusively for 20 years. [recently I've begun usinf NiMH fo cameraflashes] I've had them in camera flashes, cd-players, radios and kids toys. I've 're-discovered' flashlights that were hidden behind or under furniture for years. But I haven't seen a leaky one in 20 years. I thought battery makers had figured out how to make them leakproof.

I've never owned a maglight because I couldn't justify spending real money on something that would most likely get lost in a year or two. Back in the days when I did experience leaky batteries it seems like the way they most likely would leak was if the appliance was left on causing a drain past the battery's life. Is it easy to leave one turned on or turn it on accidently?

Jim

[Patrick Cleburne]

I've had the very same problem three or four times-- but with Eveready Energizers. I send the flashlight back to Eveready and they either replace or send a check for batteries, flashlight and shipping.

Patrick

[ds549]

i have 4 cell maglight . i use nickel rechargeable batteries in it.been useing the same batteries for over 10 years. the key is to use

12 volt bulb. lucas

[Jim Yanik]

"BobK207" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I stopped using Duracells,as they seem to have a greater tendency to leak than onther brands.

FYI,household vinegar is good for removing corrosion from alkaline cell leakage.(acidic vinegar neutralizes alkaline electrolyte)

[Jim Yanik]

[e-mail] wrote in news:7954-43959E05-2441@storefull-

3256.bay.webtv.net:

Why use a 12 volt bulb with batteries that only add up to 4.8 volts? (NiCds) Your light output is greatly reduced,and NiCds have a self-discharge rate making them VERY poor for stored emergency lighting.

IOW;bad advice.

[Roger Taylor]

I have a 3 cell maglite and it goes years without leaking batteries. This is not common, unless you have a bad flashlight. There may be an intermittant or high-resistance short somewhere in your flashlight, that slowly drains the batteries, as they tend to leak when low or dead, but cell life can be years without leakage in normal flashlights. I recently popped a "fresh" aa alkaline battery in a small flashight that had a 1990 expiration date on it, and it worked like new.

As an aside, I think there are much better flashlights around than the relatively clunky maglites. For small intense, narrow angle lights, I like the surefire nitrolon, uses two 3 volt lithium batteries. The flashlight is only 5 inches long, but comes close to outshining my 3-cell (D) maglite, tho battery life is short. For general use flashlights with wider beam and really long battery life, I prefer the led lights such as the lightwave 3000 or 4000 (the latter can be used as a club, as well, like the maglite).

[Bubba]

First off, if its Duracell and its leaking, DONT touch it. Box it up and send it to Duracell. They are more than fair with what they do to remedy your problem. I sent in a JB Vacuum gauge a few months back (check the archives). It was a meter worth about $185 or so. 4 AA batteries leaked in it that were about 2 wks old. A couple weeks later I got a letter from Gillette with a letter, a few bucks in coupons and something like a $400 or more check!! I almost called to tell them they made a mistake till I saw that by signing the check I released them of all damage that may have been done? What damage? I didnt have a clue but, "Who Cares"? Ive used Duracell for years and found them to last the longest. Ive used Maglites and dont really like them. Seems that they are real bright at first and then the switches get cranky and you have to hit the light to make it work or stay bright. I gave up on me. I got a Stinger HP rechargeable by Streamlight.

damn flashlight Ive ever had in my Life! 70,000 candle power and it was only the size of a couple C batteries with a large head on it. Only good for one solid hour of on time though. Now I have a Streamlight 2-D with 5 LEDs, 10 LEDs or 1 Xenon bulb. real thrilled with the Xenon but I think the bulb may be defective. Bubba

[ds549]

wrote: Why use a 12 volt bulb with batteries that only add up to

4.8 volts? (NiCds) Your light output is greatly reduced,and NiCds have a self-discharge rate making them VERY poor for stored emergency lighting.

---------------------------------------- my 4 cell lasts

2 hours with nicads, i use the 12v bulb because it lasts 10 times longer than the bulb its supposed to use. true its not as brite ,but pretty darn good.. lucas

[BobK207]

A little more info on my latest case of leaking Duracells in a 4 cell Maglite.

The flashlight was working fine, the batteries weren't dead (2010 date)

I dropped the flashlight & it stopped working. I thought a had broken the bulb but a new bulb didn't return the unit to working order.

It was at this point I discoved the leaking / stuck cell.

I have a small Surefire flashlight (a gift) that is pretty nice but the Surefire line seems kinda pricey for (in my case) a tool the will spend most of it's life in my car.

On Duracell making good on flashlights destroyed by leakers................over the last 15 years I have sent in three flashlights (not mine, friends & family); on the third one Duracell basically said "don't send in any more, you've used up all your warranty"

cheers Bob

[Jim Yanik]

"BobK207" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

But priceless when you NEED it. 8-) (I couldn't resist!)

The high and low temperatures in an auto may be why the alkaline cells are leaking. If you want a flashlight that has good storage in such conditions,a lithium(123) cell based light is the way to go.The cells have a 10 yr storage life,and are much less affected by heat or cold.

[clifto]

I don't remember where I learned it, but I learned a long time ago that alkaline batteries in a Mag-Lite will swell, leaking and becoming too big to slide out easily. It's apparently caused by some sort of outgassing from the batteries, though no one I know is aware of any reason for batteries to pass gas. The cure is to open the light, take the batteries out, put them back and close the light, once a month or so.

[BobK207]

Jim-

Good point on the "priceless whne you need" :)

cheers Bob

[BobK207]

Now we're getting somewhere! I had a strong feeling that that it was a battery / MagLite interaction. Because I have nver experienced (at least in the 25 years) Duracells leaking in a really cheap flashlight, even if allowed to go dead.

cheers Bob

[Joe Rockwell]

I just found a badly leaking D battery in my 4-battery Maglite, tried to get it out with no luck. According to Maglite's website they will fix or replace these under warranty if you ship to them.

I'm sending this one to them!

[Jim Yanik]

"BobK207" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I've had Duracells leak in TV and VCR remotes,in flashlights,a portable radio.I no longer buy Duracells. I buy Everready or Fuji Novel.