Corrosion in hand-held calculator/game

Distilled water to clean up the leaked acid. Then denatured alcohol to wash out the water. Allow to dry for at least 24 hours before inserting new batteries.

Reply to
Doug Miller
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My son left his hand-held combo calculator and electronic game lying around unused for a long time, and the 3 AAA batteries inside the unit became corroded and leaked onto the terminals. What can I use to clean the terminals so that the unit is usable again?

Reply to
tenplay

Did the batteries have a no-leak guarantee? Then contact the manufacturer.

"The Energizer/Eveready guarantee typically states: "We will repair or replace, at our option, any device damaged by this battery if it is sent with batteries to Eveready. Guarantee void if user or device recharges battery." This guarantee may vary globally, so please check with your local Energizer office for details. "

Bob

Reply to
Bob F

And to think I waited 6 years for this info! I tossed a $500 scanner for the same reason. No one would take on the job of fixing my screwup!

Reply to
betsyb

Well, it's worked for me several times. First time I ever tried it was after accidentally dumping a marine aquarium onto my Texas Instruments SR-50 calculator, if that tells you how far back in the mists of time it happened. Calculator was about a year out of warranty, so I figured I had nothing to lose by trying to clean it myself. Let's see... hmmm.... distilled water will get rid of the salt and other nasty stuff. What will get rid of the water? Hmmmmm.... alcohol should do fine. And it did.

Reply to
Doug Miller

You don't say if it had alkaline batteries or acid batteries. They are opposite and neutralized by opposites.

Tnen it depends how much corrosion there is on the terminals. I saw a long thread on this once, but can't find it now. Here or sci.electronics.repair .

Reply to
mm

And how long after that did you toss the calculator because of the key bounce problem. Damn thing nearly drove me crazy before I got rid of it!

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry

I still have it in a box somewhere. The battery pack finally reached the point where it couldn't be recharged. I bought a replacement battery pack in about

1982; then that died, too, and by that time (late '80s or early '90s) replacements were no longer available -- but I was using it regularly up until that time. I'm not aware of any "key bounce" problem -- maybe you had a bad one, or perhaps the problem was confined to only certain lots. Mine was bought new in late 1974.
Reply to
Doug Miller

Wash the contacts with a baking soda solution if carbon batteries were used. I have seen them use Coke to clean contacts if alkaline batteries were used (theres got be something better without all that sugar). Regardless, flush with distilled water and make sure it is 100% dry before reinserting the batteries. Any ionic contamination with a applied power source will lead to growth of blue crude. Let me repeat: make sure it is 100% dry before reapplying power. Letting it sit in the sun for several days will help

In most cases, you will also loose any plating on the battery contacts. Usually the base metal is steel with a nickel over plating. Most likey you will have to take a piece of emory cloth to the battery contacts to polish up the steel. Most likey, you will also have to repeat the the emory cloth every time you replace the batteries (steel/iron likes to corrode/rust)

Reply to
jmagerl

Diet Coke.

I've tried putting a little solder on the bare metal, but I forget how well that worked.

Reply to
mm

Doug's right...dropped my pager ~10 years ago into an agitating washer (soap & hot water)

fished it out, took out the batteries, rinsed it in distilled water, then a little bit of alcohol ...popped it into the oven at ~150 for a few hours

it worked!

cheers Bob

Reply to
BobK207

Yep -- electronics aren't harmed at all by getting wet. As long as the power is off. And *stays* off until they're dry.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Acid?????????????? I think such batteries (typical AAA etc.) contain 'alkaline' materials not acid? Unless they are newer, rechargeable Ni-cad or lithium-ion. After all the original LeClanche 'wet batteries' used Sal Ammoniac (and btw were repairable/replenishable/reusable, unlike today's throw aways). Also many 'batteries' one purchases are deemed 'Alkaline cells'! But sounds like good clean up advice.

Reply to
terry

Don't forget carbon-zinc batteries, in AA, AAA, C, and D sizes and in

9-volt rectangular. They contain acid, and have been sold for at least 60 years**. Most devices will run fine on "flashlight" batteries, although the batteries don't last as long, and I guess cost more per amp. **Except I think the 9-volt ones. Anyone know how long the current AA, AAA, C, and D sizes have been sold?
Reply to
mm

My copier repair people suggest leave the copy paper in a frost free fridge, to dessicate it. Same likely works on a pager, and less likely to melt plastic.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I can't remember for sure, but I think that I remember carbon cells in the sixties. The alkalines came out in the seventies.

Radio Shack used to have gold and white cells, which were carbon zinc. They changed to red and green. Red were carbons, and greens were zinc chloride chemistry. And, the alkalines were gold.

I'm not good enough on history to remember how back carbon batteries went. Wiki has an interesting article. I used to pull carbon cells apart with pliers, and get the carbon rod out for writing on the sidewalk. After the first one (the managanese dioxide gets all over everything) Mom forbid further dissembly.

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Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Advice is the same: rinse thoroughly with distilled water, then with denatured alcohol, and allow to dry.

Reply to
Doug Miller

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