Help Me Resurect a MagLite

[lbperry]

Went to use the 3 cell MagLite I keep in the glove compartment of my wifes car and wouldn't you know, like a dumb-***, I hadn't checked the batteries in a while, so they were not only dead, but corroded in place.
I have cleaned the corrosion off of the rear of the one in the **** of the lite but that didn't loosen it. Next I tried a little baking soda/water solution on the rear battery but that didn't seem to work on dry-cell corrosion like it does on car batteries.
I would try to push the batteries thru but I cant figure our how to remove the plastic piece that holds the bulb at the front of the lite.
Before I brute force it and trash the lite for good, I'd like to try to outsmart it.
Has anybody had this situation and fixed it or does anyone have any good ideas?
All suggestions appreciated.

 

[1948]

open the cap that holds the batterys and smack it down on a piece of rubber or soft wood. hit it flat tho so it doesnt bend the lip.

 

[Paco Pena]

Oddly I just finished doing the same thing. Go get a plastic milk jug with the top cut off, an old bucket or similar and fill it up to the point of the top of the highest battery with screaming hot water. Put the light in the hot water with the rear cap removed and let it soak. Keep refilling the container with hot water but not so much that the switch or lamp head gets wet. The corrosion will loosen up. If you have to drive the batteries out you can remove the head by unscrewing it and remove the switch by loosening an allen screw under the rubber switch cover. The cover just pops off.

Takes a while but I'd hate to toss one out. The remaining corrosion inside the barrel can be removed with more soaking in hot water and by using a scotch brite pad or similar.

Paco

 

[1948]

could also run the end of it with the open end down under scolding hot water if your water is really hot from the faucet.

 

[D.J.]

Forget that and just ship it bac to Mag Industries in California they are guarantied for life and usually the just ship you a brand new unit! Ask me how I now?

 

[4xdog]

Forget that and just ship it bac to Mag Industries in California they are guarantied for life and usually the just ship you a brand new unit! Ask me how I now?

X2 on this. Unless its a sentimental keeper, send it back and they'll send a brand new one no questions asked. (As me how I know, too....)

 

[Nitpicker]

I'm with DJ. Send it back and they will replace it. You pay shipping one way.

 

[lbperry]

Thanks for the quick replies. Think I'll try the hot water for the quick fix but if that doesn't give me a good fix my fallback will be to ship it to MagLite.
Thanks again for the input and ideas,

 

[wornoutoldman]

Wonder how many I can send in at once?

 

[DHS]

I think to have them replace it there has to a good brand battery inside. At least that is what I heard. Some thing along the line that the battery manufacture helps cover the cost of replacement or repair.

 

[stonesfan68]

The warranty paperwork that was with the last Maglite that I bought (12/12) expressly stated that damage caused by leaking batteries were not covered by warranty. YMMV

 

[where2]

Take the two I have with duracell's corroded in them... Let me know when you have the address.

 

[pendragon1998]

Wel, that is most disappointing. I just looked over maglite's website and their old free repair or replace policy (not a warranty, an agreement with the battery manufacturers) when you use duracell (and a few other brands iirc) was nowhere to be found. Is the old policy no longer in effect? I got a brand new 3 D cell LED light last spring when the duracell batteries leaked. It was replaced free...just had to pay shipping there. Another USA company going downhill, I suppose.

 

[Davefr]

Do you have a sliding screw in dent removal tool. If so, screw the tip into the battery and use the sliding hammer action to force it out. Repeat for each stuck battery.

 

[dandan111]

Forget that and just ship it bac to Mag Industries in California they are guarantied for life and usually the just ship you a brand new unit! Ask me how I now?

I worked in a foundry doing inspection. I had a little mag lite rebuilt two times. Our stockroom guy would send it out,they would fix it and send it back. Funny thing was I found it in the bottom drawer forgotten about. I blasted the body because it was so nasty. It worked like new.
I handed it to my fellow inspector on my last day and told him the history of the little mag.

 

[rick carpenter]

Drill it! [place_"Not Really"_emoticon_here]

 

[ishiboo]

Wel, that is most disappointing. I just looked over maglite's website and their old free repair or replace policy (not a warranty, an agreement with the battery manufacturers) when you use duracell (and a few other brands iirc) was nowhere to be found. Is the old policy no longer in effect? I got a brand new 3 D cell LED light last spring when the duracell batteries leaked. It was replaced free...just had to pay shipping there. Another USA company going downhill, I suppose.

Maglite's warranty does not cover if the batteries destroy it. Individual battery manufacturers such as Duracell used to, and Maglite worked with them to make it easier as you just had to send it to them.

If they're not doing it anymore, it's probably because Duracell stopped doing it... not Maglite.

EDIT: Here's the Duracell warranty:

All of our batteries are guaranteed against defects in material and workmanship. Should any device be damaged by these batteries due to such defects, we will either repair or replace it if it is sent with the batteries. Send with postage prepaid to:
Duracell
Berkshire Corporate Park
Bethel, CT, 06801
Att: Consumer Dept.

 

[lbperry]

Do they consider their leaking batteries a "defect in material and workmanship"? I'd bet they don't. Won't any dry-cell battery leak after a while?
Thanks,

 

[JDishong]

LED flashlights have come along way.... The CREE LED technology is the way to go, price & lumens. This 6 Watt flashlight is amazing and cheap! I bought two of them.

Search UltraFire 501B 6W flashlight.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/280865467212?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

 

[ishiboo]

Do they consider their leaking batteries a "defect in material and workmanship"? I'd bet they don't. Won't any dry-cell battery leak after a while?
Thanks,

Yes, that's really the only way they kill a device... if they leak

 

[ImportTuner]

I had the same issue; ended up destroying the whole thing ...

 

[fordzilla90]

I had this problem. I removed the rubber switch cover and used an Allen key to loosen the switch from the housing. Found directions for this somewhere online. Then I removed the top assembly. There is a retaining clip holding in the switch housing. I pushed down the switch housing and spent a good amount of time removing the clip. Once the clip is removed. The switch housing slides right out. In my case the tail cap was also stuck on. I then used hear and solvents to get the cap off.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[ljhhontx]

LED flashlights have come along way.... The CREE LED technology is the way to go, price & lumens. This 6 Watt flashlight is amazing and cheap! I bought two of them.

Search UltraFire 501B 6W flashlight.

http://compare.ebay.com/like/280865467212?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

I liked Maglites but I have to agree on the Cree, 1 AA battery, fits in the shirt pocket and lasts longer still with a brighter light for less than $8
, love it!

 

[fm2176]

Forget that and just ship it bac to Mag Industries in California they are guarantied for life and usually the just ship you a brand new unit! Ask me how I now?

Wel, that is most disappointing. I just looked over maglite's website and their old free repair or replace policy (not a warranty, an agreement with the battery manufacturers) when you use duracell (and a few other brands iirc) was nowhere to be found. Is the old policy no longer in effect? I got a brand new 3 D cell LED light last spring when the duracell batteries leaked. It was replaced free...just had to pay shipping there. Another USA company going downhill, I suppose.

I'll have to check out the possibility of a warranty. I used to swear by Mag-Lites, and carried a Mini-Mag on my belt at all times. As a security guard i usually carried a 3 D-cell light but I did invest in a 6 D-cell. Wouldn't you know, old batteries damaged both of those. No corrosion or visible damage, but a little leakage, and I haven't been able to get them to work since, even with new bulbs.

I have a Coleman LED I found during training, but usually use a Petzl headlamp. I love the numerous Sure-Fire lights I own but haven't invested in LED kits for them yet. The P60 bulbs don't last long, and seem to die out after new batteries are put in (a problem I also had with some Mini-Mags).

 

[sed6]

A 3-cell mag-lite will serve you better as a club or hammer. Just toss that POS and buy a decent LED flashlight. Lighter brighter and less expensive. Go to fenix-store.com and check out the Fenix brand. Best bang for your buck of any light out there!

 

[jim faston]

Went to use the 3 cell MagLite I keep in the glove compartment of my wifes car and wouldn't you know, like a dumb-***, I hadn't checked the batteries in a while, so they were not only dead, but corroded in place.
I have cleaned the corrosion off of the rear of the one in the **** of the lite but that didn't loosen it. Next I tried a little baking soda/water solution on the rear battery but that didn't seem to work on dry-cell corrosion like it does on car batteries.
I would try to push the batteries thru but I cant figure our how to remove the plastic piece that holds the bulb at the front of the lite.
Before I brute force it and trash the lite for good, I'd like to try to outsmart it.
Has anybody had this situation and fixed it or does anyone have any good ideas?
All suggestions appreciated.

Baking soda won't help with alkaline battery corrosion--try white vinegar.

 

[fm2176]

A 3-cell mag-lite will serve you better as a club or hammer. Just toss that POS and buy a decent LED flashlight. Lighter brighter and less expensive. Go to fenix-store.com and check out the Fenix brand. Best bang for your buck of any light out there!

True, and especially so for the 6-cell. But if ya' got 'em, why not use 'em? My Mag-Lites are dinosaurs compared to my Sure-Fires, and offer much less light in packages far larger and heavier. For me, though, the Mag-Lite is a tried and true design that I carried when "better" lights were either not available or cost far more than I could spend. You touch on a great point, though, and one of the reasons I bought my 6-cell. They make an excellent expedient club...

 

[HTGTS350]

I love my 6 cell, best for beating our disgusting natives than for lighting them up but I still love it. To the OP, even in my theiving ******* of a country a 3 cell LED maglite is about $20, why not just buy a new one?

 

[wedge40]

As I read through this, I have to ask, how much is your time worth?

Wedge

 

[lilscorpion]

I had the same thing happen. Disassembled it and tried everything I could think of up to, and not including attempting to bore the batteries out on the lathe. Must before I realized that its a damn $20 flashlight and I'd already spent a few hours messing with it with no luck and had already damaged it a little. In the trash it went and, as luck would have it, they were on sale the next time I was in lowes. Next time it will find the trash can right away.

 

[lametec]

Rayovac sent me a check for $21 last year for a blue 2d Maglite that the batteries had leaked in. They also sent me new batteries.

 

[lbperry]

Still no luck getting batteries out after soaking repeatedly with hot water. I should throw it out but this is getting personal, just me and the flashlight/batteries.
Paco, when I take the rubber switch cover off there's no allen screw to remove. Is there some alternative procedure to getting the switch mechanism/bulb holder out? I've decided to use a pipe clamp and try to press the batteries out from the rear but I'd rather remove the switch/holder before I do that.
Thanks,

 

[lbperry]

The Cree Ultra-Fire looks like a pretty good replacement for this MagLite when I finish with it. I had heard about it but don't have any experience or first hand testimonials on it.
Didn't Popular Mechanics do a flashlight test a year or so ago? I'll have to see if I can find it,
Thanks for all the suggestions,

 

[DodgeMech]

Streamlite Stinger LED FTW haha...got one last year and now i understand why my dad who's been a cop for 20 years has carried the same stinger for about 18 of those years

 

[Spareparts]

Some of the Tool Trucks carry A good assortment of parts for the Mag Lite, I have used the Mag Lite's on my service truck for many years and have had many leak and ruin it. But one of the most common issues when they leak is the switch getting corroded, Take them apart and clean them up. If I don't use my Mag for a week the batteryies get taken out.

 

[V-10 Killer]

I have 2 Maglite 3D cell lights. The best thing I ever did with them was buy a few TerraLUX LED bulbs for them off Amazon. Now I actually get great light output for all that weight I have to carry around lol.

 

[lbperry]

Batteries/Flashlight Won!

After much difficulty I finally got one battery out. Think I pretty much trashed the switch/bulb assembly doing it. The other two batteries looked just as happy in there as the first one did. So, as suggested by many of your already, I admitted defeat; and will start looking for replacements.
BTW, I found out that a battery that has swelled up enough to lock itself in a strong aluminum has enough pressure inside to spew out a mildly acidic grey slurry when you drill into it. No big problem but I wouldn't recommend drilling a battery.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. I enjoyed the game while it lasted, and I lost,

 

[SARG]

I must have had a dozen maglites over the years... from a 3C all the way up to a 6D. Still have several laying around somewhere.

Today I consider them to be obsolete and a waste of time and money.

The new LEDs have improved so much over the last half decade that you can obtain a pocket light twice as bright as a maglite for about half the money.

http://dx.com/c/flashlights-lasers-999/led-flashlights-901/cr123a-16340-flashlights-930

 

[Brians VWss]

I live near a the warranty center. I have taken 4 lights at once. As someone else stated the corroded battery is warranty throuh the battery manfacture. The only ones they deal with are Energizer, Duracell and Rayovac. They are having a upgrade promotion turn in any maglite and pay the differance to upgrade to a larger light or LED light. Usually 5-10 off

 

[D.J.]

For no more than the shipping costs to California I'd still send them in and let them repair them and send them back. No more than I use a flashlight I never spend that much on batteries per month!