leaky battery

[+scrapes]

I've got a brand new Garmin 60csx, first set of batteries I used leaked. First set! I caught it before the crap could dry and cleaned out the battery compartment best I could.

 

Any suggestions? Energizer batteries were used and were brand new.

[NordicMan]

Wow that's tough luck, hope your GPSr wasn't damaged by the leak!

 

What sort of battery was it that leaked? Were they old?

 

I always recommend rechargable batteries for GPSr's, that way you can always leave the house "fully charged" instead of wondering if those "50% charge remaining" alkaline batteries are going to last the trip

[+Chrysalides]

Energizer batteries were used and were brand new.

I had to think about that a little before I got what you were saying

 

I came across this guarantee by Energizer :

 

The Energizer®/Eveready® guarantee typically states: “We will repair or replace, at our option, any device damaged by these Energizer® batteries. Guarantee void if batteries are charged by user or device.” Contact 1-800-383-7323. This guarantee may vary globally, so please check with your local Energizer office for details.

 

http://www.energizer.com/products/alkaline...ages/faq13.aspx

 

Typical precaution would be not to leave batteries in devices for long periods of time. I'd also get rechargeables like NordicMan suggested.

[Rocketsteve]

RECHARGEABLES! You'll save hundreds of dollars over the life of these batteries vs. buying alkalines to power your 60csx.

[+Taoiseach]

Crap - That sucks...

 

Unfortunately though, there's very little you can do - You just happened to have bad luck. Energizers are usually pretty good, and as long as you don't mix old and new batteries or batteries of different types, you should be fine.

 

One other thing to note - Narcissa points out that the Ikea batteries tend to leak on occasion... For off brand batteries, I've always had really good luck with President's Choice batteries in terms of longevity and not leaking... But that doesn't really help you if you in the States

[+Curioddity]

One other thing to note - Narcissa points out that the Ikea batteries tend to leak on occasion...

I've also had several Kirkland AA & AAA Alkalines from Costco leak.

 

Pete

[+Chrysalides]

I've also had several Kirkland AA & AAA Alkalines from Costco leak.

Me too. Have you had NiMH leak before? I haven't encountered any (knock on wood) but you have more experience.

[+scrapes]

I filed a complaint with Energizer, here is their response. Fortunately the GPS is still working. There is some white film in the crevices that I can't get out though.

 

Which rechargeable is recommended I've heard different things. bob

 

Dear Bob,

 

Thank you for visiting Energizer's Web site and for bringing this to our attention.

 

Without examining the battery, it is difficult to determine the cause of leakage. However, a battery could leak if it is charged by other batteries. This leakage would occur as a result of improper battery installation or by mixing batteries with different capacities. Also, the device could charge the batteries if it is operated on both batteries and electrical current. The batteries do not necessarily have to be fully discharged to leak. When storing batteries in a device, we have found that there is less likelihood of leakage if the terminals are covered. Although covering the terminals prevents current flow, it will not guarantee that leakage will not occur.

 

We would like to ask if the watch is still working? If the batteries have damaged the device, please contact us and we will assist you under the terms of our guarantee.

[+Chrysalides]

Which rechargeable is recommended I've heard different things. bob

Don't have a suggestion regarding the Energizer (it is good to know that they are responsive) but with regards to the NiMH, I like the Eneloops because they hold their charge much better when just sitting in the bag. I've also had good luck with the batteries that came with the LaCrosse BC-9009. It's $40 but you get batteries and one of the best rechargers available. Energizer rechargables seems to be a bit of a crap shoot - I had one set that wouldn't hold a charge longer than a week, but others really like theirs.

 

There's a thread started by tomas4x4 regarding NiZn batteries. Sounds promising, but not in widespread use yet. If you decide to get that, do share your experience.

[+PokerLuck]

I use Powerex NiMH rechargeable batteries with a Powerex MH-C9000 charger. I like the charger because it has several different charging programs that can revitalize old batteries and give you a capacity rating when it's done. Matching the capacities of batteries is important so they don't reverse-charge each other. Reverse charging is a very common cause of leakage. It also seems to do a much better job of recharging than one of the little chargers that just plugs into an outlet. I've used a set of those batteries in an Oregon 400t, and they seem to work well. I always run the screen brightness at the maximum setting and am very satisfied with their lifetime.

 

Older models of NiMH batteries had a problem with electrolyte leakage (see the Wikipedia article on NiMH batteries). They lose 5-10% of their capacity in one day and then around a percent every day after that. After a few months, they had lost most of their charge without even being used.

 

New designs of NiMH batteries are better on self-leakage. Wiki refers to them as "hybrid", "precharged", or "ready-to-use". I don't know if the batteries I'm currently using are of the newer design, but they seem to hold a charge better than my older batteries. Anyway, I suggest you check it out if you're in the market for some.

Edited January 14, 2010 by PokerLuck

[+ras_oscar]

For me self discharge seems to be proportonal to capacity. Enloop 2000 mah keep a charge forever. Duracel 2000mah seem to likewise last a good period on the shelf. Duracel 2675, by comparison loose one bar from fully charged after just 2 weeks in the bag. I usually keep 2 sets charged in the bag plus one set in the GPSr. Only put the 2765s in rotation if Im going on a long trip. Charge them up the night before and slap them in just before I leave. Has anyonbe found a NiMH above 2000 MaH that has a decent self discharge rate?

[+Team Cotati]

For me self discharge seems to be proportonal to capacity. Enloop 2000 mah keep a charge forever. Duracel 2000mah seem to likewise last a good period on the shelf. Duracel 2675, by comparison loose one bar from fully charged after just 2 weeks in the bag. I usually keep 2 sets charged in the bag plus one set in the GPSr. Only put the 2765s in rotation if Im going on a long trip. Charge them up the night before and slap them in just before I leave. Has anyonbe found a NiMH above 2000 MaH that has a decent self discharge rate?

 

Thomas Distributing has 2150's and 2500's though I have not personally used them. Thomas Distributing is a long term well respected battery provider if that matters. Been using their 2900's for a long long time.