Cycling UK Forum

I bought this Garmin GPSMap60csx off eBay. The seller said all he'd ever done was plug the batteries in and it was brand new (as they do). But around the battery terminals is this odd stuff that looks like sand but isnt. It's not gritty and I dont recognise it as leakage from a battery. Before I start shouting at the seller can anyone throw any light on what it might be. The 'stuff' is only at one end.

It looks like the "aftermath" of battery leakage.

It's very familiar to those who fix vintage radio sets and often indicates that the batteries were left in for some time after they died.

It needs to be cleaned off (I use Isopropyl Alcohol and a short bristled brush).

The problems occur if it has spread into the electronics. Small electronic devices are unlikely to react well to this sort of contamination which is likely to cause damage if it's left.

Brian R Pateman wrote:It looks like the "aftermath" of battery leakage.

It's very familiar to those who fix vintage radio sets and often indicates that the batteries were left in for some time after they died.

It needs to be cleaned off (I use Isopropyl Alcohol and a short bristled brush).

The problems occur if it has spread into the electronics. Small electronic devices are unlikely to react well to this sort of contamination which is likely to cause damage if it's left.

Strange then that it should be in an unused 'brand new' unit. It functions Ok so far as I can tell except that you have to press the on/off button quite hard and sometimes more than once. I didnt think batteries leaked these days ! Thanks

Now should I return it or not

It often happens on "new" stuff. I bought a very expensive Sony radio at a knock down price which suffered from the same problem. When enquired it turned out that the radio had been a shop demonstration item and had been on a shelf for a couple of years unsold but with the batteries left in.

You have a PM by the way.

Old battery leakage I think too. I've often seen it. I would send it back..

Gearoidmuar wrote:Old battery leakage I think too. I've often seen it. I would send it back..

It's funny but I havent seen battery leakage since I was a mere lad when EverReady batteries regularly popped open in torches. But then it was green gunge. The seller advertised 'no returns' but I've sent a message saying what I think and his feedback will suffer. I'll chance keeping though it as it works identically to the one I already have (except you have to press the on/off button quite hard and sometimes more than once). Havent tried it on road yet though.

I have more remote controls than you've had hot dinners! I've seen that at least 20 times in the last 20 years. Always white and usually unfixable, but I'd say yours is okay.

ukdodger wrote:It's funny but I havent seen battery leakage since I was a mere lad

I had some Duracells leak in my front lamp just recently, and they weren't even getting flat. I find this is usually the beginning of the end, once it gets hold you can't get rid of it. I chucked my old mobile phone out after the battery started leaking.

Being a young'un, I've only seen this once. It was from my first mobile phone after I found it 5 years after no use.

axel_knutt wrote:

ukdodger wrote:It's funny but I havent seen battery leakage since I was a mere lad

I had some Duracells leak in my front lamp just recently, and they weren't even getting flat. I find this is usually the beginning of the end, once it gets hold you can't get rid of it. I chucked my old mobile phone out after the battery started leaking.

Yes the acid corrodes the metal but it doesnt appear to have affected the metal contacts in this unit. Maybe they use different acid now.

It's not acid - there's a reason they are called Alakaline batteries