Battries

I know this is a tractor site. But I don't have any idea of who to ask. The people on here are knowledgable aboot several subjects.
The question I want to ask is. Sometimes my TV remote quits and I can take the batteries oot and rubb both ends of them on my shirt and reinsert and the remote will work for several days.
Do any one know why this wyrks.?

Thats is funny I do the same thing . I am an electrician but have no logical explanation. Whatever works for cheapskates like me.

Must be a slight amount of corrosion on them, I do the same thing! If you rub them hard enough to warm them you can get the last little bit of juice out!

Problem is a film of oxide corrosion forming on the battery terminals. This insulates the batteries from the circuit and causes the remote to quit.

Thie fix is to first thoroughly buff the battery terminals with a clean cloth or very fine (like #400) sandpaper. Then clean the terminals using IP or rubbing alcohol on clean paper towel. Finally reinsert the batteries taking special care to NOT touch the freshly buffed/cleaned metal terminals (salt/oils from you skin accelerates oxide corrosion).

Also when you replace the batteries, buy "made in USA", name brand (Duracell, Rayovac, etc) batteries. Cheap, no-name, Chinese batteries are notorious for fast corroding terminals.

Note this also applies to other lightly loaded, battery-operated devices like LED flashlights, digital multimeters, etc.

I may be all wet here but i think whats going on is your placeing them in differnt order and thats giving you a little extra life.

I don't know why it works either. I just remove the cover and slide my thumb back and forth across them, which causes the batteries to roll in place against the terminals.

Nate

Harvey2
Ain't you ever heard of "static electricity"? :lol:

I don't have that problem and I buy my batteries from Dollar General. I live at about 800' altitude, away from salt water by 300 miles. Humidity varies from 100% down to about 40 for a min. I have a voltmeter to check them and don't have any problems with the AAA or AA Alkaline till the voltage falls off to about 1.45. New a 1.5 volt measures 1.65. Today my blood pressure machine was acting funny. Checked the 4 AA batteries at 1.45. Put in new and machine was good as new.

Only time I see a corroded terminal is in a piece of equipment that doesn't get used for a year or so and the batteries are discharged.

Beetch all you want to about Chinese stuff, but today I got my Cen Tech multimeter in from Harbor freight. High tech all the way, beats anything I had in industry for 45 years including Fluke and all the big guns that cost 30 times as much and as a private citizen I couldn't afford to have one....would have to do without.....just like a bunch of stuff we enjoy today that we wouldn't be able to afford if "Made in the good ole USA". My last one, just like this one crapped out after 8 years. Shucks. New one was $19.99.99.99.99 with shipping and taxes another $10. Whadda deal.

Mark

When mine start doing that, it's less stress, to replace 'em. Sometimes I wanna throw the remote, at the liar in chief, anyway!

Ditto..... I do the very same thing. I have SWMBO hoodwinked into thinking that I have some special repair technique. LOL

the batteries are sucking some of the life out of you?

I agree with the oxidation/corrosion theory. When the power gets down about so far it can't over come the corrosion, so rub off it off and your good again until it builds back up or just get too low on power.

Bingo.

Corrosion.

Removing and replacing one or both of the batteries even without burnishing the ends is usually enough.

Dean

worx for me too ...before my cell phone finally gave up the ghost , I used to rub the battery and blow on the terminals when the phone was dead and makemore calls

When the first cell phones came out with removable batteries I'd clean the terminals with a rubber pencil eraser. Seemed to work better than rubbing on my pants. Jim