I regularly get toys that have leaking battery cells left in them. This makes a mess of the connections and often stops the toy getting the energy it needs to work. My most recent one is part of a Lego electronics collection I am building for a future post. The Spybotics were from the late 90s and I will be going through it once I have put together a mini-documentary about it (TBC) and the others. But for ow, this is about trying to fix the dirty connectors in the battery compartment.
It is a shame when cells are left to deteriorate like this. It means that I have to pull the unit apart and loosen the metal pieces to soak them in white vinegar. You can see this, and easily spot how useful it is, too. In this case, I simply lay the emptied casing into the vinegar and let it rest for a bit. It turned out that it was the only issue that it had, working beautifully after the bath. So, the message is clear, don’t leave cells to break down in those electronic toys and gadgets, take them out if you are storing them.
NOTE: Always make sure that you get support for these kinds of jobs should you need it. Safety first!
