Getting bad stuck batteries out of a penlight?

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Oct 4, 2014
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Any advice? My 5.11 penlight has 2 batteries stuck inside that seemed to have burst and expanded somewhat. I've tried everything I could think of but no luck. Any tricks? Nothing on the LED side of the light opens, only opening is the tail cap which unscrews.
 
Flashlight bodies and heads are not machined out of a solid block of aluminum. The head was screwed on and it can be unscrewed. It's probably not going to be easy; aluminum threads can seize up hard, but it can be done.

Try wrapping the head in leather or tape so you can grip it with pliers without marring it.
 
Give it some WD-40 and let it sit. The try what Cougar says. Use some old inner tube to increase your grip after wiping down.

If you can't get it apart then screw a long wood screw into the first battery and use that to draw it out. Repeat for the second one.
 
I saw on Instagram yesterday where a guy had the same issue as you.
He screwed a drywall screw into the battery to give him something to pull against. I
I guess it worked cause he showed a picture with the battery out of the flashlight.
It looked to be a AA or AAA.
 
I'd core-drill them, then use a hemostat or needle-nose pliers to remove the remainder.
A bath of baking soda and water will help to eliminate the residue.
 
Depending on the battery brand, they may replace the unit for you. more reason to use eneloops.

another option would be to rig up a block like you would use for kinetically pulling bullets.
 
The flashlight may be kaputt anyway with the leakage. But you can usually push them out from the lens end if you have to.
 
Thanks! I could have sworn there were no threads at the front but I'll check again! Thanks guys. It could be done for yeah but who knows. Maybe 5.11 will give me a new one. Will update when I know.
 
robgmn said:
I'd core-drill them, then use a hemostat or needle-nose pliers to remove the remainder.
A bath of baking soda and water will help to eliminate the residue.
Click to expand...

Good call robgmn. I've done this too. Smallish drill bit for a starter hole and used a screw to get 'down in there'. Pliar pull out then worked. Vinegar can help neutralize acid leakage. YMMV.
 
Vinegar soak, drywall screw, vice grips.
Did it with a mini maglite, worked a treat.
 
No recommendations on fixing it, but in the future, don't use alkaline batteries. Lithium, or NiMH. Or if it's rarely used, alkalines are OK, but don't leave them in the light when not in use. But even then, lithiums are better, or Eneloop or other extended life NiMH's are better.
 
Great responses, thanks a lot. Didn't get around to trying yet but I may today when I have some time later
 
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