Elsiss Loc: Bayside, NY, Boynton Beach, Fl.

Unless you know about electronics, you should let a professional examine the innards of your flash. You could conceivably touch a load capacitor and get fried yourself.

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

The grit was probably corrosion and is slightly acidic. My guess would be that it shorted out a couple of connections or terminals you can't see, but if you want to take it apart and try to clean it up, why not do it? It's toast now so you can't do anything more negative to it. Good Luck!

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Must be why they use alcohol to clean electronics boards too!!!

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Yep! Actually the best feature is that it absorbs water. So a board can be washed with soapy water and then "dried" with an alcohol bath very quickly.

Elsiss Loc: Bayside, NY, Boynton Beach, Fl.

Like I said before, a load capacitor has the ability to store a heavy duty electrical charge which is not evident just because the flash appears to be toast. It will surprise you-I guarantee it!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Why would you put a conductive liquid into a flash unit that has a 330 volt capacitor? Last time I saw that happen, 1983, it ran down into the flash and POOF. My boss wound up in the emergency room with a burnt hand from the flash fire! It destroyed his Olympus flash, and our departmental budget, too, literally. The ABC fire extinguisher his assistant used to put out the fire on his desk RUINED budget documents and weeks of other work. Storyboards, script drafts, slides, art supplies... What a mess.

He had used cola on a rag. Unlike my Vivitar 285s, his flash did not have a removable battery insert! It had nice little cutouts in the four corners of the four-AA battery compartment that let the cola run down into the flash and short out the capacitor.

I've had a pair of 285s since 1980, used both heavily, and had to clean battery leaks off the *removed* battery insert contacts several times. The only thing that has worked with NiCd and alkaline battery leakage is Chemtronics Electro Wash PX, followed by a white ballpoint pen eraser in a drill chuck. It burnishes the metal just slightly, if you use a light touch.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

I don't know which batteries you have but some of the larger more reputable companies guarenty no leakage. Because of that, they have setup a system to have items cleaned or repaired should it ever happen.

My suggestion it to contact the battery mfg. and see if they will cover item.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Why are you suggesting anyone do that? Everyone else has said wipe things off with a solvent (which is usually conductive), and I said wash that away with alcohol because it is not conductive. Various spray "tuner cleaners" are also non-conductive.

Incidentally that 300 volt capacitor won't actually hurt you. It may leave some skin behind when fingers are rapidly extracted. It will just teach some respect. I worked on klystron amplifiers for years, with 10kV (with 2 Amps behind it), where one mistake is the end of your life.

dds48

An old toothbrush is great for cleaning the thick of the gunge off.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Read my previous post. I watched a flash *explode*, as in burst into a flame arc, burning my boss' hand and catching his desk papers on fire when he dropped it. I drove him to the emergency room.

It is okay to clean a battery insert with a conductive liquid. Pretty dicey to put that liquid into the flash.

drklrd Loc: Cincinnati Ohio

clean it with methanol (alcohol) to remove the gunk use an ample amount to rinse it out while trying not to get any into the component areas. Then let it dry and using a pencil eraser burnish the contacts until shiny. Do not take it apart unless you know what you are doing. That capacitor that holds the main charge can still be hot electrically for a very long time. I turned an old flash unit into a stun gun once for fun. got shocked doing it and I know what I am doing. If this cleaning doe not work send it to a pro to fix. he can find the parts you need to fix the battery box area quicker than you can and if the cost is too high and a new one is out of your price range then and only then would I suggest taking it apart. The main problem will be the wire leading from the battery contacts to the circuit board as they might be damaged from the corrosion.

therwol Loc: USA

Don't use anything abrasive on plated contacts. If you wear through the plating, you'll typically have bare copper underneath which will oxidize and likely cause an unreliable contact with the battery in the future. I learned this the hard way cleaning the contacts in the battery compartment of a camera, which then required frequent cleaning afterward or the meter became unreliable.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

Think about what that CocaCola is doing to your stomach. LOL

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Well, it WILL etch the gloss off the inside of a toilet bowl, and the enamel off your teeth! It contains phosphoric acid and carbonic acid and sugar... Etch and decay... and diabetes from the HFCS. Drink up! Gettin' on time ta die.

Martino Loc: Northwest Florida

I tried the white vinegar on cotton buds (q-tips) on all the contacts. It worked a treat and the unit is back in operation.

Thank you all so much.

That prompted me to read up on using two flashes as slaves with the integral pop up on my 70D, which I'd always 'meant' to do but never got around to! So looking forward to the family group shoot my neighbor has just asked me to do!