Battery leak in my Canon 1014, what to do

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

I wanted to use my canon 1014 to shoot inserts for a music video today. I get to set and I notice that the electronics don't work. The batter check needle doesn't move and nothing happens when I pull the trigger. I opened the battery compartment in the pistol grip to find that one of the batteries has leaked. It wasn't a whole bunch but I guess enough to stop the camera from working.

 

Is there anything I can do myself to clean it? Is it expensive to fix?

[Patrick Neary]

Hi

 

Try cleaning it first with regular white vinegar- it should fizz and make it easy to clean off!

[Michael Lehnert]

I had good experiences using WD-40. The "WD-40 No-Mess Pen" is excellent when it came to clean the contacts deep inside the handgrip.

 

Since a similarly bad experience, I am now always taking the batteries out of the camera if I know I won't use it over the next week or so.

 

Hope clean contacts and a fresh set of batteries bring your Canon back to live. Replacing the contacts will not be too expensive (depening on the chosen service company), but if there is a collateral in the electronics platine (which I doubt), that could become costly.

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

I had good experiences using WD-40. The "WD-40 No-Mess Pen" is excellent when it came to clean the contacts deep inside the handgrip.

 

Since a similarly bad experience, I am now always taking the batteries out of the camera if I know I won't use it over the next week or so.

 

Hope clean contacts and a fresh set of batteries bring your Canon back to live. Replacing the contacts will not be too expensive (depening on the chosen service company), but if there is a collateral in the electronics platine (which I doubt), that could become costly.

 

Did it work for you after you cleaned it?

[Michael Lehnert]

Did it work for you after you cleaned it?

 

Yes, because the leaked battery acid was relatively fresh and could be cleaned up without too much effort.

 

If a long-term leak is allowed to develop (as in several years long) and the contacts are heavily corroded as a consequence of that (rusty & brown), then it might be too late to clean them up and bring them back to working order. However, I once experienced a very heavy leak on another electrical item, with the contacts being seriously corroded, yet after rigorous cleaning, the item worked again: luckily, a small part of the contact which was in immediate contact with the battery poles was unaffected by the acid, so the electrical circuit was able to work.

 

How serious is your battery leak in the 1014? Feel free to post pics if you don't know whether it's work investing in a cleaner, or if a replacement repair is necessary?

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

I bought the WD-40 pen but its too fat to fit into the hand grip. Should I take apart the camera? How do I even get directions to take it apart.

[Michael Lehnert]

Try pushing down the tip of the WD-40 repeatedly onto a long Q-tip head or pencil with attached cotton head. The WD-40 fluid will leak onto the cotton pouch, filling it with liquid, like a sponge. Then insert that into the handgrip to "marinade" the corroded contacts. Let it work in there for a few minutes, then remove the devices. Repeat step with new Q-tip or cotton ball, this time starting with a light but distinct scrubbing movement over the contacts in order to attempt to clean them.

 

As far as removing or opening up of the handgrip of the 1014 is concerend: Tricky, and better left to someone skilled and equipped with the know-how-to on this camera: you can try by looking at the two small screws on the inside of the handgrip to see if they would open up the shells of the handgrip (or whether they only hold inside components in place). As I don't have the 814 on thand, I can't help you further with that.

 

Mitch Perkins and Rick Palidwor from this forum have experience with working on the Canosound-series. Try to contact them. Maybe they have some knowledge to impart.

 

As you don't state a location of residence, I pressume you are in the U.S.

Du-All in N.Y. are listed as Canon S-8 repair shop and have a great reputation here. They also sell Canosound models regularly. Contact them for a quote.

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

Try pushing down the tip of the WD-40 repeatedly onto a long Q-tip head or pencil with attached cotton head. The WD-40 fluid will leak onto the cotton pouch, filling it with liquid, like a sponge. Then insert that into the handgrip to "marinade" the corroded contacts. Let it work in there for a few minutes, then remove the devices. Repeat step with new Q-tip or cotton ball, this time starting with a light but distinct scrubbing movement over the contacts in order to attempt to clean them.

 

I will try this. If the battery compartment is similar to the battery compartment o the side of the camera then there might be a problem getting the Q-tip to make contact with metal inside. There seems to be a little plastic that keeps the spring in place.

 

As far as removing or opening up of the handgrip of the 1014 is concerend: Tricky, and better left to someone skilled and equipped with the know-how-to on this camera: you can try by looking at the two small screws on the inside of the handgrip to see if they would open up the shells of the handgrip (or whether they only hold inside components in place). As I don't have the 814 on thand, I can't help you further with that.

I unscrewed the few screws on the pistol grip and was unable to take it apart. I guess I will try a super 8 camera repair service. thanks.

 

How likely is is that the damage ruined my camera?

[Michael Lehnert]

How likely is is that the damage ruined my camera?

 

Define 'ruined'... ;)

 

The most likely reason why the camera doesn't power up is because the electric contacts do not conduit due to their damage. If cleaned or replaced, which isn't that much of a repair, the camera should work again, in theory.

 

That a short damaged the electrical components of the microcomputerised 1014 does not sound very plausible or probable to me, but then again, electrics and electronics is anything but my field of knowledge, so I leave others to comment on the likelihood of that.

 

There might of course be the problem that a malfunction developed aside of the battery leak, which is hence unrelated to all this. A repairshop will find that out very easily with the camera in hand, and give you a quote on the potenial repair costs even without the the camera send in if you describe the circumstances and storage condition or the leakage accurately. At least that's my experience here in Europe. But I am sure repair shops in the US are identically proceeding in such matters.

 

Keep us posted how it goes!

[Jess Haas]

I wouldn't be pouring anything into the handle while it is attached to the camera. I also wouldn't let WD-40 anywhere near it.

 

If the corrosion on the contacts is only minor you can use the eraser on a pencil to clean them. Unfortunately even if this fixes your problem you will probably want to clean up all of the corrosion or it will lead to more corrosion and possibly more leaking batteries.

 

Basically you need to take apart the handle and soak the corroded components in vinegar. Don't leave it longer than overnight or it could start dissolving good metal as well. In order to remove the handle from the camera you have to take the side of the camera off. It has been a long time since I have done it so I don't remember the specifics. After soaking parts in vinegar you should clean them with water and let them dry thoroughly before putting it all back together.

 

If you aren't comfortable with your ability to disassemble and reassemble your camera then it shouldn't be hard to find a camera repair person who is.

 

~Jess

[Edward Koehler]

Battery corrosion is not necessarily the death or ruin of a camera.

It sounds like you just noticed this and the corrosion is not so advanced, so a basic cleaning of the battery contacts with a fibreglass pen should suffice.

If the corrosion is advanced, it can affect other connections along the circuit further inside the camera. The corrosion can destroy a connection entirely by dissolving the wire. At that point, the connection must be removed of solder, the wire trimmed back or replaced, the connection points cleaned using a fibreglass pen and preferably a connection cleaner such as DeoxIT, then resoldered. I've had to clean heavily corroded contacts with emory cloth and replace some entirely. This is probably more superstition than anything, but I also clean them with baking soda and treat with a light coating of 3-in-1 or watch oil to inhibit any rust on the bare metal (the corrosion has likely destoyed any plating).

I would not use WD-40 to clean the contacts, as it is a water displacer and tends to promote rust in the following weeks. I can understand that it is probably effective at removing the corrosion though.

[Jess Haas]

This is probably more superstition than anything, but I also clean them with baking soda and treat with a light coating of 3-in-1 or watch oil to inhibit any rust on the bare metal (the corrosion has likely destoyed any plating).

Alkaline batteries such as AAs leak potassium hydroxide which is a strong base. Baking soda is for cleaning up acidic batteries such as car batteries because it itself is a base. For cleaning up Alkaline battery leaks you should use an acid such as white vinegar. It will also dissolve rust but if left too long can start to dissolve any remaining planing.

 

~Jess

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

They want $275 for the repair. They fixed the electronics and they want that much to recalibrate it. Is it worth it?

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

So, should I fix t for $275 or try to get an 814 on ebay for less than $100.

[Jim Carlile]

Did you already get it repaired, and aren't sure you want to pick it up?

 

One leaking battery shouldn't cause much of a problem. The handgrip is isolated from the internals. Did you try out the camera with fresh batteries?

 

What are they "recalibrating?"

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

Did you already get it repaired, and aren't sure you want to pick it up?

They fixed the electronics, but the light meter needs to be re-calibrated.

 

One leaking battery shouldn't cause much of a problem. The handgrip is isolated from the internals. Did you try out the camera with fresh batteries?

... Come on man, I'm not a dumbass. Of course I tried that. ;)

[Edward Koehler]

Alkaline batteries such as AAs leak potassium hydroxide which is a strong base. Baking soda is for cleaning up acidic batteries such as car batteries because it itself is a base. For cleaning up Alkaline battery leaks you should use an acid such as white vinegar. It will also dissolve rust but if left too long can start to dissolve any remaining planing.

 

Thanks Jess. The baking soda was silly, I didn't realize the corrosion is actually a base.

 

I imagine some conductive nickel paint would be useful to coat surfaces of contacts which lost plating.

 

Galen, $275 sounds high. Do you mean that they fixed the contact issue already, and they want $275 in addition to calibrate the lightmeter, focus, speed, etc?

 

The price would vary depending on the extent of the damage... but a little corrosion in the battery compartment shouldn't cost $275 to remedy. You should get a description of the work performed from the serviceperson. Find out what they mean by 'recalibrate'.

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

Thanks Jess. The baking soda was silly, I didn't realize the corrosion is actually a base.

 

I imagine some conductive nickel paint would be useful to coat surfaces of contacts which lost plating.

 

Galen, $275 sounds high. Do you mean that they fixed the contact issue already, and they want $275 in addition to calibrate the lightmeter, focus, speed, etc?

 

The price would vary depending on the extent of the damage... but a little corrosion in the battery compartment shouldn't cost $275 to remedy. You should get a description of the work performed from the serviceperson. Find out what they mean by 'recalibrate'.

 

 

Ok I'll do that. They said that the electronics are fixed and they want $275 just to re-calibrate. Im not sure it's worth it. I dont think I spent half of that on it from ebay.