Battery leak in Canon 430EX II

I went to put new batteries in my 430EX II yesterday and noticed one had leaked. Looking in the compartment I can see discharge on the contact. Will not power up. I tried rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip (doubted it'd work but gave it a shot) as well as steel wool to try to grind enough off to get bare metal contact. That didn't work, either. Is there anything else that I can try that won't get the comparment wet & screw things up worse? Or is it likely damaged from the leak and I'm wasting my time?

Thank you.

Electrical contact cleaner sprayed on a swab first would be the first thing I would try. If you need an abrasive, don't use anything rougher than a eraser.

What you are describing sounds to be a little more serious of a problem than one that cleaning the contacts would solve though.

The common remedy for alkaline battery corrosion is vinegar. Apply white vinegar with a Q-tip and rub the corroded parts until clean. Wear rubber gloves, don't let the white powder touch skin, and never touch your eyes after cleaning. The vinegar is a mild acid and may remove enough corrosion to make the device functional again. But, it won't fix structural damage to components.

Note: The remedy for old fashion lead acid batteries was to use baking soda (a base) mixed with a little water. In contrast, alkaline batteries are a base, not an acid, so the remedy is the reverse.

FYI: Energizer and Duracell both have a no leak guarantee. They promise to repair or replace any device damaged by a leaking battery. Many years ago, I had a Maglite flashlight replaced. I believe I had to ship the item with batteries intact as proof. Not sure if they cover speed lights, but it does say "any device".

Duracells leak.....which is why I quit using them years ago.

I have run into this may times and the only way I have been able to get it out is grinding and / or scraping. Screw driver blade, knife blade, 600 grit sand paper. You don't have to be all that careful about getting the material on your hands while you're working on it but do wash afterward. When you blow the dust out I would be careful about breathing it. I once had a MagLite that had Duracells in it that leaked to the point where they were fused to the tube of the flashlight body. I had to drill into the battery, run a large wood screw into it and pull it with vice grips. I was still able to clean the light to the point of working again.

As mentioned above, if there is some kind of guarantee that you can avail yourself of, might be worth looking into.

But I sure would hold much hope for that. Not to mention that process would probably take months.

Thanks for the help! I'll try your suggestions & let you know the results. I may have time on my hands Tuesday if we get all the snow they're predicting...

The battery was an Energizer and I did keep it.

Thanks again!

White vinegar & Q-tips did the trick. From now on I'll be storing the batteries separately.

Thanks again for your help.

Glad to have helped.

Alkaline batteries, as you've discovered, sometimes leak. Use quality NiMH cells and an independent channel charger. A Maha MH-C9000 charger and eneloop cells (the 2000 mAh ones) are good choices.