Dead batteries in a remote why do they work when you spin them for a moment?
In: 46
If removing and reinserting a battery causes it to work, then the battery wasn’t dead.
The contacts of a battery and the remote are made of metal and over time exposure to air causes an oxide layer (rust) to form on them. But this layer is so thin that it won’t necessarily appear as obvious rust.
The oxide isn’t conductive and blocks the electricity from the battery.
The mechanical action of removing and reinserting the batteries scrapes off that layer of oxide allowing a connection.
This is the same reason that blowing on the Nintendo cartridge would fix it. The blowing didn’t do anything, if anything it made the oxide layer worse. It was the removing and reinserting the cartridge that fixed the problem.
If spinning it fixed it, it’s not a dead battery, you had some corrosion that was causing the battery to not complete the circuit. Or the battery was out of place slightly and not making contact. Either way spinning clears the corrosion and/or adjusts the battery to allow it to make contact properly.
The other replies are correct, but you can sometimes squeeze a few drops of power out of a “dead” battery by dropping it 6″ onto a hard surface. Displaces any bubbles in the electrolyte wetting freshed active material. Can also cause micro racking which reveals more active stuff.
Maybe some static energy transfer. Same why techs wear anti-static cords to protect components while building or repairing electronic equipment.
It’s the warmth from your fingers juicing the chemical reaction a bit. The spinning does nothing.
Latest Answers