exploding gameboy?

[strassy]

I recently found my old gameboy. i slapped a set of batteries in it and have played tetris on it a few times in the past couple of weeks. it was sitting on my nightstand...just now i started hearing some kind of sizzling noise, and realized it was coming from the gameboy. looks like the batteries exploded and were drizzling acid. is this common? does this mean i should just throw the thing in the garbage?

[ooXxXoo]

The problem itself is not with the Game Boy...You probably had some real old alkaline batteries that caused for them to leaked...If you have a mess in the GB battery compartment,I'll suggest you to let it dry for a while and then scrap the acid off once it has become hardened.Just make sure to wear some kind of eye protective glasses.The acid from batteries is a very nasty stuff!..

[ScourDX]

The old instruction manual said only use normal battery - Heavy duty or Alkaline and don't put in Nickel cadmium rechargeable battery.

[strassy]

you're telling me that it's nasty stuff...a little bit of the acid got on my sheets...what was once blue is now an odd shade of green...ate right through them. ugh. but i was using regular duracels, i don't think they were that old...i know they have been purchased within the last year.

[InsaneDavid]

If there was a little acid corrosion in there from a previous leak it may have caused the new batteries to pop and leak as well. When you remove the acid damage make sure to get rid of all of it. Those of us that restore and collect the 1980's tabletop handhelds (Coleco Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Frogger, etc.) know the fun of acid damage all too well.

[ooXxXoo]

Electronic devices that are batteries related always recommend not to leave them inside without use for long periods of time.Thats probably why!..

[Bandicat]

When I got Zelda for my original Gameboy, I played it literally for a day straight using nickel cadium batteries. Towards the end of the day, something from the Gameboy made a LOUD popping sound. I immediately shut it off and yanked the batteries out. To this day I never could figure out what caused it, but it must have been the batteries and extended play. Luckily, I have no acid damage from that incident.

[FlufflePuff]

I too once popped a set of batteries in my old brick Gameboy. Wasn't playing that long and I hear a pop and I feel the cover on the battery compartment push against my hand. I pulled the cover off and one of the batteries was sizzling and leaking. I think I pulled it out with my hand and washed the hand immediately, but there was no damage to the case. It scared the crap out of me though.

[strassy]

i think i smell a class action lawsuit...haha

[Jorpho]

Do you think NiMH batteries ought to be okay? I don't recall that those were regularly available when the brick first came out, and even if they were I imagine the ones that are available today are a little more sturdy, what with their popular use in high-drain devices like digital cameras.

[strassy]

honestly, i have no idea what chemicals are used to make batteries nowadays. i just know i had duracell batteries back then, i figured they'd be OK to use now as well.

[rbudrick]

Yeesh...scary. If you left it on while the batteries drained out, that can cause batteries to sometimes do this. If it's off, afaik, it shouldn't do this at all.

-Rob