I have some conventional battery bike lights and the battery contacts have corroded.

I have cleaned them up and the lights now work fine.

Would it be possible to make normal bearing grease conductive by mixing carbon (charcoal) into it? I could then lightly smear some on the contacts.

Otherwise any other ideas?

Cheers!

You can buy the stuff for not too much.

PS I have some for a set of PIA fancy lights over our landing/stairs.

Also ‘electrical contact cleaner’ is very good for cleaning anything that needs a good contact – I won’t be without it.

I’m not sure I’d want conductive grease all over my battery contacts. Surely normal grease or even WD40 will prevent corrosion but allow metal-metal contact?

As above, just use normal grease, the contacts will have enough pressure to make a circuit. Conductive grease will cause no end of problems with short circuits.

You want non conductive grease, never let copaslip or similar anywhere near electrical contacts.

Silicone grease works best.

OK sounds like I’m over-complicating things..normal LM it is then…just a slightest fairy fart of a smear.

Cheers all :o)

Conductive grease could potentially short the battery connections across the insulator, damage the battery or make pretty sparks and flames…

Go old Skool and use Petroleum Jelly. Worked for decades 😁

Not really thought of the shorting potential…good point, thanks.

slackalice – I was just going to say the same!

Petroleum Jelly is conductive :o)

I had thought Vaseline etc was an *insulator*… everyday is a school day :o)

Thanks

<physics teacher>”I don’t believe vaseline conducts.”</physics teacher>

edit – will stick some in a wheatstone bridge tommorrow 😉

@stuey ha ha!

Vaseline can also be used for starting fires! Is there anything it cannot do?!

Vaseline wont conduct under any sensible conditions. On a scale of 1-10 with copper at one end and silicone grease at the other, most grease are going to be 9.9 something unless they have graphite or metals in them. We use vasseline all the time on connectors to get a better signal, especially on non-gold plated contacts.

Its only really a problem at high voltages, e.g. if you put Vaseline on spark plugs the spark can arc through it and carbonise it, and the catch fire. But silicone is fine in that application.