kfried

I've had two successive CR2032 batteries leak inside my Wahoo TICKR, and am curious if anyone had this experience or could explain why. I am confident it is not a defective package of batteries. The first to leak was the last from its respective package, and the second was from a package bought in a different country. The second had been in the HRM for a month and a half-ish, two weeks of which it was in a drawer, unused while I was traveling. So I'm guessing it's something internal to the HRM causing it, and that I should expect this to happen again.

Any thoughts on prevention other than just removing the cover after each use to keep the battery off the contact points?

Thanks!

Iride01 

I've never had a coin battery leak. And I've got a bottle full of them waiting to go to the battery store where they have a recycling barrel that probably just gets chucked in the trash.

There's more to your story than just removing the battery after each use will fix.

Barry2 

+1... Never seen a CR2032 leak. <<<<<<<clickable link
In fact, I believe the chemistry of a Lithium CR2032 battery cannot leak.
There are no fluids generated in Lithium primary cells even when depleted.

It was for this reason I stopped using regular (Duracell) AA's and now only use Energizer Lithium AA's.

All the best

Barry

kfried

Sounds like I've got a bigger problem on my hands. When the Tickr won't kick on after connecting the strap, I open it up to find a rust-colored gunk caking the inside. It isn't really a liquid at that point, something akin to this photo (but I haven't seen the yellowish stuff that appears in the photo). I guess I'll just plan on picking up a new heart rate monitor in the near future. And if it happens again, I'll get a photo and post it here for posterity.

Barry2 

The pic is likely an Alkaline Button Cell.

A quality/genuine CR2032 is a Lithium cell.

Iride01 

Any chance it's just moisture that got in there and reacted with something making a mess on the batteries. Maybe some electrolysis was going on. This is the HR strap isn't it? Maybe your salty sweat getting inside.

But if the batteries you are using are CR2032, then the C in CR indicates a type of lithium. And TMK, 2032 size has only been lithium. And it'd be a once in a bajillion thing for them to leak and you've had it twice. So maybe it's just on the batteries but not actually from the batteries.

Were they swelled up any?

burnthesheep

Honestly, it's stinky, but get rid of it.

I had that HRM and the snaps broke off on the unit making it useless after just 3 months. I went back to a Garmin.

Then, when you do get rid of it, only use lithium coin cells that DO NOT have the "bitter taste" addition. If you do, you must sand/scratch through the surface to provide better connection.

I hated hated hated that Wahoo Tickr for failing like that.

blacknbluebikes 

I have a Ticker X, been using about a year, no unexpected issues.

kfried

This is the HR strap, and I sweat a lot on my trainer, so my initial guess was that some sweat was getting inside.

Good point that it might just be on the batteries. Honestly, once I saw the gunk and that the unit wasn't working, I immediately assumed the battery had leaked and didn't want to mess with it. Put the battery aside for disposal, cleaned the inside as best as I could, and popped in a new battery. Never thought to clean everything off and try the same battery again. If I get a third instance, I'll do that. Perhaps I should also give a close look at the O-ring to make sure it is seated properly.

And no, the batteries were not swelled at all.

kfried

That's probably the direction I am headed. I have a friend who bought a cheap, off-brand HRM and it seems to work all the time without problem. But the two Tickr's I've owned have not been great. Should have learned my lesson the first time.

kfried

On a whim, I opened up the Tickr today--two days after putting in a new battery--to find this:


Clearly there is some condensation getting inside, but even with that, would that be enough to cause the brown...whatever that is...to come out? I can't really tell if it is coming from inside the battery or not, honestly, but not sure where else it would come from.

Cleaned it, put the battery back in, and it still works. But will just ave to order a new heart rate monitor.

markansas

This is my EXACT experience. Twice. Same exact brown corrosion, same exact sweat leakage. I think the defect is that the battery cover actually contacts the skin, unlike the cheaper Amazon one I had that lasted 3 years. Should just reorder one of those and get a refund from Wahoo.