Fluke 189 battery leaked. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 04:34:37 pm
content: I have the 189 with new batteries and after a couple of months one of the battery leaked. The others are weak (measured with no load is 1.450V) but the leake one is completely dead. I wonder if it's just a bad battery or I have drain with the meter. I heard that the super capacitor in the 189 could drain the battery. I measured current draw when the meter is off it's 74 microamps. Is this too much? My 289 is about 140 microamps.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 06:12:36 pm
content: Likely the battery but you need to check the cap anyway while you clean the back cover (both sides) and inspect the pcb. 74uA is nothing but a new 289 was reported at around 45uA when off, could be just the cap they used was slightly better.1.5v for a AA battery can be good, you need to measure under a small load till you can see mV drain.What brand and type AA battery was it? What expiry date? What country of origin? Did you mix and match? Those are probably important things to check.

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 06:54:53 pm
content: They are RayOVac AA alkalines. Made in USA (I only buy made in USA AA batteries).

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 07:15:33 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on October 03, 2021, 04:34:37 pmThat's about right for a 189.If/when the supercap starts to fail it will be much higher.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 08:12:02 pm
content: https://toolguyd.com/rant-our-rayovac-batteries-leak-so-much-were-switching-to-duracell/I wouldn't say Duracell are immune either, but that link may help. I've rarely had problems but I remove batteries so it reduces the risk.

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 08:32:10 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on October 03, 2021, 04:34:37 pmI get between 73.3 and 74.8uA, and my 189 works great AFAIK--so I think you're good. Eneloop NiMH AAs work great in the 189 and 289 if you use them regularly. If you need it to sit for months and still be ready, splurge on the Energizer Ultimate Lithium cells for the 189. The 289 will eat them anyway, so I would stick with Eneloops for that. Alkaline AAs of all brands have all been dispatched to hell in my house--and they're not allowed in the door.

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 03, 2021, 09:06:13 pm
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on October 03, 2021, 06:54:53 pmI have seen various brands leak before the best before date. Coincidentally, someone asked about RayOVac and Flukes on Oct 1, 2021 athttps://badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=99491I have Eneloops in my 187.

author: sam_sam_sam
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2021, 12:20:51 am
content: Yes I am the one of these people who has had this issue what I do not understand is why these meters need to have a super capacitor in them and be draining the batteries when off what crap is thisI posted this on the badcap forum website but did not know that it was also draining the batteries while being offMy meter is a FC3000

author: kcbrown
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2021, 01:00:19 am
content: Quote from: BeBuLamar on October 03, 2021, 06:54:53 pmI didn't know thatanymanufacturer still made batteries in the U.S. ...

author: sam_sam_sam
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2021, 01:06:44 am
content: The package says that they are made in USA and I sure hope that this not a LIEBut I have a question for all of the people on this forumI want to go to li-ion rechargeable 14650 batteries but the question is from what manufacturer because the ones like LG Samsung Panasonic Sanyo do not seem to make this sizeAnd China made batteries are hit and miss in qualityKENTLI Batteries AA 1.5V 3000mWh Li-ion Rechargeable Battery + Charger on EBay for some reason I can not post the website link to themI have used these in the past But I have fairly good results from the first time I bought them but when I bought them the second time I noticed that they did not last as long on a charge so I do not know if it is quality issue or not

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2021, 10:43:54 am
content: Quote from: sam_sam_sam on October 04, 2021, 12:20:51 amIt's not the supercap that does that, it's the internal real time clock. This meter knows the date and time for timestamping the data logs.My 187 doesn't have a supercap in it but it still uses 74uA when "off".

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2021, 10:46:53 am
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on October 03, 2021, 09:06:13 pmMade in USA doesn't mean much. The USA is just as capable of making crap products as China is.A google search for "rayovac leaks" doesn't paint a pretty picture. The real answer is to stop using alkalines. Get some Japanese-made Eneloops instead.

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 04, 2021, 04:25:38 pm
content: One factory exclusively makes the best AA/AAA high capacity lsd nimh rechargeable technology (so far), the Takasaki Plant in Gunma, Japan. They make Fujitsu, Panasonic Eneloop, Ikea Ladda amongst others. Some capacities that look similar are made offshore in china, these are lower quality and best avoided. With fakes, old stock and different capacities, vigilance is required.

author: sam_sam_sam
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2021, 07:34:02 am
content: I have an update for the complainant that I made to the companyIn my complaint I had 4 different items that had batteries leaking in them and because I put batteries in that had different expiration dates they refused my complaint but decided to reimburse me for the touch less kitchen faucet battery operatedBecause of customer satisfaction reasons only it is better than nothing however this would not have happened unless I had also filed a complaint with the BBB about this issue and I can this is the only reason they decided to anythingYou can read there response at this website posthttps://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=99491&page=7

author: Ohm
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 20, 2021, 01:45:22 pm
content: Have you seen this old thread?https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/fluke-289-meter/msg2741290/#msg2741290

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2021, 01:52:17 pm
content: Rayovac AA batteries leaked twice in my 189 and once in my 289. D battery leaked in my Maglite and stuck inside.I wrote to Rayovac and they gave me some coupon for new batteries and $50 for the maglite. Still I don't think I would use Rayovac again.

author: Ohm
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 21, 2021, 02:08:06 pm
content: That post above was me and somehow my user name got change. I would change over to Energizer lithium batteries. Installed new batteries made by Duracell Optimum 1.5 V Alkaline AA never again. This was in 2019 and have 6 meters on Energizer lithium.no problem!

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2021, 02:09:59 pm
content: Quote from: Ohm on November 21, 2021, 02:08:06 pmI am concerned because Energizer owned Rayovac and almost all the leaked batteries happened after Energizer took over.

author: Ohm
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 21, 2021, 02:14:10 pm
content: Energizer lithium. Different chemistry!

author: BeBuLamar
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2021, 02:40:10 pm
content: I am sure the battery leaked in my meter was because of defective batteries. In the 289 3 of the cells leaked and the other 3 cells voltages are still slightly higher than 1.5V which tells me that the meter didn't drain the batteries to cause the leak.