Call/email Duracell and get free replacements. They are serious about defects like this

This goes to show you can never trust batteries no matter how new they are....

Duracell are famous for their leaks. Don’t use them in your games

Use a lithium AA battery instead. Like this from energizer.

Can't second this enough. You have a very expensive pinball machine.

If you must use batteries (and there are reasons...), use the Lithium AA's.

The better answer is to convert all your pinballs to NVRAM as soon as you can.

This was a tragedy averted, good catch!

The Duracells used to be good quality, but during the last few years they have turned into rubbish. I have many times seen leaking Duracells in stores, still in their plastic packages dated best before at least 5-10 years in future.

Wow, I’ve encountered the same thing(leak)with Duracell the past few years. Maybe time for a brand change.

Need more than just a brand change. Stop using Alkaline batteries all together. Most all are now made in China.

No problems with Energizers or Aerocells (European Lidl store brand) after 3 years.

They used to sell "professional ProCell" versions at higher price.
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Duracell is garbage, the others not much better.

There has been an arms race to squeeze more and more life out of the batteries and the formulations are more and more prone to leak.

NVRAM or remote battery pack, I won't have any batteries on the board here of any stripe. No exceptions.

I second this. Absolutely convert to NVRAM. In your one or two games that needs batteries due to things like Midnight Madness, or the TZ clock, use a remote battery holder in a baggie in the bottom of the head.

It isn't just for peace of mind. You are just a steward of the games you own. The more durable they are, the better.

Being as we both live in Arizona (where the heat gets into the 110s during summer), I have to ask.
We’re they stored in the garage? Or in the house?
If I leave anything with batteries in the garage during the summer, there’s a good chance this happens. When it’s 113 outside, the garage is unbearable and like an oven. Leave a flashlight out there and all the batteries in it will be like this.
I keep the batteries in a mini fridge in the game room now.

There was a recent thread with NVRAM installs it involved a bunch of bad boards, electronic trouble shooting, and more effort that I thought would be required. Not sure if I would want to attempt that.

The temp in your house is set to 78-81? Holy crap, I'd melt. I like to convert my games to CR2032 lithium coin cell batteries. Cheap and easy.

78-81 is nice as hell when it’s in the 110s outside.

As luck would have it several repair guys can install NVRAM for you.

When the RAM is in a socket from the factory(sega, stern, etc), NVRAM is pretty much a no-brainer. Plug and play.

Williams games like WPC89 and System 11 require good desoldering tools and experience. The traces and pads around the drill holes are fine making them easily damaged.

As I was going to bed last night, tried to set the TV to sleep timer but it the remote was flaking out. I turn it over and around the battery compartment lid I can see a white crust forming. Open it up and a Kroger Alkaline spilled his guts. I think I caught it relatively fast as it was still all just white crap, but there was a ton of it for a single leaking AAA.

If you got those batteries from Amazon, they were fakes.

Milwaukee says lifetime warranty on their handtools, UNLESS you buy them from Amazon.

Never buy memory cards, baby formula, apple chargers or earphones, batteries, brake pads or anything else easily counterfeited from amazon

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At the Goodwill

I'd say in the last 5 years or so just about every brand I've tried has leaked and quick! Duracell and Energizer being the biggest culprits.
I had leaking batteries ruin a thermostat, a remote and a automatic door lock shortly after installation.

OK, you guys are making me a little nervous, I’ll be checking my Freddy this weekend....

I’ve heard about NVRAM, but didn’t really read up on it, until just now. Looks like I’ll be doing some board work, to get rid of those batteries.

I think the source of issue in that thread was that the OP said the NVRAM modules were tested & working, when it actually turned out that he didn't test them himself or pull a known working module from another game. They were just fresh out of the box and *assumed* to be working.

So then that led down the rabbit hole trying to troubleshoot for anything else that may have been a problem, until the thread circled back to the NVRAM modules.

Normally, it's not like that. And in troubleshooting threads, it's important to be clear, specific, and not skip steps! Otherwise, the thread probably would've been resolved within the first few posts.

Freddy uses a lithium coin cell battery. Not to say they NEVER leak, but it is rare. If the battery is original, it will be soldered in and you will need to order a holder and replacement battery for future ease of battery changing. I did so in my Gottlieb Strikes n Spares. You can use a CR2032 even though the original is a bigger battery.

On half the system 3 games I've owned, they had leaked before I bought the game. Those coin cells are good for around 10-12 years, but after that, they're ticking time bombs.

Until a few years ago, just replacing with a CR2032 was the only option. However, there is specially designed NVRAM module for system 3 games:

https://www.pinitech.com/products/gottlieb_sys3_nvram.php

That’s what I found earlier with my research, already ordered, and patiently waiting. Thank you though for supplying the link for others.

I get Amazon brand rechargeable batteries by the bunch. Hope they aren't counterfeit. Heard some are rebranded high end batteries. Don't use them in the machine though.

I sold my old DW to a friend years ago. I only see him about once a year and every time I ask if he has replaced the batteries. The anser was always no. Not long ago he had a 40th b-day party and I bought him new lithium AA's and replaced them for him, 7 yrs later. I then had to get all my high scores back.

Rechargeable batteries are less likely to leak.

Or get the ultimate Eneloop rechargeables, there's nothing leaky inside of them.

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You can leave the power ON when replacing the memory batteries in WMS games. This way you won't lose the high scores etc.

Just say NO to batteries!

I like my games to keep their clock running, for the occasional Midnight Madness runs. And I still am a bit unsure about the NVRAM durability.

Because I only have 16 games, I replace the batteries with known good brand every two years. No problems so far and not very expensive.

The NVRAM installed in my various games should be still trucking along well after I shuffle off this mortal coil.

I install a lot of name brand AA/AAA batteries at work, the failure rate can be as high as a few months time.

Not worth the risk.

The early generations of Fe-NVRAM did have limited read cycles. Newer chips are much better. But purchasing the chips, you never know what you get. Last ones I got, were clearly pulls from a photocopy machine, and a recent thread here about NVRAM installation problem was because of NVRAMs dead at purchase.

Not a knock on Marco, but you have no idea what you are getting when you buy NVRAM from him. It's not his bread and butter.

Pinitech or Weebly are the only two places I buy from when it comes to NVRAM. No exceptions.

I put Eneloop batteries in just about everything now. Alkaline batteries have ruined too many things.

Mine were not from Marco, but thanks for the tip. I have heard only good feedback from Pinitech / Weebly.

Anyway, I have never had any complaints towards Marco's either.

There was just a thread where I guy doing NVRAM installs had 3 or 4 bad modules from Marco right out of the box.

I have replaced all my NiCd and NiMH batteries with Eneloops, so far no problems. And because they keep their charge for years, probably a good choice for alkaline replacement also. Did not think about that!

https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/nvram-install-gone-wrong-demolition-man#post-7032548

Andrew over at Weebly has been out of stock of NVRAM for quite a while now.
I was ordering 10 at a time from him and now looking for a good source at a reasonable price since his has dried up.
Pinitech is nearly 2X what Andrew (weebly) was charging so don't want to go that route unless no other choice.

Was that my thread?

defective nvram. All of my pins have been converted.

Some MPU’s took more work than others.

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My next favorite nvram is the Anypin DMD+ (from @borygard) for $20: http://lockwhenlit.com/anyPinDMD+.htm

I can verify that the duracells leak unexpectedly. Just happened the other day on my AFM, big crusty leakage. Batteries installed about 2 years. (Right before pandemic).

Damage limited to holder, pulled the holder, replaced the ram with NVram 1608's that I bought when they were still being made in the mid-late 2000's so they were all fresh and cheaper then

That is the default for those, I don't trust them as far as I can toss.

They didn't used to do this..... ah well. I've always liked nvram anyway, just slowly converting all the games over. Sad that the HSTD was lost, but eh. Now some incentive to play that game again.

I usually play one title for months, then get bored and switch to another.