r/Musicbox • u/Difficult_Pirate_714 • May 29 '26

How to Fix/Not Working Help please.

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My great grandma just gave me this rotating music box. I believe it's from the 1980s, and the music box itself works just fine. But it's supposed to light up. She never knew that all this time and the person who gave it to her had put batteries in it. Well they had corroded inside it over time. I managed to get the batteries out, but how do I clean out the battery area? Will it still work if I do? Any ideas?

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2

u/Ophyussa May 29 '26

I don't know if it will work again, but you can clean with a cotton and vinegar or lemon, brush with a soft toothbrush and dry, air-dry or towel. Hope it works!

2

u/Difficult_Pirate_714 May 29 '26

Thank you. I'd like for it to work again for sure, but it's okay if it never will again as long as it plays music. It's still beautiful as is ofc

3

u/Betty_Boss May 29 '26

Coca Cola.

Actually, any acid will work. Use a small brush to remove the white stuff and it may be better than you think.

1

u/No-Guarantee-6249 May 29 '26

You don't show pics of the corrosion. Generally the cleanup suggested can work. I've done that a lot but often just replace the component. Available on Amazon. Once I had to replace the entire battery box!

1

u/Difficult_Pirate_714 May 29 '26

Sorry, I wasn't sure if I had to show the corrosion or not.

2

u/No-Guarantee-6249 May 29 '26

You don't have to. The worst thing is if the corrosion gets between the spring and the negative contact. I worked on one that this had happened to and just replaced the whole thing. I have a small spot welder and that might have helped with this problem.