Batteries corroded in Nikon Speedlight 600. I cleaned out the battery compartment with alcohol. Now, light works except the flash fires on it's own every few seconds. Any thoughts on how to correct the problem.
I would use white vinegar and not alcohol. Might have to open up the unit, maybe just the bottom as that has the circuit boards closest to the battery compartment. Best to make sure you know how to discharge the capacitor before opening any flash unit, these can hold a high voltage charge for a long time even with no batteries in the flash.
You might be hosed...I own a Vivitar 285 HV that had the same issue...it is totally off in its own world...it is useless junk.
See: Alkaline battery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The vinegar (acid) might help neutralize the alkaline. This is one of the reasons I either avoid alkaline batteries completely OR remove them from devices that are not currently being used.
My daughter finds toys for her kids in second-hand resale shops that have corroded battery compartments from leaking batteries sometimes. Because they don't work, she gets them really cheap. I showed her how to clean them up with vinegar. They usually work just fine after that. If the corrosion has made it beyond the battery compartment and into the unit, you'll likely have to take it apart for a more thorough cleaning inside. It's worth a try.
I hope you didn't just pour some alcohol into the battery compartment, because the alcohol would have seeped into the adjacent housing. I don't know what alcohol does to electronics, but water will pretty much ruin them. I think you've got either a fixable SB-600 or a piece of junk, so why not see if you can get the case apart and at least allow everything to dry completely.
