Rusted Wallke X3 Pro Battery - can’t remove, help!

[Hokie1850]

I made a huge error with the maintenance of my Wallke X3 Pro. I ride my bike all winter long and presumed everything was fine. I’m trying to extract the original battery, which requires the key to be pressed further into the keyhole so you can turn it, extracting an exposed pin that locks it in place.

It’s rusted shut and I can’t turn it at all. I tried lubricating both the pin and the keyhole. Nothing works. There has to be a way to get this pin to move. Any ideas? More of a Wallke question I know, but wanted to check here.

Going forward I’ll protect the mechanics - hard lesson learned. I’ll upload photos tomorrow.

Thanks,

H

 

[Chazmo]

It’s hard to envision the problem without some pictures, H. Are you saying that the key is not inserting far enough to unlock it? If that’s the case, then some lock lubrication and probably a paper clip to get at the pins at the back of the lock might be needed.

But, are you saying the bike is not working? If that’s the case, you may have some serious problems to deal with. If your battery turns out to be corroded, you might need to replace it and/or might have damaged other parts of the power system.

Good luck. I’ll watch for some pictures.

 

[Hokie1850]

It’s hard to envision the problem without some pictures, H. Are you saying that the key is not inserting far enough to unlock it? If that’s the case, then some lock lubrication and probably a paper clip to get at the pins at the back of the lock might be needed.

But, are you saying the bike is not working? If that’s the case, you may have some serious problems to deal with. If your battery turns out to be corroded, you might need to replace it and/or might have damaged other parts of the power system.

Good luck. I’ll watch for some pictures.

Thank you, yeah I’ll get some pictures up tomorrow asap. Bike works fine, but the battery is getting tired.

 

[Chazmo]

Thank you, yeah I’ll get some pictures up tomorrow asap. Bike works fine, but the battery is getting tired.

Oh. That’s good news.

 

[Gionnirocket]

I would keep trying to lube it with something like WD40. Don't saturate it to the point that it will get into the battery but keep it wet.
Also try heating the lock with a blow dryer/heat gun. The expansion should make things move and allow the WD40 to penetrate even further.
Take care not to heat the battery. You can put a damp rag on the battery to protect it from the heat.
As suggested... Pictures will help.

 

[stompandgo]

Try a little heat, but not a lot as you don't know if there are plastic parts inside. If the key does not completely insert into the lock, then lube it up well with PB Blaster or equivalent, add a little heat to work it in, then let it sit for 24 hours. Try again. If that doesn't get the key to insert completely, then try a little force. Insert the key, tap the end lightly, and remove. Repeat.

One thing I've learned after returning to work at a bike shop after who knows how long, is that sometimes force can be a useful tool when working on bikes. I used my three pound plastic mallet twice today to fix a vintage bike. Worked like a charm. Nothing more than a few light raps.

 

[Gionnirocket]

A heavy hand is a useful tool but I would avoid it in this case and would not use excessive force on a lock. Many times the internals have small moving pieces that can be pushed out of alignment, jamming and making thing worse. With the advise above, inserting the key and jiggling would be my approach.
Patience here is key... but if you get to the point that it will need to be drilled out, then you might try being a little more aggressive.
ymmv

 

[Art Deco]

I would keep trying to lube it with something like WD40. Don't saturate it to the point that it will get into the battery but keep it wet.
Also try heating the lock with a blow dryer/heat gun. The expansion should make things move and allow the WD40 to penetrate even further.
Take care not to heat the battery. You can put a damp rag on the battery to protect it from the heat.
As suggested... Pictures will help.

Seriously "Take care not to heat the battery. You can put a damp rag on the battery to protect it from the heat." I would use a better heat shield than a wet rag, and work on it outside.
A battery fire will ruin your whole day.

 

[Gionnirocket]

Seriously "Take care not to heat the battery. You can put a damp rag on the battery to protect it from the heat." I would use a better heat shield than a wet rag, and work on it outside.
A battery fire will ruin your whole day.

I concur.
The lock is usually on one end so you can direct the heat on to the lock and away from the battery. Not sure how you can position a heat shield any better.
Also you don't want to use high heat.. 20 - 30°f above ambient is all I would do.

 

[Art Deco]

I concur.
The lock is usually on one end so you can direct the heat on to the lock and away from the battery. Not sure how you can position a heat shield any better.
Also you don't want to use high heat.. 20 - 30°f above ambient is all I would do.

What about putting an ice pack between battery and lock?

 

[Gionnirocket]

What about putting an ice pack between battery and lock?

I think you're being a bit overly cautious.
Most name brand cells have a max operating temperature of around 140°f. Though not suggesting that you heat it up that much.. If you bring the lock up to say 120° while protecting the battery it should be perfectly ok.
That said, again a photo would help....
One of my batteries had the lock as part of the battery case.
My current battery the lock and latch are part of the frame.. so in this case with the precautions mentioned I'd be pretty confident that I'm not harming the battery.
Again patience and not excessively hot... You don't want to deform any adjacent plastic or damage the surrounding paint either.

 

[Hokie1850]

Thank you everyone for chiming in. MUCH appreciated. Here’s a couple photos:

 

[Hokie1850]

Thank you everyone for chiming in. MUCH appreciated. Here’s a couple photos:

View attachment 197276View attachment 197277

 

[Gionnirocket]

If the lock isn't physically broken you should be able to heat, lube and jiggle it free. Take your time and keep inserting and removing the key with a drop of penetrating lube on it like WD40. . Let it sit for few hours or even overnight if you doesn't work after 5 minutes or so.