sorry…….I meant lithium
i don’t think that makes much difference
a neighbour had his Lithium-Ion smart phone burst into flames on the seat in a hot car. I never had Alcalines leak in a car ever yet in winter or summer, as long as they are in single-cell devices that turn completely off. it seems then Alcalines that are in a device that uses them in three or more cells in series they tend to leak.
I’ve had single alkaline leaks, though you do have a point, now that i think about it i can only think of a few specific instances of only 1 battery being used and it leaking, but i would use lsd NiMH in a flashlight, the battery life at high draw of an alkaline is pathetic.
Energizer’s datasheets say storage temp range for alkies is –40C to 50C, and for lithium primaries is –40C to 60C.
That’s 122F max for alkaline and 140F max for lithium primary for the metrically challenged.
Don’t know if that makes a difference to you all.
As far as flashlights go, I like the Olight i2. It’s got decent output and runtime. It’s a twisty so you don’t have to worry about parasitic drain.
Can get em at BG with a coupon.
Heat ain’t safe for Li Ion either
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg4/cg432/docs/msds/MSDS_LiIon.pdf
7. Handling and Storage
Handling
Do not crush, pierce, short (+) and (-) battery terminals with conductive
(i.e. metal) goods. Do not directly heat
or solder. Do not throw into fire.
Do not mix batteries of different types a
nd brands. Do not mix new and used batteries.
Keep batteries in non conductive (i.e. plastic) trays.
Storage
Store in a cool (preferably below 30°C) and ventilated area, away from moisture,
sources of heat, open flames, food and drin
k. Keep adequate clearance between walls
and batteries. Temperature above 70°C (158°F ) may result in battery leakage and rupture.
Since short circuit can cause burn, leakage and rupture hazard, keep batteries in
original packaging until use and do not jumble them.
Other
Follow Manufacturers recommendations regarding maximum recommended currents
and operating temperature range.
Applying pressure on deforming the battery may lead to disassembly followed by eye,
skin and throat irritation
Don't know about you...but in the summer heat in Texas..cars can and usually do go above 150 degrees
I think he was talking about Energizer lithium AA primary batteries. Energizer lithium =/= Li-ion.
One thing that could be useful in this situation is a magnet holder - either inbuilt or external. With a magnet holder I think one of the small twisty AA lights like the I2 would be good.
Get an i3s for your key ring while you are at it, then you should always have a light 
Didn’t expect the discussion about the kind of batteries. But it is a valid discussion, because the temperatures in a car can go low and high.
In my situation I’m not really worried about the below 0 (celsius). The maximum above celsuis temperatures do worry me a little. I live in a moderate climate in Northern Europe and my car has a cooled glove compartment, but when my car is in full sun in the summer all day it could get pretty hot.
Maybe I should do some test how well my car does in the sun (so I’ll have to wait for summer) or get an AAA flashlight as a keychain. But this last choice would affect runtime offcourse.
As for the suggested lights:
- Been looking at the SK68, but how waterproof is it? Since it is a zoomy. On the other hand, it is cheap as dirt. So I could buy several.
- The zebralight is to expensive for a light I will (hopefully) hardly use
- The Olight i2 looks like a nice light, I’ve got my doubts about the runtime on high and the usable amount of light on medium.
The SK68 is not really good for water tight, though i have submerged a coupel in tests and they survived, one ended up full of water and still works. Regardless if it fails, its not much of a loss as most of the SK68 clones cost less than 6 bucks.
How about a Trustfire F22 stainless for the car ?
Without the klingon bezel it fits the console perfectly, looks good and is OK for a short use.
Just keep a few spare AA’s in the glove compartment. Sure a ZL has more runtime but how much do AA’s cost.
You can’t go diving with the sk68 :bigsmile: but it is fine in rain. For the cost nothing better. Personal view is don’t bother with anything else as it is only going to be left in the car. Keep a pack of new cells in the car and swap them out every few months. Kept new Alks in the car all the time. Over the years never had a problem and AAs can be used on a lot of things not just torches.
changing batteries in the dark is no fun
It’s way more fun than changing diapers in the dark… for most people at least. J)
it gets hotter in a parked car in the summer, 100 outside means the car could get to 140 inside
if I have a 40-60 dollar light for my car for emergencies I only want the best batteries available for the sake of protecting the light and it working when I need it to
1+
Being cheap and easy to replace won’t really help him when he’s in an emergency and needs it to work.
I wouldn’t worry too much about that output on medium. You can do a whole lot with 20 Lumens in the dark.
Maybe a 2xAA light would give you more what you need, the Olight S15 has great runtimes with 2xAA and you can use it with 1 if you need to. Also has a magnet in the tail which I still think would be useful in a car breakdown situation, or even just topping up washer fluid in the dark, checking oil levels etc.
I am hoping the S15 will go on a ‘too good to miss’ sale at some point, but pricing is not unfair as it stands IMO.