MB-D17 problem

[Kim Pilegaard]

I have the MB-D17 battery grip for my D500. In the battery info the MB-D17 is recognised, but although I have chosen the camera to use MB-D17 batteries first, MB-D17 is not highlighted in the battery info, and no battery status is shown even with a completely charged battery.

I tried the battery pack on another camera, where it worked as it should.

Could someone point to a solution? Dirty contacts?

[Ilkka Nissilä]

It could be a power circuit failure in the camera.

[Øivind Tøien]

Which battery pack is being used in the grip? I have on some occasions noticed that EN-EL15 variants might not seat properly in the holder and have problems making contact. Does the camera power on  at all without the main battery in the chamber?

[Kim Pilegaard]

It seems to be the contacts in the camera itself. I tried to clean them with some contact cleaning liquid and had a temporary success. However, now it doesn't work again.

Does anyone have experience in how to clean the contacts?

[David H. Hartman]

It seems to be the contacts in the camera itself. I tried to clean them with some contact cleaning liquid and had a temporary success. However, now it doesn't work again.

Does anyone have experience in how to clean the contacts?

I would try cleaning all contacts again. I had an MD-12 that failed to work. I cleaned the contacts and it still didn't work. It was a fairly simple device and I asked a camera repairman friend to buy me a main circuit board. My friend said, "Did you clean the contacts." I said, "Yes, but I'll do it again." I scrubbed the contacts with methyl alcohol and cotton swabs. The second more thorough cleaning did the trick. My guess is there was lip balm on the MD-12 contacts, waxy, and although alcohol is not a proper solvent for wax the second cleaning did the trick. One can hope. 

Dave

[MEPER]

For cleaning electrical contacts an eraser (viskelæder) can work.
Lighter fluid (rensebenzin) is also good. Or a mixture between lighter fluid and alcohol. 

[David H. Hartman]

I am concerned about using erasers on plated metal contacts. If the contact is brass underneath and a plating such as gold is removed the brass will corrode quickly and need frequent or even very frequent cleaning. In my experience the device can become quite unreliable.

I damaged the plating, bright, perhaps thin chrome on brass in a Vivitar 285 (early Japanese model). This was probably done by a alkaline battery that leaked. I cleaned the contacts but the plating was stripped. To successfully continue using my Vivitar 285 I placed a drop of solder (lead/tin) on the contact. The solder also corroded but by simply spinning the battery in place reliable contact was established. I did this every time I installed fresh batteries. I intended to try silver solder but by that time high trigger voltage speedlights were considered a danger to SLR(s). My Vivitar 283(s) and 285 all had trigger voltages above 256V as measured by a multi-meter. I bought a Nikon SB-16B and gave away the Vivitar 285.

If the contacts in a device are plated I would never use an eraser. If the contacts are solid stainless steel as pressed from stainless steel sheets a new eraser on a lead pencil may be quite convenient. I would never under any circumstances use a ink eraser.

Dave