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Table of Contents

battery holder was stuck in flashlight due to battery leakage
push button on battery holder had come disconnected
leaf contacts on spring connector were damaged

Teardown

Opening the Upper Section

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Battery Holder:

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Repair

Battery Leakage

When a battery is left without power for too long, or it is left empty for too long in a device, a gas forms in the battery. If the pressure of the gas becomes too great, the protective layer of the battery breaks (a deliberate choice made by the manufacturer to avoid an explosion inside the battery).
Alkaline batteries can leak aqueous potassium hydroxide, which is a basic solution. The best way to clean battery corrosion in this instance is with an acidic liquid. Pour a half teaspoon of either white vinegar or lemon juice into a bowl.

So, this required some hard cleaning first with vinegar followed by isopropyl alcohol.

I was getting a constant voltage between VCC and 3 when I should have gotten 0 volts. Seems that the battery acid/gunk must have been slightly conductive. A hard scrub to get ride of all the gunk seemed to do the trick.