# MagicShine Battery Recall



## Fogdweller (Mar 26, 2004)

I've plugged this light as much as the next guy over the past year and a half and will continue to use mine and recommend them if they are available. I suspect that some cells are overheating during the charge cycle. Anyway, here is the wording from GeoManGear's site. If you bought yours through Deal-extreme or an eBay vendor, you might want to reach out to them for a replacement battery.

http://www.geomangear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_41
Geomangear temporarily has stopped selling Magicshine lightsets due to our concerns regarding the safety, quality, and performance of Magicshine's lithium-ion battery packs sold by Geomangear between July 2009 and November 2010. We have determined that these Magicshine battery packs do not meet Geomangear's high expectations regarding product safety, quality, and performance. We have notified both the manufacturer of Magicshine lightsets and the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission that Geomangear intends to voluntarily recall all Magicshine battery packs sold by Geomangear. 

We are actively working with the Safety Commission, outside engineering consultants, and a new battery pack supplier to evaluate product recall options for our customers. Geomangear will provide recall information and instructions directly to our affected customers after our final corrective action plan has been approved by the Safety Commission.

If you bought a Magicshine light set from us between June 2009 and November 2010, please discontinue using your light set until we are able to provide you with an upgraded replacement battery pack or another recall remedy. Despite our best efforts, this process will take some time, and we ask for your patience. You can rest assured that Geomangear has taken, and will continue to take, appropriate steps to protect the safety of our customers, and we will stand behind our products. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and appreciate your continued loyalty and support during this unprecedented situation our company is facing.

Geoman


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

This sux. I just bought 3 of their batteries for night-riding and double century rides based on all the great reviews. Now I have to stop using em. Guess you get what you pay for.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

wipeout said:


> This sux. I just bought 3 of their batteries for night-riding and double century rides based on all the great reviews. Now I have to stop using em. Guess you get what you pay for.


I think they'll get it fixed pretty quick. check this thread where it's been under discussion for several days, with some recent input from the company.
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=231608
You're going to get a replacement battery under the recall program, so don't be too quick to trash them. 

Personally, I'm continuing to use mine while awaiting resolution of the recall. I'm just keeping an eye on it when charging, keeping it away from flammables and not charging overnight or when no one's around. I have one unit I bought in fall '09 (within this recall period) that has worked fine through a whole winter of daily commuting. I bought another battery last month, and it's still working fine, too. The batteries don't all fail.

I'm not necesessarily recommending you do what I'm doing. But I don't think it's going to be a long wait.


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

JCavilia said:


> I think they'll get it fixed pretty quick. check this thread where it's been under discussion for several days, with some recent input from the company.
> http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=231608
> You're going to get a replacement battery under the recall program, so don't be too quick to trash them.
> 
> ...


According to: http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewt...hlight=flaming , the Magic Shine battery caught fire not while charging but just sitting around in a backpack.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

wipeout said:


> According to: http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewt...hlight=flaming , the Magic Shine battery caught fire not while charging but just sitting around in a backpack.


Your link doesn't work, but I'm pretty sure I read that discussion earlier. Two comments: From the whole discussion, it appears that battery pack was dropped, and probably suffered some internal damage that resulted in a short in the internal wiring. That can produce enough heat to ignite things, and it's a hazard with many batteries. Second, that light set was bought from DealExtreme, not GeoManGear. It may have been a different battery pack from a different manufacturer. Retailers are having these packages assembled under their own contracts, from components sourced from various manufacturers. That's why GeoManGear is recalling only the batteries, and is still selling the light head and other parts.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you to use yours in the interim. It's not irrational to heed the cautions and just wait for the replacement. But I need the light right now, and given my experience with the product so far I'm willing to take my chances for a while, with some added precautions.


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## wipeout (Jun 6, 2005)

Sure, a short can produce heat, but cheap Li-ion cells with thin separators increases the likelihood of a short and resulting heat buildup, leakage, fire, etc. I'm pretty sure your battery is taking more pounding while riding your bike with it wrapped around the frame than from dropping the battery in a backpack. I'm sure not going to be keeping my GeoManGear Li-ion batteries in my house, but hey, it's your house. I'm not even sure about how to go about shipping my batteries back to GeoManGear since they are a now a fire hazard...


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

wipeout said:


> Sure, a short can produce heat, but cheap Li-ion cells with thin separators increases the likelihood of a short and resulting heat buildup, leakage, fire, etc. I'm pretty sure your battery is taking more pounding while riding your bike with it wrapped around the frame than from dropping the battery in a backpack. I'm sure not going to be keeping my GeoManGear Li-ion batteries in my house, but hey, it's your house. I'm not even sure about how to go about shipping my batteries back to GeoManGear since they are a now a fire hazard...


Those are valid points, and I appreciate the information. I think I understand the risks, and I'm being careful with storage. Part of my risk calculus is based on the assumption that the failure rate of these batteries, while high enough to warrant the recall, is still a relatively small percentage. I don't have any statistics, but if 10% were failing, via any mode (ceasing to function or take a charge, e.g., as distinguished from overheating or other hazard), that would likely be enough to warrant a recall, especially if any significant number (1-2% ?) were creating a fire hazard.

The fact that the battery pack I bought in the fall of '09 has continued to function after a winter of daily commuting and perhaps a hundred charging cycles suggests it's not one of the bad ones. But I understand that's not a guarantee. 

My guess is the recall procedures will include instructions for safe disposal rather than a return to the merchant. From what I've read, Li-ion batteries are not considered hazardous waste, and can be disposed of with regular garbage that goes to a landfill. They can also be recycled to reclaim some of the materials, but few are.


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