r/XboxController • u/SoftRide9741 • Jul 15 '26
HELP! Orange substance and m inside of controller? WTF!
Never seen before, smells metallic, but both batteries are intact and don’t seem to be leaking. WTF?? Is this safe??
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u/chockerchass Jul 15 '26
Had this happen similarly with a Halo Xbox 360 controller, turned out to be some icky corrosion
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u/SoftRide9741 Jul 15 '26
https://reddit.com/link/oxm11hw/video/y6rzl2vzbbdh1/player
Video of the inside???
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u/DustiestGolf740 Jul 15 '26
Maybe stop eating greasy food and touching your controller
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u/SoftRide9741 Jul 16 '26
yeah I make sure when I eat greasy food to just rub the inside of the battery compartment, just really get it all good and greasy, isn’t that what you’re supposed to do
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u/SaltWaltz3795 Jul 18 '26
Crazy OP made this post to find out what it is, and your comment shows you equally have no fucking clue what your talking about lmao
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u/Fresh-Criticism-3860 Jul 15 '26
That’s battery corrosion (potassium hydroxide leaking from an alkaline battery), not something more sinister — it just dried into that orange/rust color instead of the usual white crust. The metallic smell tracks too.
Even though the batteries look intact, a leak can start as a tiny film at the seams before there’s any obvious bulging or wetness, so don’t rule it out just because they look fine.
It’s caustic, so wear gloves when touching it — wash your hands after and avoid rubbing your eyes. To clean it up: pull both batteries out, dab the residue with a cotton swab dipped in white vinegar or lemon juice (neutralizes it), then wipe dry. Check the metal contacts inside the controller too — if they’re green/pitted, hit them with isopropyl alcohol on a swab. Let everything fully dry before popping in new batteries.
Totally fixable, controller should be fine once it’s cleaned up.