Corrosion on my Microsoft Surface RT charger!

[kbladd]

A few months ago I bought a Microsoft Surface RT on craigslist and it is my favorite piece of technology I have ever owned! I didn't notice until this morning that there is corrosion on my charger. I don't know what to do or think about it. Is there a way for me to just clean it off? should I replace it? is it safe to continue to use? has anyone else had this problem? please fill me in on the what to dos. thank you in advance for any help!

 

[kundas1]

woah! obviously its been exposed to water hence the corrosion, what I suggest you do is clean it with alcohol on the connector WHILE NOT PLUGGED IN OBVIOUSLY and clean it thoroughly then drying it thoroughly making sure it isn't damp or wet in the least bit.. that is totally fixable and still usable, also I suggest you use a Q-tip and a little alcohol and clean the connector on the Surface and clean that out as well... make sure its COMPLETELY dry and plug in the charger to see if everything is connecting well and the device is charging properly

 

[kbladd]

WOW! First off, thank you for the prompt and in depth answer! secondly I don't think I have ever allowed it to come into contact with water, I seriously baby this tablet but being as I did in fact buy it used from Craigslist I may have over looked it. I have never had a problem charging it though but I will definitely try the alcohol cleaning technique. Thank you again.

 

[GreyFox7]

Does the connector get warm while charging? It shouldn't if it is it will likely fail sooner or later...
Look deeper into the connector with a magnifying glass to see if its just on the surface or deep into the connector. Also check the Surface power connector for any signs of damage.
As a precaution Id probably replace this charger based on what I can see in the picture which isn't a lot. maybe it will clean up and look good but it appears the pins have been damaged.

 

[kundas1]

the reason the pins look damaged is because there is a build of calcium on the pins, once the OP cleans it up it will/should look like brand new.. also I suggest using acetone as it is a little stronger and evaporates better than alcohol and leaves no residue behind... I would watch it AND the Surface very closely as it could have been exposed to water!!!

 

[GreyFox7]

the reason the pins look damaged is because there is a build of calcium on the pins, once the OP cleans it up it will/should look like brand new.. also I suggest using acetone as it is a little stronger and evaporates better than alcohol and leaves no residue behind... I would watch it AND the Surface very closely as it could have been exposed to water!!!

I don't think that's the only possible explanation but without a better view I'm not going to speculate.