Replacing batteries in solar lights don't seem to work well. Why?

You have to clean the top of the panel . Here's how

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-clean-your-solar-garden-lights

What happened when you replaced the batteries?Is the battery cell contaminated?

usually u hve to clean rust off actual housing and duracells or energizers really last longer

Did you replace with rechargeable batteries? Regular batteries won't work. They can't be recharged. Did you put in the proper voltage and amperage batteries in?

I found that the battery contacts will corrode a little and prevent good contact with the battery. I had one globe light that I thought the battery was dead in it since it didn't work at all last summer. Once I removed the battery and cleaned the terminals and contacts the same battery still works.

The other problem is that a that a lot of replacement AA & AAA batteries do not have enough mha to last overnight. These ones from Ikea are 2450mha and last right through the night when fully charged on a nice sunny day.

http://m.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/art/70303876/

I agree, I posted about this previously.

Somehow the housing usually doesn't fit well once it has been opened.

Of course, I always check the contacts to see if they need cleaning or scraping.

You could use silicone or duct tape to seal edges and sides, but wouldn't add to the look or convenience of changing a battery at all.

Probably best to just toss and get new ones. They don't seem to be good for more then a season, more expensive ones for more then a year or 2.

When we go to the trouble of making something cool out of them, they are very disappointing.