DIY Remote Control Repairs

[Dan Schafer]

Hi All, I posted this on another forum and really didn't get far. No forum seems a good fit for this post. Just wondering if any one can share some experience or even a good link for DIY remote control repairs? Original post: Lately I have been having remote control failures. First, last Summer an old Panasonic TV remote failed after a hot humid night; DEAD. New batteries, took a-part and cleaned still dead. There is only a button contact board an LED and the chip, (nothing else). Then my Toshiba DVD player remote would not fast search and certain other buttons stopped responding, some worked...same thing: new bats. cleaning ...no-go. Then the pause button stopped on my Toshiba DVD recorder & a few others are erratic (gott-a have the pause button when recording). So, those rubbery, graphite button contact pads...do they wear, have problems? Is there a proper way and cleaner & to revitalize? I used 91% Isop. Are those remote control chips replaceable; available? Static sensitive? Probably best to just find a replacement remote. Who knows?

Thanks in advance for anyone's 2¢.

[Tube TV]

I tear down the remote and toss the keypad in scalding hot water with a lot of dish soap and scrub it with a toothbrush. I find they release some heavy oily substance that really breaks conductivity. The board cleans good with soap and water followed by a wipe with Ronson lighter fluid. If the rubber keypad still feels greasy or sticky lighter fluid will also work well to get rid of this. The graphite pads I like to touch up with a pencil. I like these really cheap carpenters pencils from China. They have really soft graphite that works well.

For testing an AM radio works great to check for activity. Just hold the remote within a foot of the radio and you will be able to hear it transmitting. Also some cameras can also pick up the IR well.

I have only had one or two that were completely dead where the IC was bad out all the ones I've worked on over the years. Most of the time it's dirty keypad contacts, bad battery contacts, and on a rare occasion bad solder joints.

Good luck