Remote Control Troubleshooting VCR, DVD & TV etc.

[Dan Schafer]

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 that button when recording). So, those rubbery button contact pads...do they wear, have problems? Is there a proper way and cleaner to use? 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¢.

[ARC Tech-109]

The graphite on the rubber pads do wear off over time and there used to be a brush-on product for them but don't recall what ever happened to it. You can use the camera of a smartphone to look at the IR LED for activity, use the camera and look directly at the LED or front of the remote and it will show as a blue/purple if it's working. More than once the failure issue is actually broken solder or traces going to the LED and battery connections.