Remote control button that no longer works, what to do?

When you press a button on your remote, nothing happens. Sometimes you have to press the button very hard or repeatedly for the command to work. And sometimes, unfortunately, no matter how hard you try everything, the button is definitely out of order. Indeed, dirt, dust accumulated or an electrical failure can cause the failure of a button on a remote control.

But fortunately, there are simple tips, easily achievable by everyone to find a fully functional remote control. This is what we will see today by discovering: What should I do when a button on my remote control no longer works? First of all we will see how to check that the fault is indeed from the button on the remote control. Then we will see the various tips for repairing a button on your remote control yourself.

Check the signal transmission of the remote control buttons

button on my remote control no longer works, what should I do?

First, try to replace old batteries with new batteries when certain buttons on your remote control do not work or do not work correctly. This is because the signal strength transmitted from the remote control to the television decreases when the batteries are weak. He will therefore have more difficulty reaching the TV receiver and therefore reacting to the commands. This is all the more valid if several buttons on the remote control do not react or have difficulty.

If the change of batteries did not give anything, it will be necessary check that the fault is indeed from the recalcitrant button and not from a more general problem on the transmitter or on the receiver. To do this, you must check that no infrared signal is transmitted to the television when you press the button on the remote control that no longer works. This manipulation must be done using a smartphone because the infrared pulses are not visible to the naked eye. Here is the procedure to follow :

  1. Open your smartphone camera
  2. Position the front of your remote towards the lens of the phone
  3. Press the button on the remote that no longer works. Then, observe on the screen of your smartphone if a light appears at the level of the LED.
  4. Then press the other buttons on the remote control and also see if a light appears.
Note: Be careful, this technique is only effective on remote controls using infrared technology. On Bluetooth remote controls, the signal is not visible.  

If the LED lights up the moment you press the defective button on the remote control, then the fault is most likely from the receiver and therefore from the television.

If the LED does not light up when you press the HS button, or if it lights up less than when you press the other buttons on the remote control, then the fault comes from the button which does not work well on your remote control. In that case, you can skip to the troubleshooting tips below.

Read also: 13 Common TV Failures and Their Recognized Solutions

How to fix a button that no longer works on a remote control?

remote control button no longer works how to do it

when button or several buttons on your remote control no longer work, easy handling and accessible to all allow in the majority of cases to return to a functional state of the latter. These manipulations are to be carried out on standard TV remote controls (does not work on the Apple remote for example).

Note: If your remote control is under warranty, do not proceed with the disassembly as you risk losing your rights. Contact the after-sales service for the brand of your remote control to replace or repair the defective equipment free of charge. 

Clean the remote control button

When a button on your TV remote control no longer works, you will first need to clean. Indeed, during the use of your remote control, dirt, dust or even grease (food or sebum) can get lodged under the keys and prevent contact from being made correctly. So when you press the button, the dirt obstructs the contact, the current does not pass, and therefore the signal is not sent to the TV.

To clean the button that no longer works on your remote control, do the following:

1 / Remove the batteries from the remote control by removing the small hatch.

2 / Remove the remote control. Be careful when dismantling, even if there are very few parts, visualize how they are located and fit together. When reassembling, they must be put back in the same place.

  • If your remote has screws, unscrew the fasteners. Then, remove the small clips using a thin object (nail cutter for example or rigid plastic blade) to leverage between the two parts that make up the remote control. The screws are often hidden under batteries or elsewhere. Check the entire remote control carefully.
  • If your remote control does not have a screw, you will have to force it open to unclip it by levering the two parts that make up the remote control.
Note: In addition to screws and clips, Sometimes the two parts of the remote control are stuck together. In this case, handling is more delicate and requires the use of a flat screwdriver. Gently pass it through the slit and slide it all the way to unstick them. 

3 / Clean the contacts of the printed circuit (rigid plate on which the components are welded) and the keyboard (flexible rubber part which makes contact with the printed circuit when the button is pressed). Focused cleaning on the contacts of the button of the remote control which no longer works.

To clean properly, here are the advice to follow. You can use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean the circuit board. Be careful not to use alcohol on the rubber part as it can be too stripping. This in particular on certain remote controls which have on the rubber part a slightly blackened material which must not be removed because it is conductive. Prefer the use of cleaning wipes such as optical wipes or dry clean with a soft cloth. Clean gently, without rubbing. Reassemble the remote control and test if the manipulation worked. If not, disassemble the remote again and go to step 4.

4 / Put graphite on the rubber part. To do this, use a grease pencil. Grate the lead of the grease pencil composed of conductive graphite. Then, apply the powder on the rubber part at the level of the recalcitrant or defective button. In case of excess, blow on it to remove it. Then reassemble the remote control and test the operating state of the button which no longer worked.

The following video perfectly describes the procedure to follow to clean a TV remote control button that no longer works:

Insert a piece of aluminum under the defective button on the remote control

This technique can be surprising and yet it works in the vast majority of cases. Indeed, when button on your remote control does not work, it may come from a electrical failure and that the current does not pass any more at the level of the contacts of the button. Thus the information which is supposed to be transmitted to the television when you press the button is no longer transmitted. If you have to press the button very hard for the command to react, you are probably in this situation.

Aluminum has a very high electrical conductivity. As a result, it allows contact to be re-started. To insert the aluminum under the defective button of the remote control and restore its working condition, proceed as follows:

  1. Disassemble the remote control to access the printed circuit (see step 1 and 2 of the previous part).
  2. Cut a small piece of aluminum (the one for household use does the trick very well).
  3. Stick it on the back of the button of your remote control that no longer works using tape or Superglue. You can stick it on the electrical circuit or on the flexible part, it doesn't matter. Be careful, however, not to protrude from the button (neither with the tape, nor with the aluminum) on the contact of the circuits which are next to it.
  4. Reassemble your remote and test the button in question.

Replace the faulty remote control

If despite everything, some buttons on your remote control still don't work, this one is unfortunately defective. This is due to a failure of one of its internal components or its power supply circuit HS.

If your remote control is under warranty, call on After-Sales Service brand to obtain repair or replacement of the device free of charge. In case you don't no access to warranty, the easiest is to buy a universal remote control. These have the advantage of working with most brands of televisions. You can therefore keep it even if you change your TV. In addition, they are often cheaper and easier to obtain.

While waiting to receive a new functional remote control and if the faulty button is too much of a problem for you, you can control the TV from your smartphone by downloading a virtual remote control app.

Read also: My Philips remote control no longer works, what should I do?

10 thoughts on “Remote control button that no longer works, what to do?”

  1. Hello. Many thanks for these tips. Simple disassembly of my Onkyo amp remote and cleaning the vol+ and vol- slots with a dry cotton swab on the circuit board solved the problem. A slight oily film on these locations was the cause of the problem.

    Reply
    • Hello,
      When you say plus or minus button are you talking about volume or channel change buttons?
      If the problem is with the volume buttons, then it's probably a speaker problem on your TV. You will then need to replace them. They are purchased in pairs and are connected by a single connector on the motherboard. If it's not the speakers, then the problem may be with the motherboard, although failure is much rarer. In this case, the entire plate must be changed.

      Reply
  2. Hello, I want to connect my Philips TV, an old model with a new decoder, away from the computer. Once you have purchased the correct cable when I go to press the source button on the digital remote to change sources nothing happens on the remote only the buttons light up eg. TV . Is the button broken, is the remote not working or am I doing something wrong? Thanks in advance.
    PS I specify that with regard to the change of chain, the remote control is fine.

    Reply
    • Hello,
      If the other buttons work perfectly, you have checked that you have correctly connected the decoder to the television, and nothing happens only when you press the Source button, it is probably defective.

      Reply

Leave comments