Repair your TV remote!

Are the buttons on your TV remote control becoming harder and harder to press? Have some of the buttons stopped working at all? Remote controls with these symptoms are surprisingly easy to fix.

Here are things to try:

1. Replace the batteries (OK, you probably thought of that)
2. Buy one of those "Universal Remotes" from Target or your local drug store. This is an easy "fix" if it works with your device.
3. You can actually fix your remote control. Here are instructions: http://www.keypadrepair.com/

Here's what's going on:

Most remotes have a rubber sheet thingy that pokes through the holes in the top of the remote, making it look like you have lots of separate buttons. The underside of this rubber sheet has a thin coating of electrically conductive paint sprayed on it. This coating can wear off, particularly on those frequently used keys like power on/off, channel, and volume control. All you have to do is open your remote control, clean off the circuit board contacts with rubbing alcohol, and maybe add a little conductive paint to the bottom of those buttons.

In the photo, see the black rectangle? That's the underside of the rubber sheet. Nickel Print has been applied to six of the rubber buttons. The other buttons worked, so I didn't mess with them.

Tips:

• You can test your remote control buttons from the comfort of your workbench. Turn on your digital camera, point it at the front of the remote, and press a button on the remote. The normally invisible infrared light shows up nice and bright in your camera screen! This shows you whether the button is working. If some buttons work and some don't, it's time to refurbish your remote.
  
• When disassembling your remote, look for little screws on the back or inside the battery compartment that may need to be removed.
• Use a dull knife or a small screwdriver to pry the two halves of the remote apart. (For my remote, it worked to start prying at the battery compartment.)
• Clean the spilled soda and other corrosion on the circuit board with rubbing alcohol. Let it dry before reassembling.
  
• Test your remote using the digital camera trick or with your television. If it works, you're done! Otherwise it may help to repair the conductive surface on back of the rubber keys.
  
• You can order the special paint from the web site shown above, or you can go to your local electronic parts specialist and ask for "conductive paint". This kind of paint is used to repair circuit board traces. It has a high concentration of metal, usually silver or nickel. I found a product called Nickel Print (by MG Chemicals) at Norvac Electronics for about $5.

Caveat: Attempt this at your own risk. There is a possibility that you might further damage your remote, or injure yourself with a sharp or dull tool, or inhale too much fumes from the cleaner or from the paint, or something else may go wrong. Use your own good sense when considering or attempting this procedure. This repair worked for me, there is no guarantee it will work for you.