Unusual problem with remote control of my Panasonic TV

Norman_Castle

I've got a similar age Panasonic tv which was fine with the higher temperatures. I recently had problems with a Marantz remote which could be seen to be working through a camera but wouldn't control the unit. I checked the batteries with a multi meter and they appeared fine. On advice from a Marantz technician I changed the batteries which solved the problem. In your case lower voltage due to high temperatures might have been the problem. Contacts inside the remote control can develop a greasy coating which reduces conductivity, this may have been more restrictive with higher temperatures.

Exactly what do you spray with WD40? You've said you don't dissemble the control. Spraying the outside will do nothing.

I've had a few battery testers and found them inaccurate.

shiraz99

Molehusband said:

frugalmacdugal said:

Hi,

here's an old google search, not specific to your question, but similar.

You can get a WD40 Contact Cleaner for electrical devises.

Thanks, I've been using WD40 for many years to clean electrical devices. Initially it also appeared to work on my remote. However as temperatures soared during the heatwave the fault reappeared.

I was puzzled by the following earlier comment from Grumpy_chap

Grumpy_chap said:

WD40 works by driving out any moisture.  I would not use WD40 for that, but put the remote in the airing cupboard for a while (overnight).  The exact opposite of your suggestion to put in the fridge.

I'm confused as to why he suggested WD40 should not be used.

The good news is that, since the extreme heatwave ceased, my remote has now been working perfectly for the last few days. But will things get worse if the heatwave returns?

WD40 does two things, firstly it disperses moisture and secondly it acts as penetrating oil. You don't really want to leave behind an oily residue on your consumer electronics as this will itself attract grime and make things worse in the long run. WD40 has it's uses, and they are varied but it's not a cure all for everything.

Molehusband

Norman_Castle said:

I've got a similar age Panasonic tv which was fine with the higher temperatures. I recently had problems with a Marantz remote which could be seen to be working through a camera but wouldn't control the unit. I checked the batteries with a multi meter and they appeared fine. On advice from a Marantz technician I changed the batteries which solved the problem. In your case lower voltage due to high temperatures might have been the problem. Contacts inside the remote control can develop a greasy coating which reduces conductivity, this may have been more restrictive with higher temperatures.

Exactly what do you spray with WD40? You've said you don't dissemble the control. Spraying the outside will do nothing.

I've had a few battery testers and found them inaccurate.

I'd like to put to bed the red herring suggesting that it was batteries that caused my problem with the remote. Please read my opening message where its says:

What happens is that the remote switches the TV on (and off) perfectly as normal. However sometimes about half the buttons (mainly the channel numbers) don't work but the other buttons still do.

The TV can only be turned on and off by the remote. This confirms that at no time during the remote faults was there a battery failure since at all times my remote correctly turned the TV on/off and many of the buttons continued to operate.

Also a few weeks before the fault started, I had fitted in the remote brand new super alkaline batteries which display a use-by date of December 2026. I have not touched those batteries since and have seen no evidence of any problem with those batteries. I anticipate they will power the remote for about a year. Therefore there has never been the slightest problem with batteries in all the years I've used the remote.

My experience with WD40 suggests that lightly spraying the buttons on the outside will allow the fluid to seep inside through the spaces surrounding the buttons. Certainly, initially (before the extreme heat started), using WD50 appeared to cure the problem.

You seem to have been unlucky with your battery testers. I have dozens of battery powered devices at home operating 24/7 (many having rechargeable batteries). I have never encountered any problem with the testers which help keep all my devices powered-up 24/7.

shiraz99

Molehusband said:

Norman_Castle said:

I've got a similar age Panasonic tv which was fine with the higher temperatures. I recently had problems with a Marantz remote which could be seen to be working through a camera but wouldn't control the unit. I checked the batteries with a multi meter and they appeared fine. On advice from a Marantz technician I changed the batteries which solved the problem. In your case lower voltage due to high temperatures might have been the problem. Contacts inside the remote control can develop a greasy coating which reduces conductivity, this may have been more restrictive with higher temperatures.

Exactly what do you spray with WD40? You've said you don't dissemble the control. Spraying the outside will do nothing.

I've had a few battery testers and found them inaccurate.

I'd like to put to bed the red herring suggesting that it was batteries that caused my problem with the remote. Please read my opening message where its says:

What happens is that the remote switches the TV on (and off) perfectly as normal. However sometimes about half the buttons (mainly the channel numbers) don't work but the other buttons still do.

The TV can only be turned on and off by the remote. This confirms that at no time during the remote faults was there a battery failure since at all times my remote correctly turned the TV on/off and many of the buttons continued to operate.

Also a few weeks before the fault started, I had fitted in the remote brand new super alkaline batteries which display a use-by date of December 2026. I have not touched those batteries since and have seen no evidence of any problem with those batteries. I anticipate they will power the remote for about a year. Therefore there has never been the slightest problem with batteries in all the years I've used the remote.

My experience with WD40 suggests that lightly spraying the buttons on the outside will allow the fluid to seep inside through the spaces surrounding the buttons. Certainly, initially (before the extreme heat started), using WD50 appeared to cure the problem.

You seem to have been unlucky with your battery testers. I have dozens of battery powered devices at home operating 24/7 (many having rechargeable batteries). I have never encountered any problem with the testers which help keep all my devices powered-up 24/7.

There are no spaces around the buttons. If you take a remote apart you'll find the buttons are actually single sheet of a latex type material with the individual button controlled by a small, corresponding conductive disk under the sheet.

Molehusband

shiraz99 said:

Molehusband said:

Norman_Castle said:

I've got a similar age Panasonic tv which was fine with the higher temperatures. I recently had problems with a Marantz remote which could be seen to be working through a camera but wouldn't control the unit. I checked the batteries with a multi meter and they appeared fine. On advice from a Marantz technician I changed the batteries which solved the problem. In your case lower voltage due to high temperatures might have been the problem. Contacts inside the remote control can develop a greasy coating which reduces conductivity, this may have been more restrictive with higher temperatures.

Exactly what do you spray with WD40? You've said you don't dissemble the control. Spraying the outside will do nothing.

I've had a few battery testers and found them inaccurate.

I'd like to put to bed the red herring suggesting that it was batteries that caused my problem with the remote. Please read my opening message where its says:

What happens is that the remote switches the TV on (and off) perfectly as normal. However sometimes about half the buttons (mainly the channel numbers) don't work but the other buttons still do.

The TV can only be turned on and off by the remote. This confirms that at no time during the remote faults was there a battery failure since at all times my remote correctly turned the TV on/off and many of the buttons continued to operate.

Also a few weeks before the fault started, I had fitted in the remote brand new super alkaline batteries which display a use-by date of December 2026. I have not touched those batteries since and have seen no evidence of any problem with those batteries. I anticipate they will power the remote for about a year. Therefore there has never been the slightest problem with batteries in all the years I've used the remote.

My experience with WD40 suggests that lightly spraying the buttons on the outside will allow the fluid to seep inside through the spaces surrounding the buttons. Certainly, initially (before the extreme heat started), using WD50 appeared to cure the problem.

You seem to have been unlucky with your battery testers. I have dozens of battery powered devices at home operating 24/7 (many having rechargeable batteries). I have never encountered any problem with the testers which help keep all my devices powered-up 24/7.

There are no spaces around the buttons. If you take a remote apart you'll find the buttons are actually single sheet of a latex type material with the individual button controlled by a small, corresponding conductive disk under the sheet.

OK  if you're saying the inside of the remote is completely and totally sealed and no fluid can seep through to inside then there's no point in struggling to open it up and clean the insides since nothing could have penetrated into it. On the contrary, by opening it up you are breaking the seal and risking unwanted stuff to seep into and damage the core of the remote.

TELLIT01

The OP is well named.  Certainly making a mountain out of a molehill.  This place has most models listed https://www.remotes4u.co.uk/PANASONIC-Remote-Controls/  I know the OP doesn't want to buy a replacement!

Norman_Castle

Molehusband said:

shiraz99 said:

Molehusband said:

Norman_Castle said:

I've got a similar age Panasonic tv which was fine with the higher temperatures. I recently had problems with a Marantz remote which could be seen to be working through a camera but wouldn't control the unit. I checked the batteries with a multi meter and they appeared fine. On advice from a Marantz technician I changed the batteries which solved the problem. In your case lower voltage due to high temperatures might have been the problem. Contacts inside the remote control can develop a greasy coating which reduces conductivity, this may have been more restrictive with higher temperatures.

Exactly what do you spray with WD40? You've said you don't dissemble the control. Spraying the outside will do nothing.

I've had a few battery testers and found them inaccurate.

I'd like to put to bed the red herring suggesting that it was batteries that caused my problem with the remote. Please read my opening message where its says:

What happens is that the remote switches the TV on (and off) perfectly as normal. However sometimes about half the buttons (mainly the channel numbers) don't work but the other buttons still do.

The TV can only be turned on and off by the remote. This confirms that at no time during the remote faults was there a battery failure since at all times my remote correctly turned the TV on/off and many of the buttons continued to operate.

Also a few weeks before the fault started, I had fitted in the remote brand new super alkaline batteries which display a use-by date of December 2026. I have not touched those batteries since and have seen no evidence of any problem with those batteries. I anticipate they will power the remote for about a year. Therefore there has never been the slightest problem with batteries in all the years I've used the remote.

My experience with WD40 suggests that lightly spraying the buttons on the outside will allow the fluid to seep inside through the spaces surrounding the buttons. Certainly, initially (before the extreme heat started), using WD50 appeared to cure the problem.

You seem to have been unlucky with your battery testers. I have dozens of battery powered devices at home operating 24/7 (many having rechargeable batteries). I have never encountered any problem with the testers which help keep all my devices powered-up 24/7.

There are no spaces around the buttons. If you take a remote apart you'll find the buttons are actually single sheet of a latex type material with the individual button controlled by a small, corresponding conductive disk under the sheet.

OK  if you're saying the inside of the remote is completely and totally sealed and no fluid can seep through to inside then there's no point in struggling to open it up and clean the insides since nothing could have penetrated into it. On the contrary, by opening it up you are breaking the seal and risking unwanted stuff to seep into and damage the core of the remote.

All of the buttons are on a single sheet. Once opened you can remove it and clean both the back of the sheet and the contacts the sheet needs to touch. Using WD40 on the outside of the control will do nothing.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-lm&q=repairing+a+remote+control#kpvalbx=_jK7uYu70NIi_gQbp_JngBQ19

Grumpy_chap

Molehusband said:

I was puzzled by the following earlier comment from Grumpy_chap

Grumpy_chap said:

WD40 works by driving out any moisture.  I would not use WD40 for that, but put the remote in the airing cupboard for a while (overnight).  The exact opposite of your suggestion to put in the fridge.

I'm confused as to why he suggested WD40 should not be used.

WD40 works by driving out moisture.
So does putting the device in the airing cupboard - except this does not involve the use of any chemicals, only the gentle heat.

Electronic circuits have very fine clearances.
WD40 leaves behind a residue.  It is possible that the residue reduces the clearance between the circuits and expansion / contraction may cause those circuits to then "short" or connect where there should not be a connection.
Heat in the airing cupboard does not leave behind a residue.

Molehusband

TELLIT01 said:

The OP is well named.  Certainly making a mountain out of a molehill.  This place has most models listed https://www.remotes4u.co.uk/PANASONIC-Remote-Controls/  I know the OP doesn't want to buy a replacement!

I think you may have missed a couple of things I wrote earlier:
1 I purchased a brand new One For All Contour Remote control as a possible replacement, and
2 Currently the old Panasonic remote is working perfectly again.

So it currently doesn't seem appropriate to purchase a third remote. I need to see whether either the existing remote will continue to perform perfectly or, if it doesn't, is there some straightforward way of repairing it.

shiraz99

Molehusband said:

shiraz99 said:

Molehusband said:

Norman_Castle said:

I've got a similar age Panasonic tv which was fine with the higher temperatures. I recently had problems with a Marantz remote which could be seen to be working through a camera but wouldn't control the unit. I checked the batteries with a multi meter and they appeared fine. On advice from a Marantz technician I changed the batteries which solved the problem. In your case lower voltage due to high temperatures might have been the problem. Contacts inside the remote control can develop a greasy coating which reduces conductivity, this may have been more restrictive with higher temperatures.

Exactly what do you spray with WD40? You've said you don't dissemble the control. Spraying the outside will do nothing.

I've had a few battery testers and found them inaccurate.

I'd like to put to bed the red herring suggesting that it was batteries that caused my problem with the remote. Please read my opening message where its says:

What happens is that the remote switches the TV on (and off) perfectly as normal. However sometimes about half the buttons (mainly the channel numbers) don't work but the other buttons still do.

The TV can only be turned on and off by the remote. This confirms that at no time during the remote faults was there a battery failure since at all times my remote correctly turned the TV on/off and many of the buttons continued to operate.

Also a few weeks before the fault started, I had fitted in the remote brand new super alkaline batteries which display a use-by date of December 2026. I have not touched those batteries since and have seen no evidence of any problem with those batteries. I anticipate they will power the remote for about a year. Therefore there has never been the slightest problem with batteries in all the years I've used the remote.

My experience with WD40 suggests that lightly spraying the buttons on the outside will allow the fluid to seep inside through the spaces surrounding the buttons. Certainly, initially (before the extreme heat started), using WD50 appeared to cure the problem.

You seem to have been unlucky with your battery testers. I have dozens of battery powered devices at home operating 24/7 (many having rechargeable batteries). I have never encountered any problem with the testers which help keep all my devices powered-up 24/7.

There are no spaces around the buttons. If you take a remote apart you'll find the buttons are actually single sheet of a latex type material with the individual button controlled by a small, corresponding conductive disk under the sheet.

OK  if you're saying the inside of the remote is completely and totally sealed and no fluid can seep through to inside then there's no point in struggling to open it up and clean the insides since nothing could have penetrated into it. On the contrary, by opening it up you are breaking the seal and risking unwanted stuff to seep into and damage the core of the remote.

I didn't say that at all.