If your Samsung remote suddenly becomes non-responsive, begin with a complete reset: Press the Play/Pause button and the Back button simultaneously, then hold them down.
This is the usual way that these remotes re-pair. The remote should connect, which means it will become responsive again. But sometimes it don’t.
Diagnosing Power Source Failures
If not, it’s time to pop the sucker open. Remove the adhesive sticker from the rear side of the cover, which exposes the printed words and a QR code. Carefully pry the case open just enough to see the internal components.
First, look for any glaring physical problems.
You look at the printed circuit board because residue often build up on the contacts.
So you take a look at the printed circuit board, and there’s residue on the contacts. It prevent the signal from getting through.
Using a little bit of wd40 on a cotton swab, you carefully pick at all the crud on top of the buttons’ contacts. Then, you clean off the tops of the buttons. A quick cleaning and in many cases, the buttons works again.
Check the board for damage. Now that you’re looking up close, you look over the board and don’t notice any burned areas from the button traces. No dice there. On to the next thing.
This remote has an unusual power source: a pair of 3.7 V capacitors instead of a regular battery. Perhaps one of these capacitor is bad?
You put your multimeter into voltage mode and probe one capacitor at a time. The output appears to read below 3.7 V for one of them. Ah ha! It is a dead or discharged component. Time to verify with an actual capacitance measurement.
You connect the capacitor to a resistor. Why? This ensures it is discharged before measurement. Next, you turn on your meter to the capacitance setting. Zero! What do you measure? It is not what the capacitor should of been. It’s dead! It’s no longer good. Replace it.
It is a simple solution.
Even with new capacitors, the remote may not charge.
These tags are for electronics and troubleshooting.
The remote had several issues, including dirty contacts, failed capacitors, and a defective solar array. Charging via USB is great. But the solar cells aren’t doing anything at all? So let’s check the solar panel output.
Get out your multimeter. Put the remote in front of a bright light source. What voltage does it read? Under indoor lights, it reads about 3.8 V. Under direct sunlight, you should see that number go up, maybe to around 4.8 V. No dice. No voltage whatsoever.
In this case, it was a combination of dirty contacts and failed capacitors. Clean the connector on the panel with a dampened cotton swab and some WD-40. Sometimes oxidation can prevent a good connection. Recheck the voltage. Nope, still nothing. It must be the panel itself.
Troubleshooting a dead remote can prove difficult.
Fixing the power source isn’t always that easy
Turns out one capacitor had failed and the contacts was dirty.
So take it apart and follow these steps in an orderly fashion. Save yourself the expense of another remote control.
First, check the obvious. Then open up the case if it doesn’t work after resetting. Examine the hardware next. Test the power components, then clean the contacts. Who knows what you’ll discover?
