Why removing and replacing remote battery makes it work?

[UMath1]

Sometimes when my TV remote doesn't work, I've tried removing the battery and replacing it (the same battery), and it works again. How does this work?

 

[Bystander]

Dirty contacts.

 

[anorlunda]

It is like CTRL-ALT-DEL. All software controlled devices seem to need that every so often.

 

[CWatters]

If the battery is almost flat the heat from your hand can sometimes be enough to kick start the battery chemistry raising the voltage enough to make it work again...but not for very long.

 

[sophiecentaur]

It is like CTRL-ALT-DEL. All software controlled devices seem to need that every so often.

Except that the remote is OFF when no button is being pressed. Each time you press a button, you are turning it on.

 

[phinds]

I've had this happen many times. Don't even need to remove the batteries, just rotate them slightly.

 

[russ_watters]

Except that the remote is OFF when no button is being pressed. Each time you press a button, you are turning it on.

We would have to know what kind of remote to be sure about that. My Logitech Harmony remote is computer driven and gos to sleep after a few seconds if no button is pressed, but only reboots if you take out the batteries (or drop it on the floor ). I expect most modern smart remotes are the same in that regard otherwise they wouldn't be able to remember what your entertainment center is doing.

So yeah, it could be a lock-up/malfunction.

 

[Bystander]

just rotate them slightly.

You use that trick, too?

 

[sophiecentaur]

We would have to know what kind of remote to be sure about that. My Logitech Harmony remote is computer driven and gos to sleep after a few seconds if no button is pressed, but only reboots if you take out the batteries (or drop it on the floor ). I expect most modern smart remotes are the same in that regard otherwise they wouldn't be able to remember what your entertainment center is doing.

So yeah, it could be a lock-up/malfunction.

Interesting. I've never come across that. I thought all the intelligence lay within the 'playout' units. I wonder what your remote has to do that requires constant power. I seems like it could benefit from a charging dock. Is it a Bluetooth system? That could explain it.

 

[russ_watters]

Interesting. I've never come across that. I thought all the intelligence lay within the 'playout' units. I wonder what your remote has to do that requires constant power.

I'm not sure it requires constant power, but it does require non-volatile memory and intelligence beyond a normal remote. It remembers the state/mode/input every device is in so it can execute sequences of commands with one button press. For example, when I hit the "watch TV" button, it turns on my TV, DVD player/receiver (in HDMI pass-through mode) and cable box. Then if i hit "watch a movie", it remembers that previous state and takes the appropriate actions: it turns the cable box off, changes the DVD player mode to "dvd" and doesn't touch the TV.

It also has motion sensors on it so it comes alive as soon as I pick it up (it lights up), which is nice in a dark room.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/harmony-remote-650

I seems like it could benefit from a charging dock. Is it a Bluetooth system? That could explain it.

No, it's a normal IR "smart" remote. The battery life is surprisingly good.

 

[MarkUK]

The battery will reach a state where it fails because the voltage supplied to the electronics is just a fraction too low for it to work. The battery contacts will have a resistance, albeit incredibly low, but enough to cause a minute voltage drop. Rotating the batteries will reduce that resistance by effectively cleaning the contacts of oxides or minute amounts of corrosion, the result being that the voltage drop is lower at the contacts and presents a higher voltage to the electronics... enough for it to come back to life.
Just to add that most remotes will still consume power even when a button is not pressed; a very , very small current- but enough to discharge a battery over a few years in a very basic remote. Ever taken batteries out of an old remote and found them dead - or even leaking, yet batteries left in a drawer will almost certainly be ok.

 

[marcusl]

Had that problem with Vizio remote that would stop controlling TV, but the buttons still lit up so the batteries were fine. Customer Service said it was a malfunctioning chip in the remote. Removing and replacing batteries caused a reboot and it would work for a while before locking up again. They sent a new remote under warranty.

 

[Delta2]

I remember this was happening to me back at the 80s where the remote was certainly not smart. Plug in and out the batteries or rotating them worked fine for a period of time (like 1 week at most). Replacing batteries with new ones solved the problem completely.

 

[Svein]

I seem to remember that contacts need a certain amount of current in order to keep them clean. So if the remote does not draw any current when not used, the contacts will corrode.