Both Wii remotes dead
Both Wii remotes dead
I decided it was time to pair my old Wii remotes with my WiiU so I could start playing some Wii games again, but neither will power up. They have a little corrosion on the battery tabs, but none inside the remotes. The single large capacitor looks fine (not swollen). I cleaned up the corrosion but they are still unresponsive. They don’t even light up. This is the case for both remotes. They are of identical vintage. Any ideas?
Re: Both Wii remotes dead
It's always good to get the simple stuff out of the way first. Are you sure you're testing them with new batteries? You can use the DC V setting on a multimeter to check a battery, a strong battery will be close to 1.5 volts. Did you clean the battery tabs well enough? You can use something slightly abrasive, like maybe ~300 grit sand paper, then clean it again with alcohol.
So when you have fresh batteries in them, no lights flash when you press a button? IIRC, the lights will flash when you press a button even when the console is powered off.
So when you have fresh batteries in them, no lights flash when you press a button? IIRC, the lights will flash when you press a button even when the console is powered off.
Re: Both Wii remotes dead
I figured it out thanks to a random YouTube video. I removed the embedded contact plate and cleaned it more thoroughly with vinegar and a cotton swab and that did the trick for both.
Re: Both Wii remotes dead
You know, when you asked about it on Slack you left off "there was a little bit of corrosion"; I would have told you to clean it first.
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Re: Both Wii remotes dead
I thought I had cleaned it, but apparently the WiiMotes are a tad notorious for the corrosion being more serious than what’s often visible. I needed to be more thorough, even though it didn’t look as if I did.
Re: Both Wii remotes dead
Awesome, glad you got them working!
Yeah, the Wii remote battery contacts are at least a little easier to clean than those cone-shaped spring type ones. I was gonna mention, if you can take them out you can just drop them in some white vinegar, but I didn't know how hard they were to remove. But that usually does the trick, you just have to let them soak. So if you're impatient (like I usually am) you can be more aggressive with the flat type contacts. Sand paper works good, but if it's flat enough I'll usually just scrap it with a flat head screwdriver. For those cone-shaped spring contact you usually need vinegar and a toothbrush. They can be very annoying to clean when they're heavily corroded.
More often than you would think, contacts still don't work properly after being cleaned even when the LOOK clean. That's why it's always one of the first things I suggest.
Yeah, the Wii remote battery contacts are at least a little easier to clean than those cone-shaped spring type ones. I was gonna mention, if you can take them out you can just drop them in some white vinegar, but I didn't know how hard they were to remove. But that usually does the trick, you just have to let them soak. So if you're impatient (like I usually am) you can be more aggressive with the flat type contacts. Sand paper works good, but if it's flat enough I'll usually just scrap it with a flat head screwdriver. For those cone-shaped spring contact you usually need vinegar and a toothbrush. They can be very annoying to clean when they're heavily corroded.
More often than you would think, contacts still don't work properly after being cleaned even when the LOOK clean. That's why it's always one of the first things I suggest.