Remote Keypad Restorer

Is the chemical supposed to clean the surface so the conductive rubber is exposed from under the dirt, or is it supposed to deposit a new conductive material on the surface??? IF it is only cleaning, then you wasted moneyu buying something that is readily available at any hardware store, so don't worry about saving it.

H. R. Hofmann

It doesn't do any cleaning, it just creates a new conductive surface. Any required cleaning must be done manually before applying. The stuff is basically a carbon-based goo with some added silver, and a couple of solvents to keep it in liquid form. In theory, adding some more solvent should keep it wet almost indefinately. But I'm not a chemist, and I didn't design this product, so I can't say for sure.

"forms a tough, flexible, wear-resistant surface"

I assume this is the same product as the OP's "restorer".

oops, that link defaults to their front page.. owell, u can easily find the product after u enter your region specs...

Depends on the binders used. Sometimes u can simply add the solvent, other times u can't, at least not very effectively w/o knowing the precise original formula and then calculating the required amount of additives for the exact amount of product remaining. Of course, if you've gotten your money's worth already out of 20+ remote repairs, it's not gonna waste a lot of money to experiment. Just remember to use adequate ventilation when experimenting with unknown reactions.

I haven't used any of this product personally, but if the stuff is anything like GC's Nickel Print, et al, I think you're gonna be fighting a losing battle trying to make it last long after the designed-in shelf life.

Good luck.

May be just a bum steer, but you could try keeping it in the fridge. Seems to slow down or suspend many slow chemical reactions. Worth a try.

Arfa

I tried adding some MG Safety Wash (a blend of alcohols), it seems to keep it moist and do the job. The only thing is that the applied product dries a bit faster, so it may not bond as well to the keypads, only time will tell. The repairs are rated to 500,000 keystrokes, so if this trick cuts the life by half, it wouldn't really matter anyway. Chances are the consumer won't keep the appliance long enough to wear out the repaired keys........

The biggest prob with these rubber keypads seems to be dirty/oily contacts. I see this much more often than actual worn out contact surfaces. Has anyone figured out exactly what this oily substance is that leaches out of the rubber onto the carbon pad and traces? I wonder if it could be residual mold release being squeezed out of the rubber when pressure is applied. Or perhaps finger oils somehow filtered thru the soft rubber. Whatever it is, it takes time and apparently usage to appear. Open up a new remote that's been on the department store shelf for 2 years and u won't find this. Open up a 2-year old (or younger) remote that's been used everyday and u likely will see it.

Could be oils soaking through the rubber. Most of my remotes have had things spilled inside, and when I attempt to clean them the ultra-thin coating comes off with the grime. And the worn-out buttons are usually the most-used ones: power, vol +/-, and channel +/-. It's amazing how dirty remote controls can get. You'd think people never washed their hands at all.