"Sticky Goo" Inside Remote

I have an older Mitsubishi TV remote and the channel up/down button stopped working.

So I took it apart, and it had some kind of "sticky goo" inside. Not only on top of the rubber keypad between the buttons, but also between the keypad and the circuit board. It closely resembled Vasoline.

I cleaned the entire remote with rubbing alcohol and Q-tips and now it works fine.

Does anyone know what in the hell the sticky goo was? The only thing I could find on Google, was that it was a natural break down of the rubber.

(and no it has NEVER had anything spilled on it)

Reply to
Ron
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I'm thinking you dx'd it...rubber breakdown. I've seen it too.

jak

Reply to
jakdedert

Going back a number of years, with some of the rubber key-pads the rubber would start to degenerate. Eventually the rubber material will start breaking down.

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Reply to
JANA

I've seen the same thing. I almost thought it was some kind of silicone grease.

Reply to
PhattyMo

The worst part of it is that this problem is easy to fix, but most remote controls are almost impossible to disassemble.

Screws aren't enough -- the back snaps together so tightly that, unless you have the right tool and know how to use it, it's impossible to open the back without destroying the unit. I irreparably damaged remote for a Toshiba IDTV doing this, and of course, full-function replacements aren't available.

The remote for my NAD MR-20a is secured solely wth screws, and is easy to clean.

Reply to
William Sommerwerck

Warming them with a heat gun, and a bit of twisting often gets them apart. Don't over heat ones with lcd displays tho.

Ron

Reply to
Ron(UK)

remote

you

back

IDTV

to

I've often done that, assuming a hot air gun , masking off any problem areas like LCD, soft buttons etc. Stout thumb nails are useful tools also, structuraly just about the right material. Anyone know of a similar material that is easier to use with heated plastic? Thin, tough and short scale flexible, long enough to get some purchase

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

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Reply to
N_Cook

I've used relay points burnishing files. About 6-7 mm wide and ~10 cm long. Got them 40 years ago as a Field Tech for IBM. The wrong tool for the right job. :-)

Jonesy

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Reply to
Allodoxaphobia

Laptop people use "spudgers". Great word, that. Here's a demo.

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Gareth.

Reply to
Gareth Magennis

remote

to

apart.

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Unexpected , to me as never heard of a spudger, there is a Wiki entry for them

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

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Reply to
N_Cook

remote

to

apart.

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They mention nylon as the material of spodgers which I would say has not the same characteristics as human thumb nail.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

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Reply to
N_Cook

I use one of those fake credit cards that come in the mail. They are thin enough to slide along and release the catches, and if you damage the card it's no big loss. I trim the card if it gets too raggy, and use it until there isn't anything left to hold on to. Now I save all those free credit card offers from American Express etc., until I get the fake cards out of them.

- Tim -

Reply to
Tim

What kind of movies are you watching while using that remote?

Reply to
Ronbo

heh

Reply to
Meat Plow

A blunt curved X-acto blade in a standard X-acto holder, will easily open any clipped together remote control. It's just a case of experience really, I think.

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

I attacked the case quite aggressively, and it simply bent, rather than budging. I wasn't even able to break the case -- though I did (as I found out later) break the PC board, rendering the unit unrepairable.

I think I'm going to call Toshiba. Not only doesn't Toshiba make a compatible remote, but they don't supply the full set of codes to replacement-remote manufacturers.

Reply to
William Sommerwerck

Guitar picks...they come in many sizes/thicknesses/degrees of stiffness. Top it off, they're almost the perfect size.

jak

jak

Reply to
jakdedert

That sounds likely , what do you mean by top it off? I may try gluing one in a split or cut piece of wooden dowel. Whatever that material is , its simulating human finger nail. I too have held back mock american express cards but they are too floppy and relatively thick for this task.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

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Reply to
N_Cook

You must normally release at least two of the clip points, holding them released either with a second knife / credit card / finger / any of the other good suggestions that there has been, before finding the rest of the clip points, which will usually then just 'spring' quite readily. Once you have three or four of them released, it will virtually fall apart. Sometimes, they can seem like they are resisting unreasonably, but once you find the right places to 'probe', it sometimes amazes you how readily they then come apart, and you can't believe that it has taken you so long. The top edge of some monitor cabinets is a similar case in point, where unless you find the exact right place to probe, the clips will resist you until the plastic breaks.

Arfa

Reply to
Arfa Daily

Should have read *To* top it off...just adding a further quality to the preceding.

In fact, I saw instructions on the web somewhere for replacing cell phone cases (by a company which sells such replacements). They sold tools for installing their product--a t-? torx driver, and a....well, it looked just like a guitar pick, but they called it something else and charged a dollar or two for it.

One more quality to recommend the lowly guitar pick: they are (usually) made of some sort of plastic--minimizing scratching/gouging if they slip--and inhibiting the application of too much force.

jak

Reply to
jakdedert

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