Fire Remote Dead

[Squishman]

I have a Fire Stick 4K Max, purchased in 2021. The remote is unresponsive. Tried new alkaline batteries, reset about 10 times. Restarted the stick. The android app works the stick, so I know the stick works. Any ideas? Remote kicked the bucket? I can get the same streaming apps without it, but You Tube Premium only comes in with PCM audio from the TV. Audio is all DD with the Fire Stick. So, it's worth it to me to have it working. The tablet app is ok, but cumbersome compared to the remote. I could put it on my android phone too and try to get used to it. Rather have a working remote though.

 

[lovinthehd]

My older fire stick remotes I keep expecting to go bad but haven't. Sounds like you've done the alternative tests, but suppose it can just outright fail. I'd probably just get a new firestick than worry about the remote, tho....probably at least as cost effective.

 

[j_garcia]

You can buy just the remote for that one since it is current. I wouldn't wait; I had to replace the whole Fire when my previous remote died because the current one is not compatible with the older versions. Remote is $30, new stick is $50, but they may give you a trade in. That made it worth it for me to replace the whole thing.

 

[Squishman]

You can buy just the remote for that one since it is current. I wouldn't wait; I had to replace the whole Fire when my previous remote died because the current one is not compatible with the older versions. Remote is $30, new stick is $50, but they may give you a trade in. That made it worth it for me to replace the whole thing.

Thx. I ordererd a remote.

 

[Squishman]

The new remote arrives today but I thought I'd put the batteries back in the old one and try it. It works now. What the heck.... I suppose I'll keep the new one in case it happens again.

 

[lovinthehd]

The new remote arrives today but I thought I'd put the batteries back in the old one and try it. It works now. What the heck.... I suppose I'll keep the new one in case it happens again.

Oh well

 

[TLS Guy]

The new remote arrives today but I thought I'd put the batteries back in the old one and try it. It works now. What the heck.... I suppose I'll keep the new one in case it happens again.

There is a lesson here. Batteries are low voltage. It takes very little terminal oxidation to stop a device working. So the first thing to do, when a remote stops working, is to take the batteries out and clean up the terminals, even if they don't look fouled. It takes only the thinnest layer of oxide on the battery terminals to cause enough resistance to stop the device working. I have encountered this multiple times.

 

[Squishman]

Did not even think of that. I usually do think of that. I used to do church sound and every Sunday before I gave the lavalier mic to the pastor, I would clean the 9 v contacts in the transmitter with a pencil eraser.