Friday, December 31, 2010

Fix a TV (LG) Remote that is not responding anymore...

OKAY...After a lot of research of on the internet - and thankfully doing so before I called the TV repair men or hauled my TV to a repair shop - we were able to resolve the issue of our LG remote not working anymore. It was not the batteries and the remote still operated the cable box so we first decided that it was the TV that was not picking up the signal from the remote. I started researching the issue on the internet and after several websites and forums, I saw a line of discussions that seemed to offer a possible solution. And it worked!!

The problem it seems is a collection of dust in the remote sensor on the back of the TV. There is a "remote In" jack on the back of TV's for external wired remotes if you needed one. If an external remote is plugged in, the IR Sensor (internal remote sensor) turns off. If this "remote in" jack is blocked with dust, dirt, etc, then the TV thinks you have an external remote plugged in.

The LG people will automatically say that you need a new IR sensor and either come out to replace it or have you bring it in... all for major bucks! Instead, unplug your TV from the power source, squirt some WD-40 (only a little) into the connector hole for the "remote in" and use any 3.5 mm plug (like for a headphone jack) and plug- unplug a dozen or so times to loosen any build-up int he plug and now your TV will receive the signals from the IR Sensor. It is a great fix for a very expensive repair via an LG mis-diagnosis....

I wish I could find the original poster to thank them for this scoop.....

90 comments:

l. spangler clay art said...

Interesting...I couldn't find the remote in slot on my TV, but after having it unplugged while looking for it, I plugged the TV back in and it works fine!! I seem to remember than this happened once before and I essentially "rebooted" by unplugging and plugging back in (the ONLY way to shut mine off). Whatever...I'm thankful.

Mud Dog Owner said...

I used a dust destroyer air can in the external remote and it fixed my problem as well. Thank you the author of this blog!!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much. You saved much frustration in seconds. I took compresssed air spray can and sprayed around IR sensor next to Power indicator and it works beautifully within minutes. I have 42" 42LC20 and I really love this TV. You can't find dual tuner TV like this anymore.

Unknown said...

This worked in seconds! I used a dust destroyer I got to clean my computer keyboard. It worked at took literally seconds!

Unknown said...

Awesome! I thought I was going to take my LG 47" TV up to my man cave... but put a little wd40 on a 3.5 plug and she's workin'! Hey I thought I could go old school and walk over to the tv to change volume and channels.

mrpotato said...

I have been through 3 universal remotes, and endless trouble shooting, and your method just solved my problem in 1 minute! Thank you so very much!

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thank you good fix for me also
took the tv off the wall and found the remote rca , plugged one in two or three times and presto all is working

Unknown said...

Holy smokes. For 6 months i have been cursing my LG TV which I otherwise love. That was the simplest fix to a problem i have ever encountered. The internet does have value when honest bloggers share the wisdom , i truly thank you!!! thank you!!! thank you!!!

,,, said...

This worked for use too! Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

Omg thank you so much. This Was the problem I had and it fixed it!

Unknown said...

Thank you!! This worked. Just blew in the hole then plugged a mini jack plug in and out and voila. It now works.
Thanks again.

Unknown said...

OMG thank you so much for posting this! solved my problem in less than 10 seconds.

Guy Montag said...

Confirmed again. Fixed mine just by inserting and removing headphones into the IR socket a couple of times with the TV on. Maybe it resets the circuit and isn't dirt?

LGLGLGL said...

THIS WORKS! Thank you and the original poster from the other forum (AVSforum?) that had this solution.

Unknown said...

Beautiful! I had to do this a couple years ago with my LG then forgot. Just fixed it a second time, just by blowing in the remote jack and running a 1/8" headphone plug in it several times. Now I'm putting a piece of tape over the hole in hopes it will keep dust out.

Sara Kaplan said...

Wow!!! This actually does work!!! I have an LG 32" I've done everything-- even bought a new replacement remote for it.

Thank you!!! How simple. Compressed air and a headphone jack. I didn't even realize there was a headphone jack slot back there--

Thanks.

Lana said...

Thank you so much!!! This fixed my problem.

Geoff Panek said...

Wow.. thanks so much. It was the problem!! In fact, the dust was hardly visible. I just ran a plug in and out and it works fine.

Unknown said...

was on the phone with LG for over 30 mins. trying everything and finally telling me I needed a new remote.....
wow! tried this problem solved.

Thanks!

Unknown said...

My 42 inc lg keeps freezing the pic and sound plus I have to turn the tv off then on just to change channel dose anyone know what is up with it as my kids use this tv to watch cartoons on

Anonymous said...

This made my day! I can't believe how impossible this was, then BOOM this post had me back in business in 30 seconds. Thanks a million!

Unknown said...

Thanks. Nice blog. Just cleaned my tv and everything works perfectly.

Unknown said...

done this with the air in the can and it DID NOT work my remote still wont work my tv :(

Unknown said...

Thanks. .was ready to buy a new tv...did this and now it works!

Al Krinkle said...

It really worked!!! I checked the back of my 26LC2D LG tv and there's a "remote in" plug. It's about the size of your head phone plug. All I did was sprayed air right into it, plugged in my headphones and pulled out. I was able to turn on/off my remote and increased/decrease/menu...etc.

Thanks for the tip!

TG said...

My LG doesn't have an external remote jack, so I was at first standing there all disappointed with WD40 in one hand and jacks in the other. However, when I looked for the IR sensor itself in searching for an external, I discovered a grubby little smudge shaped suspiciously like my 2 year old baby girl's hand. Buffing the glass over the sensor and rebooting the TV with quick unplugging and *presto* it's responding to the remote again. I don't know why I needed to reboot, might be that the sensor is 'confused' by signals filtered through traces of milk, cereal and snot :D

Unknown said...

You are a genius! Oh my gosh it worked! Thank you!

Chris P said...

Man, you are a lifesaver! Worked perfectly. Thanks!

Unknown said...

TV IR fix: Plug headphones into IR sensor ack on back of tv. Turn off tv and unplug it. Then plug it back in and turn TV back on manually. Take out jacks and try remote. I need to do this every couple of months now. The other fixes didn't work. When I first tried this method (which I found on an obscure site on the Internet), it lasted about 3 years.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Thank you

Unknown said...

Great advice! Many thanks for sharing!

gr82do said...

What if it is only the volumes that often doesn't work?

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for posting this, i plugged my headphone jack in to the slot and removed it and repeated the process a few times and it worked like a charm.

Unknown said...

It's been over 5 years since you made this post, but god dammit, I need to say thank you for this. This has been a problem for a long time now and I finally decided to look up a fix. This worked like a charm!

Unknown said...

This worked for me on an LG42LC with jack plugs dipped in WD40. Robert

Tim said...

No need for the WD40. Just take a set of earbuds or something with a connector like that and plug it in and take it out a few times. Works like a charm—thanks for the tip!

Wally the Remodeler said...

It worked!!! Thank you so much!!!

Unknown said...

I just bought a LG at Amazon Then saw scary sensor expediences. Thanks! No longer fearful of what is already in transit!

Unknown said...

I just bought a LG at Amazon Then saw scary sensor expediences. Thanks! No longer fearful of what is already in transit!

Mike Stand said...

I used a can of compressed air on the Remote input on the back of my LG 42" LED tv and IT SOLVED MY REMOTE ISSUE, THANK YOU TO THE AUTHOR OF THIS POST,!!...also used an 1/8" jack to clear the input too...it WORKS,! MANY MANY THANKS,

T said...

Worked for me too! Thanks so much.

Unknown said...

Thanks so much, can of air in the remote in jack worked perfectly!!

Unknown said...

Worked for me too! I just blew air in it and remote now works, no problem! Thank you :)

Anonymous said...

I decided to use canned air, with the straw, on the remote hookup in the back and it worked. Glad to finally get this fixed.

Carol said...

Thanks for the info..I used canned air as well and it WORKED! So happy I found this forum or whatever.. Thanks again.

Steph Laird said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you! It totally worked!

Stingray said...

I had a problem with my LG remote for an older 32 inch TV. The power button and volume button wouldn't work though some other functions did. I tried everything including the suggestion here without success, so I must have had a different problem. Then I saw a video on YouTube that worked for me. I was blown away that something so simple worked and didn't for one minute think it would work but it did!! :) Take the batteries out and press every single button down for a count of three seconds. Put the batteries back in and it worked perfectly. Apparently functions can freeze and this fixes it.
I know it sounds too good to be true, particularly when you have to take the batteries out. I figured it was worth a try and now I am over the moon. Good luck.

Unknown said...

Yes, Thank you, worked!

gerrykiddy said...

Such an easy fix for an impossible problem. Thank you very much. Would never have found it without your help.

Unknown said...

This sounded so random when I read it but it did indeed work! Thank you interwebs geeks!

Unknown said...

I only see a service only jack in.My model is 32LN530B

Unknown said...

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للاستفسار يمكن الرجوع الى

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Barry Grossman said...

If you wanted to actually be helpful instead of blowing your horn by recycling somebody else's fix from another forum, would it really be that difficult to post a picture of said remote in slot??

In any case, what people should understand is that there is a range of different problems which manifest in the same way and manufacturers like LG are of course all too happy to let people struggle through on their own to somehow deal with bad design issues which is the new, slightly more subtle way, of implementing a planned obsolescence strategy.

For example, a common problem is for LG remote to get stuck in a useless mode because the user somehow accidentally inputs a certain combination of key strikes that sets off this disaster. Good luck trying to undo that one. Typically users will then fall back to the nuisance of turning their LG off and on manually and rely on their cable providers box for channel changes. Of course the manual controls on the TV set are not designed to take much use and, in due course, that too will lead to problems.

All in all, the answer lies not in calling expensive and really quite useless service technicians or fiddling about with do-yourself-fixes but rather with taking your television and dumping it, preferably in many broken pieces, in the reception of your importer's regional office and then taking the decision to no longer let yourself be programmed by watching the mind numbing, ideologically driven shit broadcast by pretty much all networks.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much! Thought we were going to have to purchase a new TV. Dust? Who would have thought it could get in that little tiny orificr.

Unknown said...

What a great, easy fix. I have been shopping for a new TV, but decided to Google the problem. I am so glad I did. It worked like a charm!!!! Thank you so much!

Appreciative internet searcher said...

Thank you Thank you Thank you, I love it when a fix works!

Unknown said...

What about if only some buttons do not work ???

Easygoer1 said...

I had tried 2 new universal remotes, no luck. Unplugged TV used canned air and a headphone plug . Working perfectly!!!

P said...

Help! It doesn't work for me. There's no remote in jack at the back of my LG LCD LU7000 TV, so I've done what people suggest with a couple of jacks where I can insert my headphones plug. Did this for more than a dozen times and used canned air too. Can this jack have another name?
Thanks

DMac said...

I had this problem a 2-3 yrs ago and tried this method. It worked nicely. Now I have the problem again. I tried a QTip and I've tried a headphone jack sprayed with an improved cleaner (better than WD40 - not knocking WD40 if that's all you have, use it.) and I can not get any response from the TV. Remote won't power on/off, won't respond to any button. Yes, It has fresh batteries. First thing I changed. So now what? I will get a can of air to try but frankly have little faith that will do it this time. So what should I do or prepare to do short of dumping the TV for a new one.

Thank you.

Unknown said...

I had the same issue and this worked, thank you!

mybrilliantmind said...

Holy cow - worked like a charm. Just used a regular headphone jack. Thank you!

Unknown said...

OMG! Thank you...This worked! I was about to purchase another TV. I didn't use WD40 or Can Air.... I just blew in the hole, took a bit of Avocado Oil on a Q-Tip and cleaned the jack out then inserted the earphone in the jack a few times and cut the power to the TV just as extra step to reboot the TV itself. I also rebooted my remote by taking the batteries out and depressing each of the buttons one at a time because all of my buttons weren't responding as first.

Unknown said...

Thanks this helped me so much. I took one of my atv jack end and inserted inside the remote control out on the back of my LG TV and this solved my problem, now I'm able to control my TV again thanks so much.

Unknown said...


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Unknown said...

7 years later and still helping people. I tried everything from new batteries to buying a universal remote. I read your blog and used a electronics spray duster and viola! my remote works again. Many thanks!

Mike Stand said...

Not sure why, but for the past 7 years I've received every post about this fix! I used it myself and was pleasantly surprised but I did not come up with this... so glad that it has helped so many folks!

Unknown said...

Very good thread and some interesting comments.... I am pretty handy at getting things fixed ,and in the end got the remote to work again; but not by cleaning the jack port --- my LG does not have one. So instead, I cleaned the TV by using a Dyson with a brush and then Windex for electronics; especially around the IR receiver eye next to the red/blue power light.
When all of this had no effect, I held the remote in my right hand, and while repeatedly pushing the mute button on the remote, I applied the old-school percussion technique repair method: i.e. kept smacking the case around the left, lower corner with a plastic doll that the kids had left laying around until the TV finally muted.
Now it works like a charm!!!! Must be a connection back there that is starting to weaken.

Bob423 said...

I have an LG 42 inch TV and the remote control stopped working. I looked for the remote plug on the back of the TV and found it grouped with the rest of the controls.
- Tried air blast with a can of compressed air = no effect
- Tried cleaning in front of sensor (lower right corner, can see with flashlight) = no effect
- Tried using the LG gaming wand which uses Bluetooth. It worked for everything except turning the TV on and off. The on/off functions must be via IR or else it's turned off by the remote IR plug being shorted
- Finally tried spraying WD-40 into the external IR control plug - IT WORKED!

Great solution, thanks for posting! I put tape over the plug hole but I doubt that will work long term since there are ventilation holes over the back area above it.

Unknown said...

Thank you so much, first remote died purchased another one that stopped responding properly today found your blog gave it ago and it works. Really appreciate you taking the time to do it before looking at another remote or replacing the tv.

shanshan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
shanshan said...

This did not work for me, as my 46" LG 3D TV model # 47CM565 does not have the remote in jack on the back.

My problem was some buttons on my LG remote model AKB73615315 does not do anything, some buttons works some of the time, and some malfunction i.e. the volume buttons somehow change the AV mode of the TV... eventually I realized that the problem might not be the remote cuz it should either work or not work at all.

So I believe I need to reset the TV instead, I pressed the "settings" button, this buttons is on the remote and also on the TV, and I go to "option" then "initial setting", then it asked me, "All user settings and channel settings will be reset, still continue?" and I answered yes. After that my remote control suddenly started to work!

FLY said...

This is very perplexing... I have an LG Smart TV that is about a year old and there is no dust or remote "in jack" for external wired remotes to be found anywhere on this TV.

FLY said...

Update: I went to the App Store on my iPhone and downloaded the LG remote that is compatible with my TV and now I'm able to operate my TV from my cell phone.

Unknown said...

I just put my earbud Jack into the remote sensor and out a few times it worked lol thanks

Unknown said...

I just put my earbud Jack into the remote sensor and out a few times it worked lol thanks

SKM said...

Amazing fix! Could never have imagined this solution. Thank you!

Unknown said...

As many have said, and I will say it too, once I found the little hole for the remote on the back of the LG32lg30 TV - I took a headphone “plug” piece and poked it into the remote hole several times and presto! the LG remote suddenly started working again. Excellent advice - great tip! Thank you! January 2018 - NYC

Unknown said...

STINGRAY - I LOVE YOU!!!

I tried everything and was going to return my new TV for a refund but crazy as it sounds I tried the take the batteries out of the remote and press each button for 3 seconds totally NOT expecting it to work and nearly fell off my chair afterwards as it DID WORK THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing! xxxx

BTW plugging the jack into the TV resets the TV's infra red sensor so it may not just be dirt causing it but am so glad most people are finding a fix on here whether it is dirt , resetting the sensor or in my case a dodgy remote itself but am so grateful for people sharing their fixes as I would have had to explain to my Grandson with special needs in the morning that the TV is not working and he can't watch his CBeebies and he would have been devastated so thank you , thank you ,thank you!!!!

ElSid said...

This worked great on my TV's magic remote! Thanks a lot!

Robin S said...

This worked for me. At first it didn’t work so I unplugged and held the back button for 5 seconds! Thanks so much

Unknown said...

I didn't use my TV for a few months as we moved in to a new home and bought a bigger TV for the lounge and my lg was just collecing dust in upstairs bedroom while we were doing the renovation of our new home and yesterday I've finally managed to connect the aerial to the box on the wall plugged the TV in the mains and all I've seen was the lg life s good logo for a second and than off again and that was it I've even left it for a hour or so and that was all it was doing so today he decided to search the web acme across this blog and at first it didn't work so got my trusty screw driver out and looked in to the TV I've found a ton of dust and bits of plastic from my new fitted windows lol and my their debris electrical cleaner and a paint brush done the job but with out this blog I probably be looking for a new TV. Thanks very very much for this :)

Unknown said...

Awesome, fixed it. How easy to fix. Found black SVC port on back of my LG32' TV. Plug ear plug to SVC and turn on TV, it's worked . Thank you so much founder.

Unknown said...

Thank you thank you thank you. It worked! You are AWESOME!

Unknown said...

Thanks. I thought I'd try the LG website and found no useful information.
Ran across your post and tried it (using contact cleaner...not WD40).
Voila.
Thanks for your research and post.
Charlie

Unknown said...

Thank you...this worked like a charm! Just sprayed some electronic spray in the hole and all good!

Paul said...

Thank You soooooo much .... God Bless you and I get to keep my son's 55" LG he gifted us.

Shema Martin said...

Mine does not have remote in jack, and am still stranded!!
My lg TV model is 32LH510D-TA, and the only thing my remote can do is turning on my TV, but no other button can work! I replaced batteries,cleaned every point, used gaming remote, used another lg remote but no solution!!