Nest Received for RMA Replacement keeps displaying "Please remove the thermostat from its base..."

[JerrettDavis]

I've had a Nest Learning thermostat installed and working great for the last couple years. A month or so ago, my Nest stopped seeing any of the wireless networks in my home. I contacted Google and they authorized an RMA replacement of my thermostat. When my replacement arrived, it kept rebooting and displaying the message, "Please remove the thermostat from its base, then reattach it."

I tried disconnecting and reconnecting various wires, leaving certain wires (like the c-wire) disconnected, and many other troubleshooting steps, but the result was the same. I reached back out to Google, and they had me send the new thermostat back to them. Once the new device was received, they closed the RMA request and opened another one for me.

I received the second replacement device, and I'm seeing identical behavior as the other replacement. I'm not entirely sure what to do from here. My original Nest Thermostat works to control my HVAC system, but it does not connect to wifi. The new thermostat does not seem to work at all. 

I've tried the following steps on the new thermostat:
- Reseating all the wires on the base
- Disconnecting the black c-wire.

- Disconnecting the red wire and reattaching
- Charging the Nest Thermostat for 2 days with a Micro-usb charger

- Rebooting the thermostat by holding the face down for 5-10 seconds

Any advice would be appreciated.

New device showing error:

New Thermostat - Attached

New device saying to be connected to the wall:New Thermostat - Not AttachedNBase Wiring

Old device reconnected to base and immediately working:

Old Thermostat - Continues to work each time connected

[Worzie]

Have you removed the sticker tab?  I'm unsure what that is for.  I assumed it was like a battery connector during shipping to prevent connection.  I even thought I tore mine seeing some left on the glass.  Anyway, just a thought.  Maybe someone else could say what that is for if anything.

[JerrettDavis]

I tried taking the sticker off and there was no difference. The sticker covers a little rubberized section. My assumption is that it is the presence sensor that determines when your in front of the thermostat (so it switches displays).

[JerrettDavis]

Does anyone know what I should do from here? I'd really rather not have to go through the process of trying to return yet another RMA'ed thermostat if there's something on my side that may be at fault? Did the docks change at all? Did the pinouts maybe change?

Why does my current one work fine on the dock, but 2 units received through the RMA process do not?

[zoeuvre]

Hi folks, 

Thanks for chiming in, @Worzie. 

@JerrettDavis, I'm sorry to hear that your thermostat keeps on saying “Please remove the thermostat from its base, then reattach it”. Follow these (you may skip the ones you already did): 

1. Make sure that the wires are flat on the base.
   • Detach the thermostat from its base and check that the wires lay flat on the base. Otherwise, the wires may be pushing the thermostat away from the base, causing the error message.
2. Loosen the screws of the base.
   • Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws of the base by a half or quarter of a (counter clockwise) turn. This should help if the base is screwed too tightly to the wall.
3. Make sure the thermostat display is properly seated.
   • Check the Nest Thermostat from the side. If the white plastic from the thermostat base is visible around any of the edges, the Nest display isn't seated properly. In this case, reseat the display.
   • If the display doesn’t go any further, have the customer detach it from the base and check for loose wires or other obstructions that could cause the display to push away the base.
   • If necessary, have the customer take pictures of their thermostat base and wire setup to confirm that there aren’t any obstructions.
4. Check the 20-pin connector.
   • nspect the 20-pin connector for any visible damage. Check both the male and female ends on the base and display.
   • Make sure the pins are straight and in good condition.
5. Swap thermostat displays.
   • If you have 2 or more thermostats of the same generation (as different versions of the thermostat have different base plates), you can swap the displays to check if the issue is related to the display or the base plate.
6. Reseat the wires. 
   • Turn off the power to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and reseat all the wires.
   • Make sure that the wire from the terminal is flush against the base, so the customer can properly seat the display at the base.
   • ​Turn the power back on, and reattach the display to the base.
7. Perform a battery disconnect. 
   • Remove the display from the base.
   • Perform a hard restart on the thermostat. Press the thermostat ring until the screen turns off (about 10 seconds) Let go of the ring. The thermostat starts to boot up when the Nest logo shows on the display.
   • While the display is detached from the base, wait for the thermostat to turn back on and display the message: "Please attach the display to its base."
   • Connect the display to the base and confirm that it starts back up.

Let us know how it goes.

Best,

Zoe

[JerrettDavis]

Hi Zoe,

I've gone through and done everything in your list, but no luck. One thing of note. When i tried doing a "battery disconnect", if I hold the display for 10 seconds, I receive a message that the device is going to reboot. However, the device seems to just turn off. If I try holding the face (with it entirely disconnected from either a USB or the dock), absolutely nothing happens for anything length of time up to 2 minutes. 

The device begins showing a Google logo and reboots immediately if I plug it into a USB cable or put it on a dock. If I put it on a USB cable, it simply tells me to place it back on the dock. Any time I place it back on the dock, I receive the same message about removing and reseating the nest. I've had the new one connected to a charger since I received it.

My original device is able to be detached and reattached over and over and it always reconnects without issue. The only problem with the original is that it can't see Wifi networks (the original reason for RMA).

Thanks,

JD

[zoeuvre]

Hi there, 

Thanks for getting back to us, and I appreciate you following the steps above. To check more on this, connect the thermostat to a computer using a micro USB cable and verify if the computer recognizes the thermostat. If the computer doesn't recognize your Nest Learning Thermostat when it’s plugged in:

1. Verify that the computer recognizes something else that’s connected to the same cable (like a mobile phone or tablet). Use another cable.
2. Connect the thermostat to another USB port.

If the computer recognizes your Nest Learning Thermostat, let me know. 

Regards,

Zoe

[JerrettDavis]

Hi Zoe, 

My computer was able to recognize the new Nest Thermostat when connected via USB. It showed up as a flash drive, and the following XML data was present in "Technical Info.plist"

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Base</key>
	<dict>
		<key>Model</key>
		<string>unknown</string>
	</dict>
	<key>Display</key>
	<dict>
		<key>ActivePartition</key>
		<string>primary</string>
		<key>Country</key>
		<string>US</string>
		<key>Model</key>
		<string>Display-3.6</string>
		<key>SerialNumber</key>
		<string>09AA01RC352003N5</string>
		<key>SoftwareUpdateState</key>
		<string>Synchronized - None</string>
		<key>SoftwareVersion</key>
		<string>6.0-6</string>
		<key>UID</key>
		<string>0411c1d4ea9acd46</string>
	</dict>
	<key>Network</key>
	<dict>
		<key>MACAddress</key>
		<string>cca7c10fc41d</string>
	</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

I also plugged in my old nest thermostat, and this is what was on its "Technical Info.plist".

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>Base</key>
	<dict>
		<key>Model</key>
		<string>Backplate-5.26</string>
		<key>SerialNumber</key>
		<string>09DA02AC24220ECU</string>
		<key>SoftwareVersion</key>
		<string>2.3.51</string>
	</dict>
	<key>Display</key>
	<dict>
		<key>ActivePartition</key>
		<string>primary</string>
		<key>Country</key>
		<string>US</string>
		<key>Model</key>
		<string>Display-3.7</string>
		<key>SerialNumber</key>
		<string>09AA01AF32220W6X</string>
		<key>SoftwareUpdateState</key>
		<string>Synchronized - None</string>
		<key>SoftwareVersion</key>
		<string>6.2-27</string>
		<key>UID</key>
		<string>041da1d4d5af1285</string>
	</dict>
	<key>Network</key>
	<dict>
		<key>MACAddress</key>
		<string>cca7c145578c</string>
	</dict>
</dict>
</plist>

[zoeuvre]

Hello JerrettDavis, 

Great! We'd like to further check on this. Could you fill out this form and let me know once you're done? 

Thanks,

Zoe

[JerrettDavis]

Hi Zoe,

I submitted the form over the weekend. Do you know what the estimated lead time may be? I need to send in a thermostat to the RMA program very soon or I'll incur the full charge of the device I was sent.

Thanks,

JD

[Jenelyn_O]

Hey JerrettDavis,

Chiming in — we received your form. Our support team sent you a message. Please check your inbox, spam, and junk folder as well. You may continue the conversation there.

I appreciate your help, Zoe.

Cheers,

Jenelyn