Nest thermostat keeps saying Please remove the thermostat from base then reattach, but won’t rest

[Tywilson4401]

I have had my Nest thermostat Gen 3 for nearly a year, and all of a sudden, it stopped charging and gave me the error above. When I take the nest off the base and connect it to a charger for five mins, the nest turns on and says, connect to the ground, and when I do that, it gives the message above: "Remove and reattach". What is going wrong? I have not had any issues for the past several months and now all of the sudden I have these issues I would love some help. 

[Markjosephp]

Hello Tywilson4401,

Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your inquiry. I'd be happy to take a look at this for you.

This message usually appears for any power-related issues. Let's sort this out.

1. Make sure that the wires are flat on the base.
   1. 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 on the base.
   1. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws on the base by a half or quarter of a (counterclockwise) turn. This should help if the base is screwed too tightly to the wall.
3. Make sure the thermostat display is properly seated.
   1. 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.
4. Inspect the 20-pin connector for any visible damage. Check both the male and female ends of the base and display.
   1. Make sure the pins are straight and in good condition.
5. If you have two or more thermostats of the same generation, swap the displays to check if the issue is related to the display or the base plate.
6. Reseat the wires.
   1. Turn off the power to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and reseat all the wires.
   2. Make sure that the wire from the terminal is flush against the base, so you can properly seat the display at the base.
7. Perform a battery disconnect.
   1. Press the thermostat ring until the screen turns off (about 10 seconds). Let go of the ring.
8. Share with us a photo of your thermostat's wiring.

Keep me posted.

Regards,
Mark

[Cylejh87]

Mark, I am having this same issue and have been unable to resolve it using these steps or the steps you posted on a similar thread from February.

[EdmondB]

Hello Cylejh87, 

I'm sorry to hear about your experience on your Nest thermostat. We'd be happy to take a look into this for you. Please fill out this form with all the needed information. Let me know once you’re done.

Best,
Edmond

[EdmondB]

Hi there, 

I wanted to follow up and see if you were able to fill out the form?. Let me know if you have additional questions.

Regards,
Edmond

[andrewkrakos]

Hi Mark, I’ve seen this suggestion from you in a couple spots. I just got a new display (not the base) as a replacement for one with a /w5 error. I’ve not been able to get past the ‘remove and reattach’ message. 

I just put the malfunc w5 display on the same base and it started right up. So was i sent a bad display? Or should i request an entirely new unit. Or something else 🙂

[Markjosephp]

Hello andrewkrakos,

Thanks for bringing this to our attention with your replacement thermostat display, and I appreciate you giving the steps a whirl. Let's jump in and bring it back to life!

Try charging the display for at least 1 hour to make sure it'll receive enough power. Then, tap and hold the screen for 10 seconds until it shuts down to refresh. Let us know if that makes any difference.

Best regards,
Mark

[andrewkrakos]

Thanks for responding Mark, I charged for 2 hours and tried the screen hold refresh a few times. each time it came back with the same detach message.

[Markjosephp]

Hey there,

I appreciate the speedy reply. Can you share with us a photo of your thermostat's wiring?

To insert an image in a post:

1. Reply to this thread.
2. Click Insert Image.
3. Choose an image source location.
4. Follow the on-screen instructions

Keep me posted.

Best,
Mark

[andrewkrakos]

[Markjosephp]

Hi andrewkrakos,

Perfect! Thanks for keeping me in the loop. Let's give these steps a whirl:

1. Turn off the power from your HVAC system at the breaker box.
2. Switch the power wire between the Rh and the Rc terminals.
3. Remove the C wire and leave it disconnected.
4. If the issue persists, remove each wire individually to confirm if one particular wire causes the issue.

Let me know how it goes.

Regards,
Mark

[andrewkrakos]

OK, I've tried those steps and no luck either. I've been on a live side chat with another rep and have been told to send my replacement back and wait for another 🙂 Thanks Mark!

[Markjosephp]

Hello andrewkrakos,

Oh no! It appears to be a problem with the base. Thanks for giving it a shot with me, and I'm glad you reached out to our team and had it replaced for you.

So it looks like we have come to a solution. If there's anything else I can do to help, let me know. Otherwise, feel free to start a new thread for any future questions or concerns—we're always here to help!

Best regards,
Mark

[Tando7777]

This is the exact same issue I am having, with my replacement.  Unfortunately, I cannot locate any live chat or phone contact info.  My old next (which stopped recognizing wifi and for which the replacement was sent) will continue to attach correctly - so it does not appear to be a wiring issue.  How do I go about seeking yet another replacement?

[Jenelyn_O]

Hi Tando7777,

Thanks for letting us know about your concern. I'm sorry for the trouble. We'd like to review your case, and we need your case ID number. You might find it in your email and check it from the date you contacted our support who processed a replacement for you. 

Please keep me posted.

Kind regards,

Jenelyn

[robhrtwg]

Hello

I am having the same issue as above. I was sent a replacement unit, and it was not charged. I charged it and returned to the base, and it keeps telling me to remove and reattach. I have held it to reset,  but keep ending up back at the same screen. Any other advise?

[Jenelyn_O]

Hey robhrtwg,

I'm sorry for the trouble. A few questions: did you receive a whole thermostat replacement including its base and display or just display only? Do you see any blinking light on your thermostat? Could you please check the 20 pins at the back of your Nest Thermostat's display? Ensure that they have uniform size and they're complete. Check the edges of your thermostat as well. 

Best regards,

Jenelyn