Chromecast remote stopped working suddenly

[RMS11]

Hi,

I realise this is a common problem but I still cannot fix it.  Last night my chromecaster remote starting acting strangely, with controls malfunctioning - when clicked, the arrow direction buttons were jumping 4 or 5 steps at a timeso it became hard to make a selection.  I turned it off.

Now the remote won't work at all when I access the chromecast on my TV.  I thought the batteries had gone flat, but I've only had the Chromecast for about two months.  The batteries seem to be OK, but I also did try another pair. The chromecast won't even turn on when pressing the power button.  The only way I could start it, and access Google TV was to pull the power cable out then reset it.  The only way I can then access Google TV on my TV set is to open the Google TV app on my phone, link to the TV set, and use the D-pad control.

I have tried pairing the remote (with the phone?) but it constantly fails.  I have taken the batteries out, and reset it.  The white glowing light on the remote now fades on and off, but it refuses to pair via bluetooth despite many efforts.  I have accessed Google Home on my phone, but I can't work out what I'm supposed to do in that app.  I don't know what will happen if I reset everything to factory setting.  I assume this won't affect being able to access Google TV on my TV set via my Google TV phone app, but I don't know.  It's all a bit confusing.

Thanks.

[JillG]

Hi @RMS11 

Give the troubleshooting steps in this document a try: Troubleshoot the Chromecast Voice Remote - Chromecast Help 

If you are still having trouble with that remote they do sell them separately at the Google Store. They also have a warranty for recently purchased ones.

[RMS11]

Hi JillG, thanks for your reply, I'll have a look at the steps in the link.

When I originally tried to set up the Chromecast remote, I had to select the brand  of my TV set from an on-screen list.  My TV brand wasn't in the list.  It is a Blaupunkt, which I bought a few months ago.  I selected another brand at random but I don't remember what it was.  I was not going to go through the entire list and all the variations - it may have taken hours for no result.  Basically, in the end, I was unable to select any settings, and I either skipped them or selected them even when they didn't work (such as sound level).  I was surprised to see that the remote actually worked, so I suppose those settings aren't important.

If anyone has advice about selecting the TV brand when the brand is not in the list, I'd like to check that out, too, as it was part of the original setup.

Thanks.

[JillG]

Hopefully another Blaupunkt TV owner can chime in with an exact answer but what I have done is check this list for your TV then search the list using the same code for other TV brands using that code. That way you can find other manufactures name brands by backward searching.  

[RMS11]

Wow!  Thanks for the link to that list - had no idea!  I'll search the rest of the list for the Blaupunkt code numbers.

[RMS11]

OK - I am confused, and the instructions are too hard to work out, because I don't know what the problem is.  I can run the chromecast from the Google TV app controls on my phone.  The chromecast remote's light is constantly pulsing, but none of its controls works at all.  I don't know what to do next.  Maybe I need to go back to factory settings.  Will this affect the Google TV app on the phone, or just the remote?

[RMS11]

I've now spent a considerable amount of time standing in front of the TV set and the chromecast dongle, with mobile phone and the Google TV (or chromecast) remote in hand.  For pairing, Bluetooth is enabled on the phone.  Have followed instructions to reset the the remote to factory setting.  Have attempted many times to pair the remote.

On the TV screen I constantly reach "Searching for Accessories".  On the right-side of screen it eventually shows "Chromecast Remote", and a number 20:OB:16:17:EB:F3.   Usually it only gets this far.   If I use the mobile Google TV app I can move the cursor to the right side, where eventually "Pairing" is shown on screen.  Then it says , "Couldn't pair".

As well, the remote light continues to pulse as soon as I touch it, even when it's just sitting dormant.

This is as far as I can get.  I have tried multiple times.  I don't know why this is happening, but can guess that it might be related to the initial problem outlined in my first posting - the remote's direction buttons began to malfunction.  Unable to make any selection, I turned off the chromecast.  Next day, I could not use the remote to turn Google TV on, and none of the controls have worked ever since.

Perhaps the remote is no longer working, although its presence in trying to pair it is being recognised.  I am in Melbourne, Australia.  Is there somewhere locally to go where I can have the remote tested, and perhaps exchanged?  Or can I replace it at the retail store where the Chromecast was purchased?  I have the warranty receipt of puchase.

Thanks.

[Kimy]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your help here, @JillG.

@RMS11, chances are, the motherboard of the remote itself is grounded. Try this workaround and let me know how it goes:

• Remove the batteries and give it a 2 to 3 minute rest.
• While the batteries are out, press and hold down the power button for 15 to 20 seconds to fully drain any static power left on the chipset/motherboard of the Chromecast Voice remote, then release the button.
• Let the remote rest again for 2 to 3 minutes. Take this time to unplug the Chromecast device from power and give it a 1 minute rest before you plug it back in.
• Proceed with the pairing process.
• If it persists, factory reset the remote one last time before pairing.
• If all else fails, then we coordinate with the support team.

Thanks,

Kimy

[Princesss]

Hello there,

Chiming in to see if you still need assistance with this. Hope the previous post helped. Let us know if you have additional questions, otherwise we’ll be locking the thread.
 

Best,

Princess

[RMS11]

Thanks to Kimy.  To cut a long story short, I carried out those steps before the posting (taking batteries out, even for a couple of days, unplugging the chromecast from the power).  I eventually paired the remote again, but the direction controls malfunctioned again as in my original posting.  I probably need a new remote, but in the meantime I'm using a phone app with a virtual remote interface, which is fine at the moment.

Thanks.

[Kimy]

Hi RMS11,

I’m glad you found a workaround. If the remote is already faulty, replacement would be the best thing to do. But don’t do a factory reset on the Chromecast device until you have the replacement remote. It would require an actual remote for setting it up.

I will keep this thread open for one more day. Feel free to create a new one if you have concerns in the future.

Cheers,

Kimy

[RMS11]

Thank you.

- RMS11

[Kimy]

Hi there,

You’re welcome, @RMS11. I will close this thread now. Don’t hesitate to create a new one for your future concerns.

Thanks,

Kimy