Nintendo Wii Remote Troubleshooting

No matter what you do, you can't get your remote to turn on.

We all have those days where we overlook the little things. Double check to make sure you have charged batteries in the Wii Remote. If not, it could be as simple as replacing the two AA batteries or recharging your rechargeable batteries. Learn how to remove the Wii Remote batteries here.

If that doesn't resolve the problems, make sure that the batteries are oriented correctly and making a good connection with the spring loaded battery contacts. Check for corrosion on the contacts and try to brush it off.

You have fresh batteries making good connections in the Wii Remote, but the remote still doesn't turn on. The connection between the power button and the motherboard may be dirty and causing the remote not to turn on. To clean the power button contact, open the cover plate and lightly brush the contact with a new, dry toothbrush. It is also possible that the power button is slightly misaligned inside the Wii Remote or the power button connection has fried. In either case, you should install a new power button.

You press a button and it will not come back up.

Do you ever find yourself craving a snack while playing on your Wii and you forget to wash your hands? Food and sugary liquids can easily get underneath buttons and cause them to stick or stop working. Your buttons may just need a good cleaning. To clean the buttons, you will need a NEW toothbrush, some warm water and a little soap. Remove the batteries from your remote before cleaning your buttons. Slightly dampen the toothbrush with warm soapy water and brush around the sticky buttons. Dry off with a paper towel.

If the problem persists, you might have to install new buttons. Follow this guide for replacing the main buttons on the front of your remote. Use the B Trigger guide, to learn how to install a new B trigger button.

As you point your remote at the screen, the cursor just isn't where you are aiming.

Make sure the Sensor Bar is not obstructed by anything. If it is, move it to a place where it has a direct line of sight with your remote. Make sure that the Sensor Bar is completely plugged into the back of the Wii Console.

Often times, a Wii Remote will not be calibrated correctly causing the misaimed cursor. To re-calibrate the remote, place it on a table button side down for 10 seconds. Make sure the Wii Remote is orientated parallel with your TV screen. After 10 seconds, point the Wii Remote back at the TV. If this doesn't work, go into the Wii settings at the home screen and make sure that the location of your sensor bar is correct, either below or above your TV.

The Wii sensor bar uses a heat signal from the Wii Remote to sense where exactly you are pointing. Make sure that there aren't any lamps placed too close to the sensor bar because the mixed heat signals will cause the sporadic cursor. Also, make sure there are not any infrared lamps in the same room as your Wii for this will also affect the sensor bar.

If the problem still persists, it is probably a malfunctioning sensor screen on your Wii Remote. To install a new screen see our Installation Guide.

The motherboard is the heart of the Wii Remote. The motherboard transmits signals throughout the Wii Remote, which includes the signal to turn on the remote when you press the power button. If gone through all the other steps, your problem could be a broken or burnout motherboard. Use our guide to install a new motherboard.

If you know there is supposed to be sound coming out and there isn't.

The speaker makes two connections onto the motherboard and it is possible that dirt or dust could disrupt the signal to the speaker. To reach the speaker, you must first take off the cover plate. Once inside the device, locate the two gold circular speaker contacts and lightly brush them with a new, dry toothbrush.

You smash a serve in Wii Tennis and your remote does not swoosh. This indicates that there is a problem with the internal speakers of your Wii Remote. This is usually caused by dirt and dust getting into the remote. To replace speakers, see our nifty guide for installing a new speaker.

You just got hit by a red shell in Mario Kart Wii and your remote didn't rumble.

The rumble in your Wii Remote is made by a 'rumble box' which is a motor with a weight on it. This occasionally is faulty, causing your remote to not rumble. Yet, to replace and install a new rumble box will require a great deal of soldering skill and specialized tools. Rather, installing a new motherboard will fix your rumble box and other unforeseen problems with your Wii Remote.