⟐ Answered July 22, 2024 at 23:07 MST

How to fix it?

⟐ Commented January 24, 2022 at 23:27 MST

Bob

⟐ Commented April 29, 2023 at 8:54 MST

⟐ Answered July 12, 2024 at 19:42 MST

Because it is in this state it doesn't sync with the wii. I've cleaned the motherboard with isopropyl but it didn't help. Any suggestions?

⟐ Answered June 17, 2023 at 0:23 MST

⟐ Answered October 05, 2020 at 17:28 MST

⟐ Answered May 20, 2022 at 18:02 MST

⟐ Answered December 28, 2020 at 12:20 MST

⟐ Commented August 20, 2025 at 14:46 MST

⟐ Commented November 17, 2023 at 15:50 MST

⟐ Answer edited December 28, 2020 at 11:10 MST

I’m not sure if there is some short circuit in the motherboard in the remote or not, but as far as I’ve understood (by Google) the batteries should begin to go flat after around 30 hours of gameplay. Not 10-30 minutes.

The remote is old, yes. But this is still a weird behaviour. Have anyone got any solution or thought of what could cause this short battery life?

⟐ Commented November 24, 2025 at 20:32 MST

Is this okay for use on motherboard??

Also can it damage the plastic or foam pieces if accidentally spilled?

I am new to repairing stuff like this so help will be appreciated

⟐ Answered February 10, 2025 at 3:59 MST

⟐ Answered December 28, 2020 at 12:21 MST

⟐ Answered December 28, 2020 at 9:40 MST

Once reassembled, the Wii Remote can remain closed with one of these tabs broken. However, the two halves are held weakly in place, and it's possible to bend and pry the plastic apart using your bare hands. The remote is useable, but clearly damaged.

According to the iFixit instructions,

Next use a flathead screwdriver or maybe even your finger nails to pry apart the two pieces. There is a clip on either side of the d-pad which require the base piece to be squeezed inwards.

Despite my best attempts to do this, both times I was unable to open the remote without damaging one of the tabs. Even once the two halves are already separated, the tabs don't appear moveable. As far as I can tell, they're solid, brittle pieces of plastic that do not bend or yield at all.

I've watched several teardown videos on YouTube, and these seem to have the same issue. From what I can tell, the tabs are either already broken, or broken in the process of opening them.

This page suggests that opening the remote without breaking the tabs is possible:

Once the four screws are removed, two plastic cantilever tabs are what keep the top and bottom from coming apart. To disengage these clips, the tabs must be pushed inward.

Disengaging these clips in the original controller proved quite difficult without the help of a pry tool. Both the thickness of the tabs and their hidden placement are great design choices that ultimately make it difficult for young users to access the internal electronics unless truly necessary.

Can someone please explain how to do this? I want to repair more Wii Remotes, but I want to do so safely in a way that doesn't permanently break the tabs.

I got a used Wiimote with motion plus included. First it did not turn on. I inspected the inside and saw some corrosion on the battery connection. I used some IPA and vinegar and I think I took most of it off. Then it turned on and could work with the Wii.

I was happy and came back to it a few hours later and again it did not turn on. So I inspected the inside again but did not see anything that was strange to me. I cleaned it again and it turned on. But after a few minutes it did not anymore. So I cleaned it again but it did not turn on at all. Now, sometimes it turns on, sometimes it does not. And I have no idea why. I saw that the corrosion ate some of the test points away, but I don’t think it matters.

Above is the main part I had to clean.

Am I missing something or is it a more complex repair ?

⟐ Answered January 01, 2023 at 17:07 MST

⟐ Edited December 28, 2020 at 11:25 MST