Power functions IR remote 8885 not working Please help!

[Toast0307]

I recently purchased a powerfunctions Ir remote 8885 and Ir receiver V1 to control the motors I already had. With batteries installed and Ir receiver connected to battery pack I tried operating the levers but no little yellow led lit up and connected motor did not work. Figuring it was just faulty I contacted legoshop.com who promptly sent me another.This failed to work either. Again contacted legoshop.com who checked I was fitting the batteries correct(hardly rocket science) and when outcome did not change agreed to send a 3rd remote. This just arrived and still does not work! Does anyone have any ideas what the problem might be? By the way the motor works fine off the battery pack direct and the Ir receiver shows its yellow led when connected to the battery pack.

[Karle]

Are the channel selector switches set to the same numbers? As you said, not rocket science, but some times the obvious can kick you in the back side.

[Saberwing40k]

Try moving the switches on the control unit. There should be a little green LED on the front part of the emitter, that only lights up when a switch is moved. If none of them do, you either have a bad controller, or dud batteries. If the controller is good, get your receiver, hook it up to batteries and motors, and push the frequency switch up to the top of the receiver. Then, take the remote, and push the frequency switch on it up to the front of the remote. Make sure you have clear line of sight between the remote and the receiver. Make sure you do all of this out of direct sunlight. Due to how the Power Functions system works, direct sunlight will interfere with the remote functions. Finally, check the remote, again. Below the two orange switches are two small, black ones. Make sure they are either all the way forward, or all the way back.

If that does not help you, try taking a look at the instructions for set 8275, which has a fairly detailed pictorial on how Power Functions works.

http://cache.lego.com/bigdownloads/buildinginstructions/4533636.pdf

Or, try the FAQ section of the Power Functions subsite:

http://powerfunctions.lego.com/en-us/default.aspx

[spadgy]

Your description sounds like you already have this covered, so I'll really post this for future readers finding this thread as they strive to solve their IR unit woes.

When I built the Volvo L350F set, I - being an expert idiot - put one battery in the IR controller the wrong way around. Pushing a single directional lever blew the thing. These little chaps seem especially sensitive to battery mistakes, so be super careful. I know how to put a battery in a device, and yet I still blew my IR receiver in an absent minded second!

EDIT: Grammar!

Edited December 16, 2015 by spadgy

[Toast0307]

Thanks for the comments but unfortunately nine of the ideas seem to work so I'm going to ask legoshop. Com to send the speed remote instead.

[dr_spock]

Three bad remotes? Ouch.

You could post up a video of what you are doing like on YouTube. Some times seeing is easier to analyze a problem.

[allanp]

Are you sure it's not the receiver that's the problem? I doubt 3 remotes in a row would be faulty.

[doug72]

I.ve had problems in the past with PF control "apprently" not working when using a transmitter / receiver set up for PF motors.

Nearly always traced to the cable connectors not coupling together properly - it only needs one of the 4 connectors in the cable plug not the touch its corrosponding connections for the system to fail.

As in my post on the other post on this topic - with power off gently use a thin pin between each silver contact and the plug case to ease it out a little bit - then try again, do this for all 4 contacts in both the male and female cable plugs

[zux]

Are you sure it's not the receiver that's the problem? I doubt 3 remotes in a row would be faulty.

Yeah, i would say the same.

To original poster - why are you buying an IR remote when you already have receiver which always come with a remote in a set? You might bought a used set without a controller? I would assume, in your case, it is most likely an issue with your receiver.

Edit. Are you using PF motors for testing? No extension cables with 9V motors, right?

Edited December 17, 2015 by zux

[aleksanderp]

I had the same problem. Returned one to Amazon, two remote from lego store didn't work.

Then I decided to switch the new 1.5V alkaline battery to 1.2V rechargeable, and both of the "broken" remote works again.

The same 1.5V battery works fine on the speed remote. So I think the latest batch of 8885 has an upper voltage limit or QC issue?

Hope this helps.

[ctx1769]

I have the 42030 and both my remotes are dud, checked all the settings 3x over using 1.5 volt alkaline batteries too, must be a duff batch of controller units.

Contacted Lego and hopefully will get new units after xmas

[BachAddict]

You can check the IR LED itself by pointing it at a camera, though if the green status LED doesn't work the remote is unlikely to be operational.

[EvanM]

We just got the 42030 Volvo front loader for Christmas and we too have problems with both remotes. We found the source of the problem here: http://bricks.stackexchange.com/questions/4870/lego-remote-controlled-cargo-train-not-working , and confirmed it with our remotes. The (+) connector for the right-most battery is not as 'tall' as the others and just barely doesn't touch the battery. That figured out... I'm not sure what to do other than call Lego tomorrow.

[EvanM]

To clarify the issue. Here's some pics of our remotes.

[EvanM]

Just got off the phone with Lego. They are aware of the problem and, as far as they are concerned, the problem is with positive post on Duracell batteries. They claim it is shorter than any other brand they tested.

It is my opinion the problem is Lego's connector, for that battery position, is shorter than the other two... But I wasn't about to try to convince the poor guy working the phones the Saturday after Christmas.

[Andy D]

Thanks for the update! Although I have yet to experience the problem and I use Duracell exclusively. But I will keep this in mind.

For TLG, I believe that if they are aware of the problem it should be corrected there, as Duracell is one of the major battery manufacturers and I am reasonably sure that there must be a standard for batteries somewhere and lots of people use Duracell. Sounds like a design tolerance flaw on TLG's end to me.

Happy New Year,

Andy D

Edited December 26, 2015 by Andy D

[doug72]

This "fix" was mentioned in a previous thread about batteries not connecting.

Screw a piece of tin foil into a small ball and insert between +ve terminal of the lego battery box and the +ve of the battery.

And

Try an alternative battery to Duracell.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Doug72

[pdxbricks]

I can confirm that the aluminum foil fix works with Duracell batteries.

[PFTechnicBuilder]

Do energizer non-rechargeable AAA batteries work? I may get some, my brand new Duracell AAA batteries are not working.

[dr_spock]

Do energizer non-rechargeable AAA batteries work? I may get some, my brand new Duracell AAA batteries are not working.

I have used Energizer alkalines AAA before I got Energizer rechargeables. Check the batteries you're buying have a skinny long enough tip on the positive terminal. Manufacturers can change battery packaging without notice.

[flyboy01]

I use Duracell batteries in all my remotes and they work perfectly! I think yur problem is something else.

[RPABLOM]

To clarify the issue. Here's some pics of our remotes.

happen to me too, bought on amazon. simply move the metal part a little with a knife and working fine

[Smarty Bricks]

SOLVED!!!

At least I hope so. I had this same situation, though I didn't have multiple temotes fail.

After inspecting the batteries I noticed that some of the positive (+) terminals didn't look like they were making a good connection. The plastic that secures that end if the battery looks a liitle too thick. I added a couple thins strips of tin foil at closed the connection and now it works fine.  I tjink I will file the plastic down a little for a long term solution instead of the foil. 

I hope this helps. I will post this on the review portion of the Lego Sop online in hopes they see it and address the problem in later models. 

 

Cheers

 

Brick Man Dan. 

[ctx1769]

I use vivitar AAA batteries and no issues now :)

[dartmar]

I have an IR controller but it doesn't seem to communicate with the reciever. I have tried every channel. All the lights work so it isn't a battery problem but I just can't get them talking to each other. And I hope that's the problem or else mine trainengine is broken.

 

Anybody an idea what could be wrong?