->  -> I have to rejuvenate some of those carbon impregnated
->  -> latex-rubber type push
->  -> buttons, found on almost every remote control on the
->  -> planet these days. One was
->  -> acquired that had vodka, and orange juice spilled in it, where
I figured I
->  -> could at least pour some H2O over it, to dislodge most
->  -> of it, but the remote is
->  -> unusable now.

->  -> Is there a contact-improving electrolyte that is used on
->  -> the contact pads? I
->  -> understand the acid, and alcohol may have bitched the
->  -> one remote, but I've a
->  -> few devices that could use some encouragement.

->  WC> Two bits of advice, one I've done several times
->  WC> and one I've merely heard of.

->  WC> First if you act FAST get a gallon of distilled
->  WC> water, place in bag with remote, batteries
->  WC> removed first, shake vigorously and repeat.
->  WC> Saved two remotes this way.

->  WC> Second and I've only heard accounts of this is
->  WC> it appears Radio Shack sells ( or sold) a pen
->  WC> that allowed you to paint on short traces to
->  WC> repair circuit traces that'd been cut. That's my
->  WC> two cents. --- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer

-> Pocketed...

-> If I was the fool that spilled the screwdriver in it, I may have been able to
-> flush it - sort of speaking. 

-> The traces are not the problem, AFAICT. I think there's electrolyte that
-> comes smeared on the contact buttons. Now that that got washed off... It's not
-> the first time I've seen it either. I had one lazy unit, that I squirted a bit
-> of contact cleaner on, but just the faulty spots, which made it go from bad to
-> worse.

-> Again, I suspect that there is a chemical problem between the rubber push
-> buttons, and the wire traces that those buttons are supposed to contact.
-> Either, it gummed up by the tap water salts, or a layer of conduction was
-> removed, but from the composition of the rubber. As if there was a membrane
-> there, but the rubber must touch the wire traces to provide the conduction.

-> Clear as mud?

Well there's still some hope.
If it's the rubber membrane that must make the contact with
today's extremely high impedence MOSFET inputs it need not
be a great conductor to manage the task.

Heck I'd try a pencil and see if that took.
Carbon black and some kind of conductive adhesive is another option
but that's mere speculation.
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5