Thanks for showing us how to open the controller. I took my cover off, sprayed some plastic safe electrical cleaner/lubricant into the opening of the dial contacts, and turned the dial repeatedly to clean the contacts. It works great, like new! NO NEED TO REMOVE UNIT FROM WALL or even unplug it!
Thanks for the video. I had become very frustrated with my controller and was considering purchasing a new one when I found your video. I repaired mine and my neighbors following your instructions
Thank you so much for your excellent knowledge. I've had this same issue with my Rain Bird ESP-6TM for the past 7 years at my home. Now my Rain Bird works like Brand New. I will apply this same technique on my rental property Rain Bird. Your instructions took me less than 15 minutes to fix a 7-year issue with my Rain Bird at home. I'm so, so thankful :)
Instead of using a brass burnishing tool, I used a soft eraser. First, get what you can off with denatured alcohol, then use the eraser to polish up the contacts, repeat the cycle until everything looks new. Finish by using a soft cloth to get any alcohol residue off the board. The use of dielectric tune-up grease is a good idea.
THANK YOU!!!!! You have made me happier then a Camel on Wednesday! Woot Woo!!! I have been so friggin frustrated by this stupid controller doing it's own thing. Your instructions were so crystal clear I felt comfortable enough to try it myself. It went just the same as yours - few things in life go so well. I had a service come out to check my system and asked them about the controller and they said it would have to be replaced. Thanks to you I saved a ton of money! Woot Woo!!!
Have had my Rain Bird system in for several years. Saw this video years back and was able to get my programmer running correctly again and no problems since. Great video and thanks
This video is awesome. Such a simple fix. I didn't even need to un-mount it from the wall. This is exactly what I was experiencing and now it's working like new. Thank you for sharing!
I'm very mechanically and technologically inept. Your videos are PERFECT for easy understanding. Thank you! Wow- First time I'm subscribing to a mechanical or repair channel. Kudos... and thanks again.
Perfect video! I followed your directions almost completely (my Dremel brush was metal - not brass and I didn't have any Lithium whatever) but I used a q-tip & denatured alcohol and it is working perfectly! I'm sure it will help the damage I've been doing to my hand beating on the unit to make it work. Thanks much!
Thank you so much for posting this. My controller was driving me nuts and was actually searching for a new control module when I found this video. Used your directions but with a pencil eraser and it is now working perfectly. You save me a lot of money !!! Thanks !
Thanks norcal715. I got mine working perfectly again this morning following your guide. While I have the same model number, internally it was slightly differently configured. Disassembly of the dial was a bit more challenging b/c mine had a melted over locating pin and a wad of epoxy like silicone sealing securing one location tab against the ribbon. I also let the dial get apart where I had to spend a few minutes getting it clocked right. You saved me money and time plus the satisfaction of fixing it. Thank you again!
Thank you! I came to UA-cam with the exact problem your video helped me resolve. I used sand paper and rubbing alcohol and it's working perfectly. Thanks again.
Thank you for the video. Like many others that have posted, this tip saved purchasing and installing a new controller. Instructions were easy to follow. Worked like a charm!
I have this exact same controller with the exact same problem in this solved for me! Thank you very much. The only thing I would note is that it's not possible to insert the dial the wrong way back into the board because one of the guide pegs is larger than the others. So while it's a good idea to mark the orientation it doesn't end up being necessary.
Thank you. Excellent video. I didn't have a wire brush or silicone dielectric compound, so I used some very fine sandpaper to clean the contacts and some plumber's silicone grease to coat the contacts afterwards instead.
Thank you.Excellent video.I was a little sceptical to take switch out of the board,but everything worked out fine.Saved $$$$ on replacement controller .
This is actually my daughters login and picture. My name is Tony Cook. This video was a big help to make the repair. I'm on my second controller since the system was installed in 1993. The first controller quit working because of the bubble buttons on the circuit board, but I think it also had the mode select problem too. The current controller was installed in 2005 or 2006. The date on the main circuit board was 2005.03. On mine, the mode select switch was located on its own separate small circuit board, not part of the main board, connected by a ribbon cable. It was held down by two small screws, but also had a plastic mounting post through a hole in the left side of the switch board which had been melted to hold the board in place. I just took a small side cutter and nipped off the top of the post that had been melted, leaving the remaining post to act as a support. Not really sure why they did this, instead of just using screws all the way around. I used a piece of fine grit emery cloth to lightly sand off the residue on the encoder instead of a wire brush. You just need to be careful not to be too aggressive with the sanding as the metal traces can be damaged. I used the dielectric grease and everything seems to work great now. Thanks for your helpful video!
Thanks. I had exactly the same problem and was assuming I would need a new controller, but your fix worked perfectly. Quick and easy solution. Hopefully adding the dielectric grease will prevent this from occurring again!
I would like to thank you so much. I just stumbled upon your video and I am very grateful that I did. I was looking to purchase a new controller and didn’t have to because of this video. Everything went just as you explained it with absolutely no issues and the results were 💯. Thanks again I now have confidence in my controller 👍
It fixed my old control. but my ESP-6TM is a bit different from yours. I took it apart, but that white piece you took off inside is attached differently from mine. On this one, they screwed it on with mini Philips screws, or it's soldered on. I can't tell which until I get a magnifying glass. Oy veh. New controllers iss expensive. Well, your method works on my oldest one, so I thank you much! I used very fine fake sandpaper.
Many thanks for this video! I had this problem and followed the steps here and it worked perfectly. Had I not seen this, I probably would've ended up buying a new system, so thanks for saving me $$$!
I just have to say I am a computer admin with over 20 years of IT Experience I also have lived in about half a dozen homes and this is the most complicated and unintuitive controller I have come across, so if you are Googling and YouTubing and trying to figure yours out, don't feel bad, it's not you it's this horrific and overly complex box that takes something to simple as watering your lawn and makes it the science of rockets, oh and don't forget buggy and unreliable, the dial shows you what it wants to show you not what you expect, LOL
It looks like a capacitor but its not, its a Metal Oxide Varistor MOV. The number on the part is ZNR V1047o D5. Check your AC Adapter and make sure it has 24 volts AC. if it does then remove the MOV from the circuit board and see if the sprinkler controller works, if it does then there is no further damage. If it does not work then there is further damage. The job of a Metal Oxide Varistor is to clamp voltages in excess of the rated value in this case about 35-45 volts AC.
Thanks for your instruction. My problem is a little different. The PGM and Manual square push buttons do not work (the up and down arrows work fine). Is there a way to clean those contacts?
In this case I would use some denatured or isopropyl alcohol and clean the conductive rubber pads, and the circuit board pads too. Use very light pressure on the conductive rubber pads, just enough to do a wipe down. You can re-coat the conductive rubber pads if necessary with some KeyPadFix www.amazon.com/Idolon-Tech-Keypad-Restore-Conductivity/dp/B097JD2W1Y/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3AHFS0HW2DTA6&keywords=key-fix&qid=1656477600&sprefix=key-fix%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-2
Sir I have a question. My controller displays "pr off". I unplugged it and removed the battery to reset it, to no avail. There is a red and a blue wire that are disconnected but I am not sure if they were in the first place. Any info would be appreciated.
i have same problem. your video is simple enough to work with. i gathered everything needed but when i opened mine is different setting as the circuit board is smaller and main plastic white dial is separate. one side of white latch is glued in badly so i was not able to pull out white square fully. i need a desperate help and now stuck not knowing how to remove that clear epoxy glue blob. can i send you pictures? thanks
my wife and I just bought a house and it has a rain bird, it shows only as a RainBird ESP6 but my problems are the same as this video shows, some days show other days and not the day I select, will the take apart and repair be the same as the ESP6TM, also is there a way I can get a manual for the one on my house,
My ESP-4M has 2 PC boards . The motherboard is a Rev 1. The switch is on a small PC board separately. The switch is held on the board with 2 screws and a plastic boss which protrudes through small board . This boss is mushroomed over so removing the switch requires melting the mushroom off and removing the 2 screws. All else is the same as shown on the video.
Thanks for showing us how to open the controller. I took my cover off, sprayed some plastic safe electrical cleaner/lubricant into the opening of the dial contacts, and turned the dial repeatedly to clean the contacts. It works great, like new! NO NEED TO REMOVE UNIT FROM WALL or even unplug it!
Thanks for the video. I had become very frustrated with my controller and was considering purchasing a new one when I found your video. I repaired mine and my neighbors following your instructions
My husband and I had the same problem as you. I have been fighting with this control for two years now. I am so glad I landed on this page.
Thank you so much for your excellent knowledge. I've had this same issue with my Rain Bird ESP-6TM for the past 7 years at my home. Now my Rain Bird works like Brand New. I will apply this same technique on my rental property Rain Bird. Your instructions took me less than 15 minutes to fix a 7-year issue with my Rain Bird at home. I'm so, so thankful :)
Instead of using a brass burnishing tool, I used a soft eraser. First, get what you can off with denatured alcohol, then use the eraser to polish up the contacts, repeat the cycle until everything looks new. Finish by using a soft cloth to get any alcohol residue off the board. The use of dielectric tune-up grease is a good idea.
THANK YOU!!!!!
You have made me happier then a Camel on Wednesday! Woot Woo!!!
I have been so friggin frustrated by this stupid controller doing it's own thing. Your instructions were so crystal clear I felt comfortable enough to try it myself. It went just the same as yours - few things in life go so well.
I had a service come out to check my system and asked them about the controller and they said it would have to be replaced. Thanks to you I saved a ton of money! Woot Woo!!!
I am so proud of myself for repairing this. Could not have done it without you!
Have had my Rain Bird system in for several years. Saw this video years back and was able to get my programmer running correctly again and no problems since. Great video and thanks
This video is awesome. Such a simple fix. I didn't even need to un-mount it from the wall. This is exactly what I was experiencing and now it's working like new. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!! Fixed in less than 10 minutes. Thought I would need to replace it and now I don't.
I'm very mechanically and technologically inept. Your videos are PERFECT for easy understanding. Thank you! Wow- First time I'm subscribing to a mechanical or repair channel. Kudos... and thanks again.
Absolutely superb tutorial. You taught an old dog a new trick!
Perfect video! I followed your directions almost completely (my Dremel brush was metal - not brass and I didn't have any Lithium whatever) but I used a q-tip & denatured alcohol and it is working perfectly! I'm sure it will help the damage I've been doing to my hand beating on the unit to make it work. Thanks much!
Been fighting with mine for the last 6 years wish I would have found this sooner. Worked like a charm and thank you!
Thank you so much for posting this. My controller was driving me nuts and was actually searching for a new control module when I found this video. Used your directions but with a pencil eraser and it is now working perfectly. You save me a lot of money !!! Thanks !
Thanks norcal715. I got mine working perfectly again this morning following your guide. While I have the same model number, internally it was slightly differently configured. Disassembly of the dial was a bit more challenging b/c mine had a melted over locating pin and a wad of epoxy like silicone sealing securing one location tab against the ribbon. I also let the dial get apart where I had to spend a few minutes getting it clocked right. You saved me money and time plus the satisfaction of fixing it. Thank you again!
Tad Humphreys what did you use to remove clear epoxy glue? pls pls pls help me.
Worked great. I didn't put the silicone coat on, but, the cleaning fixed everything. Thanks so much.
I tried your fix on my controller and it worked like a champ. Kept my $100 in my pocket. Thanks!
Thank you! I came to UA-cam with the exact problem your video helped me resolve. I used sand paper and rubbing alcohol and it's working perfectly. Thanks again.
Your instructions made my inoperable sprinkler timer work like brand new. Thank you so much! Subscribed.
Perfect. This is the system I've had since 2007 and this fixed the dial issue for me
Thank you for the video. Like many others that have posted, this tip saved purchasing and installing a new controller. Instructions were easy to follow. Worked like a charm!
I have this exact same controller with the exact same problem in this solved for me! Thank you very much. The only thing I would note is that it's not possible to insert the dial the wrong way back into the board because one of the guide pegs is larger than the others. So while it's a good idea to mark the orientation it doesn't end up being necessary.
Thank you. Excellent video. I didn't have a wire brush or silicone dielectric compound, so I used some very fine sandpaper to clean the contacts and some plumber's silicone grease to coat the contacts afterwards instead.
Thanks Norcal, got my controller working by using this video. Appreciate the easy to follow instructions!
Thank you.Excellent video.I was a little sceptical to take switch out of the board,but everything worked out fine.Saved $$$$ on replacement controller .
This is actually my daughters login and picture. My name is Tony Cook. This video was a big help to make the repair. I'm on my second controller since the system was installed in 1993. The first controller quit working because of the bubble buttons on the circuit board, but I think it also had the mode select problem too. The current controller was installed in 2005 or 2006. The date on the main circuit board was 2005.03. On mine, the mode select switch was located on its own separate small circuit board, not part of the main board, connected by a ribbon cable. It was held down by two small screws, but also had a plastic mounting post through a hole in the left side of the switch board which had been melted to hold the board in place. I just took a small side cutter and nipped off the top of the post that had been melted, leaving the remaining post to act as a support. Not really sure why they did this, instead of just using screws all the way around. I used a piece of fine grit emery cloth to lightly sand off the residue on the encoder instead of a wire brush. You just need to be careful not to be too aggressive with the sanding as the metal traces can be damaged. I used the dielectric grease and everything seems to work great now. Thanks for your helpful video!
Great video! I have the same unit and have to tap the dial to get it to switch to the next zone. I’ll try cleaning it, like you did.
Thanks. I had exactly the same problem and was assuming I would need a new controller, but your fix worked perfectly. Quick and easy solution. Hopefully adding the dielectric grease will prevent this from occurring again!
It will!
That worked perfectly, and was so, so easy! Thank you! You saved me a bunch of money so I hope you enjoy a cup of coffee, on me.
This was indeed the issue. Once I cleaned it, it worked perfect. Thanks for the great video
Worked for me too, thanks! There was no obvious gunk on the switch contacts but I cleaned with alcohol anyway and that did the trick.
Thank you for spending time to put together this awesome video.
I would like to thank you so much. I just stumbled upon your video and I am very grateful that I did. I was looking to purchase a new controller and didn’t have to because of this video. Everything went just as you explained it with absolutely no issues and the results were 💯. Thanks again I now have confidence in my controller 👍
Thank you for this video. I used just a toothbrush and alcohol and got it working.
Thank you so much for posting this! You just saved me some money here since I'm about to buy me a new controller.
This fixed my issue. Thank you for the step by step process to fix it.
It fixed my old control. but my ESP-6TM is a bit different from yours. I took it apart, but that white piece you took off inside is attached differently from mine. On this one, they screwed it on with mini Philips screws, or it's soldered on. I can't tell which until I get a magnifying glass. Oy veh. New controllers iss expensive. Well, your method works on my oldest one, so I thank you much! I used very fine fake sandpaper.
Thank you sooooo much!!! Cleaned as suggested; works like a CHARM!! Saved me a few bucks. Tks again!!
Thank you kind sir! Fixed my ESP-8 right up!
Many thanks for this video! I had this problem and followed the steps here and it worked perfectly. Had I not seen this, I probably would've ended up buying a new system, so thanks for saving me $$$!
Kudos to you! Thank you for this solution to our problem with the sprinkler control unit. You saved me some bucks.
My display was slow to react to the commands of the dial.
After my cleaning as per your instructions, I am back in action
Thanks
I just have to say I am a computer admin with over 20 years of IT Experience I also have lived in about half a dozen homes and this is the most complicated and unintuitive controller I have come across, so if you are Googling and YouTubing and trying to figure yours out, don't feel bad, it's not you it's this horrific and overly complex box that takes something to simple as watering your lawn and makes it the science of rockets, oh and don't forget buggy and unreliable, the dial shows you what it wants to show you not what you expect, LOL
Thank You... Very helpful. Glad I checked this out prior to buying a new controller.
It looks like a capacitor but its not, its a Metal Oxide Varistor MOV. The number on the part is ZNR V1047o D5. Check your AC Adapter and make sure it has 24 volts AC. if it does then remove the MOV from the circuit board and see if the sprinkler controller works, if it does then there is no further damage. If it does not work then there is further damage. The job of a Metal Oxide Varistor is to clamp voltages in excess of the rated value in this case about 35-45 volts AC.
Thanks it working properly.
Nice video, saved me from buying a new controller.
Awesome video! thank you very much for sharing. I normally would have just bought a new timer. your method worked perfect!
Worked a charm, thanks for posting!
Thanks for this!! I was ready to upgrade. But why upgrade and spend money when I don't have to
Thanks a lot. This solved my problem exactly as you described.
Great video. My problem is fixed now. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Awesome! Fixed my problem too. Easy job to DIY
WOW!! Thanks! Both of mine are all wonky. I need this.
Thanks for your instruction. My problem is a little different. The PGM and Manual square push buttons do not work (the up and down arrows work fine). Is there a way to clean those contacts?
In this case I would use some denatured or isopropyl alcohol and clean the conductive rubber pads, and the circuit board pads too. Use very light pressure on the conductive rubber pads, just enough to do a wipe down. You can re-coat the conductive rubber pads if necessary with some KeyPadFix www.amazon.com/Idolon-Tech-Keypad-Restore-Conductivity/dp/B097JD2W1Y/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3AHFS0HW2DTA6&keywords=key-fix&qid=1656477600&sprefix=key-fix%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-2
Thank you! Worked perfectly.
Dude it worked thanks for your video
Thank you 👍🏼
Sir I have a question. My controller displays "pr off". I unplugged it and removed the battery to reset it, to no avail. There is a red and a blue wire that are disconnected but I am not sure if they were in the first place. Any info would be appreciated.
Very helpful. Will give it a try.
i have same problem. your video is simple enough to work with. i gathered everything needed but when i opened mine is different setting as the circuit board is smaller and main plastic white dial is separate. one side of white latch is glued in badly so i was not able to pull out white square fully. i need a desperate help and now stuck not knowing how to remove that clear epoxy glue blob. can i send you pictures? thanks
Do both program A and B turn on automatically when set up using the timer without any manual help?
Thanks so much!! This worked great!
Used a hobby sized pair of diagonal wire cutters and my pocket knife. It wasn't too difficult.
Tad Humphreys i will certainly try, thank you.
my wife and I just bought a house and it has a rain bird, it shows only as a RainBird ESP6 but my problems are the same as this video shows, some days show other days and not the day I select, will the take apart and repair be the same as the ESP6TM, also is there a way I can get a manual for the one on my house,
Thank you!!!!!!
I have the same unit and i was wondering if I could install a rain censer to this unit and how? Thank you.
My ESP-4M has 2 PC boards . The motherboard is a Rev 1. The switch is on a small PC board separately. The switch is held on the board with 2 screws and a plastic boss which protrudes through small board . This boss is mushroomed over so removing the switch requires melting the mushroom off and removing the 2 screws. All else is the same as shown on the video.
Thank you.
So i have the same system but my problem is im not able to change the start times or the duration times at all. How would i fix that?
Start by removing the lithium battery and power to do a complete reset.
Thank YOu great video
Would you be able to tell me where to buy a replacement dial/knob?
Oh... no idea sorry. I would look at a surplus shop or on eBay. Maybe you could adapt different knob like from a defunct stereo receiver to it.
my screen only displays half the numbers and will not start. Help
same issue with spi 8
Hello can you help me?
With what? What is it doing?
Thank you!
I have the same controller and the manual start button not work, can you help