The display should remain lit.   Sounds as if it's constantly transmitting a signal, but then it wouldn't work properly at all.   Try looking at the top of it thru a digital camera (with fresh batteries installed).   If you see a red light, a button is stuck in the depressed position, which would deplete the batteries quickly.

Thanks - I tried that.  The signal comes on and off as the buttons are pressed without fail.  The signal turns off once the button is no longer depressed.

Thank you for confirming that display should stay on...now you've got me really stumped for ideas.

Thank you also for confirming that display should stay on...now you've got me really stumped for ideas.

My quest continues.  I took the remote apart again and cleaned the board with some circuit board cleaner - there seemed to be some crud from a previously leaking battery on the board...this is probably contributing.  Couldn't get all of it off and wasted another three batteries confirmed that the board is still not working.  I think I'll look into getting a new board from B&O.

New boards (or at least from previously working BEO4's) come up on eBay - especially ebay.de and will I'm sure be cheaper than B&O.  QDA may also have one as they have lots of spare parts.

Dave.

I've got near the same issue with a faulty Beo4 bought from ebay for 20 euros.

The current drain was too high (near 3mA) and after some work I found the culprits: one capacitor of the LCD pump charge was faulty.

now the beo 4 works great :)

Franck wrote:

I've got near the same issue with a faulty Beo4 bought from ebay for 20 euros.

The current drain was too high (near 3mA) and after some work I found the culprits: one capacitor of the LCD pump charge was faulty.

now the beo 4 works great :)

 

Well done, you seldom hear about component level repairs on these remotes! Did you find out how the cap was failing (those SMD ceramics should normally last forever) or if it was a leak on the PCB under that cap? 

Thanks Mika :)

I think it's due to electrical stress. the pump charge constantly use the capacitor in the two polarities and that can cause some faillure ;)

a drop can causse the faillure too (by cracks in the dielectric).

the failure was by internal leakage (low impedance) -> high power supply current consumption