Non-responsive tile

Indication:

This is another of those issues that becomes more apparent if you are an avid player. You will be playing through a song and suddenly you get boo-ed on steps that you clearly hit the arrow at the right time. This will usually happen with the same steps and the white border of the on screen hit indicator arrows will not flash as it normally does when you step on the arrow. This can also present itself when you are trying to make a selection and the action won’t register or you have to step on the tile a certain way to get it to take.

The issue here is that the contact plates are dirty. In the same way where the conductive tape underneath the plexi glass arrow can wear away accumulating on the contact plate to make a short it can also obstruct the circuit.

The first thing you will need to do is discover the arrow which is giving you troubles. If you are playing a song and you get boo-ed on a bunch of steps that are timed correctly. All you have to do is notice which arrow is causing you to loose steps. This is the easiest way to discover a non-responsive arrow. If you are trying to switch songs what direction arrow are you stepping on that isn’t allowing you to complete an action. Diagnosing the inflicted button is easy in this circumstance too.

Removing the Tile:

The next step is to remove the tile. First remove the washers and screws adjacent to the tile at the center of the pad. Side tiles are held in place by two screws and the corner tiles are held by a single screw. Gently life the side of the tile up from its compartment and start to pull the tile toward the center as you continue lifting to clear the lip of the outer metal frame. Use caution if you have LED lights on your tile so you won’t place any stress on the attached wire.

Correcting the issue:

Now that the tile is removed you will be able to see the section where the contact plates is obstructed. There will be a conglomeration of tape residue as well as metallic fragments on the contact plates. Take a rag and wet it with isopropyl alcohol. Now gently wipe away the debris on the contact plates and also wipe any accumulated dirt off of the conductive tape on the underside of the arrow tile.

Any debris that is located between the tracks of the contact plate should also be removed at this time. Most of this will come off with the rag and alcohol; however, you might find some troublesome fragments, namely the metallic flakes that will not come off so easily. In this case take a small flathead screw driver and gently scrape away the fragments with the head of the driver. Be extra careful if the fragments are on the tracks themselves. To avoid unnecessary scratching you might want to wrap the head of the screw drive in a small piece of rag or paper towel.

The area should dry almost immediately. Now place the tile back in its place. Power on the console and connect up the DDR metal pad if you haven’t already done so. Begin a game and carefully test out the button with some navigation or a short slow song. The button should be responsive again. Re-attach the screws and washers that you had removed, being careful not to over tighten.