Wii U gamepad doesn't always start the console? (1 Viewer)

Anyone have this issue? Seems to come and go, forcing me when it does to start the system manually or with a Wii remote.

Buttons are fine, gamepad always turns on, always stays connected once it's connected to the console, always turns off correctly by the power button, etc. Just sometimes, something goes haywire when hitting the power button on it to start the system and I'll get a error on the gamepad screen about moving closer to the system.

Distance isn't the issue though, I can turn it on and off multiple times even touching the system with the gamepad and it won't fix it. But turn it on an alternate way and chances are it will work just fine the next time from the usual 8' away or so with clear line of sight.

Still, about 20% of the time, starting it via the gamepad won't work and is starting to annoy me. Any suggestions? I tend to think it's a firmware bug since I have no issues staying connected.

Resyncing just gives me an error saying that it's already paired.

Just for the record, Wii U gamepads can be unsynced. Hit the sync button on the Wii U, hit it again to tell it it's a Wii U gamepad, and then turn your gamepad off quickly. Now it's not synced and all you have to do is turn the gamepad back on and match the card symbols to resync. Sadly, it didn't fix my problem but it has helped others.

Tried everything I can think of. Nobody has been of any help including Nintendo's support forum. Heck, my problem isn't even listed as an issue in their troubleshooting section on their support page.
Time to call them but I really hate to do that and likely get someone else's console and/or gamepad back that was previously repaired. Mine has been taken care of, has no scratches on the screen, etc.

It's back, after months of being fine after being repaired for this issue back in September.





If it goes like last time, this will be very intermittent at first and eventually progress where it pretty much 100% of the time fails to power on the console.


Wonder if it's worth letting them take a 2nd crack at it (The repair process didn't go too gracefully with them after the initial phone contact the last time), and see if they can fix it permanently.


Or if I should just forget that the gamepad has a power button and just turn it on every time from the console itself or a Wiimote from here on out.

They should just replace the pad since this is the second time this has happened to you.

Is it possible the problem is not the GamePad, but the console?

Morgan Jolley said:

Is it possible the problem is not the GamePad, but the console?

Click to expand...

Yes, it is very possible. In fact they replaced this the last time, since the returned console's serial number didn't match what I had sent in. The gamepad's number however did match my original and presumably was returned to me.


Yet it has happened again, and isn't a problem that seems widespread judging by internet searches. So it seems odd to me that it's striking me yet again (This error, incidentally, happened a 3rd time just in the past couple of days after working fine since my post a month ago; So it's still pretty intermittent but if it follows the established pattern, it will progressively worsen in the coming months to a point where it never powers on the system).


Either it's quite a fluke that lightning struck me twice with this fairly rare technical issue on what appears to be my 2nd Wii U console, or the culprit indeed actually is the gamepad (The only common element so far, judging by serial numbers).


Since I'm still well within the generous 12 month repair warranty, I haven't bothered to address it as of yet (Having too much fun in Super Mario 3D World). But hopefully it's permanently cured this next time.


I don't want to have to have annual maintenance done to a videogame console, lol.

I have this problem every now and then and hadn't thought too much of it. But reading that it became a progressively worse issue worries me. And I'm sorry this issue has recurred.