When Smart Shades Go Dark: The Yoolax Setup Was Great… Until One Motor Quit Mid-Lift
When Smart Shades Go Dark: The Yoolax Setup Was Great… Until One Motor Quit Mid-Lift
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We’ve been upgrading our home, and motorized shades felt like one of those “adulting wins” that would make life smoother: tap a button, shades glide like a luxury hotel, everyone feels fancy.
And honestly? For a while, that’s exactly what it was.
🎸 Blues While We Troubleshoot
One album at the top to set the mood. Two more at the bottom for the “support ticket waiting room.”
Direct link: Open Album 1
Then one shade decided to audition for a haunted house and… stopped working while it was going UP. Mid-lift. Mid-hope. Mid-“hey look, it works!”
What’s going on (so far)
Here’s the main problem: one motorized roller shade stopped mid-raise and is now unresponsive.
I tried charging the battery and got no LEDs at all when plugging it in. To rule out the charger/cable, I used the same USB setup on another shade from the order and that one flashed a blue light. So the cable/charger appears fine — which makes this feel like a motor/battery issue on the failed shade.
I opened a support ticket with Yoolax because “dies mid-lift and won’t show charging LEDs” is not the kind of smart-home surprise anybody ordered.
Extra friction points (the stuff that eats your evening)
1) The missing measuring / drilling template
In one of the official videos, there’s a measuring/drilling template shown that makes layout faster and cleaner. Ours didn’t come with it. Not fatal — but if the install video shows a tool, you expect it to be in the box… especially at this price.
2) The 9-Channel Remote won’t work for us
We also haven’t been able to get the 9-channel remote working. I spent about an hour troubleshooting using videos from the official Yoolax YouTube channel. No luck yet.
This is the kind of thing that turns a “smart home upgrade” into “why is my living room a tech support call center?”
3) Solar panel cords were too short in a couple spots
Another small but real-world issue: on some of the solar panels, the included USB-C cords were simply too short to reach cleanly where they needed to go. The simple fix was a USB-C male-to-female extension cable so I could route things neatly… and I’m going to bleep the part where I had to buy extras: [BLEEP].
Type C Extension Cable (USB C Male to Female Extender Cord)
Helpful when a solar panel USB-C cord won’t reach cleanly.
Check price →The good news: once SmartThings clicked, everything got easy
Now the part that deserves real credit:
- Installation went well. Once you’re in it, the physical install is straightforward.
- SmartThings was the breakthrough. Once I figured out how to connect them to the Samsung SmartThings hub, everything became smooth.
- Works with Alexa + Google Home… once routed through SmartThings. After SmartThings was set, voice control and routines were a breeze.
So yes — the software experience is genuinely strong after you get past the initial pairing hump. When it works, it’s the “tap once and live better” experience you were aiming for.
One small build-quality gripe on the other shades
We also installed: Yoolax Motorized Top Down Bottom Up Cellular Shades | Blackout (White)
- Mount: Inside
- Size: 34 3/4" W × 36" H
- Room label: Kitchen front right
- Motor side: Right
- Remote: None
- Solar panel: Solar Panel [60304]
- Smart Bridge: None
- Valance: Al-Alloy Valance * White [JZZB]
- Magnetic Charging Solution: None
- Extended Motor Service: 3-Year Limited Warranty
These have mostly been great, but I had an end piece that kept popping off while I was adjusting them. Not the biggest problem, but for the cost, I expected them to be more solidly built and locked together.
That said: I’m really pleased that these specific models appear to have a replaceable battery. Long-term maintainability matters. I want “swap a battery,” not “replace the whole shade.”
What I’m hoping support does next
I’m not trying to dunk on the brand — I’m trying to get back to the part where my shades act like shades. Here’s what would make this a win:
- Clear troubleshooting steps (reset / calibration / power check)
- If the motor/battery is bad, a fast warranty replacement
- Help getting the 9-channel remote working (or a replacement if needed)
- Clarification on the missing measuring/drilling template shown in the video
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🎸 Two More Blues Albums (for the Support Ticket Saga)
If you need a soundtrack while you troubleshoot or wait on replies… same.
Next update
I’ll update this post once Yoolax responds and we see whether this is a quick reset, a warranty replacement, or a longer support journey. Right now the verdict is:
- SmartThings control = awesome
- Install = solid
- One dead motor + remote trouble + missing template + short solar cords = not awesome
If you’ve dealt with a motorized shade that stopped mid-movement (especially with no charging LEDs), I’d love to hear what fixed it. Because I’m one more evening away from naming this shade “The Phantom Menace.”
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