Car key remotes are a nice convenience, but eventually they all stop working. Even if it’s just a dead battery, you can pretty much guarantee that your car’s doors won’t open remotely at one point or another.
While there are several reasons why a remote control might stop working, most of them are pretty easy to check on your own. The most common problem with these car key fobs The problem is that batteries simply wear out over time, in which case replacing the battery should fix the problem.
Other key fob problems are more complex, but can still be fixed. Here are the five things you want to check first when your remote stops locking or unlocking your car’s doors:
- Make sure the remote is really bad using remote control backup .
- Check and replace if necessary battery keychain .
- Take apart the keychain and check not whether the contacts are broken and whether the buttons are not aligned.
- Reprogram remote control yourself or do it professionally.
- Replace if necessary remote controller.
Is your car key really bad?
This is very basic stuff and won’t apply to many people, but the first step in figuring out what’s wrong with remote control, — make sure that the problem is really in the remote control. So if you have a second remote but haven’t done so yet, you need to check if it works.
If the backup remote control is capable of locking and unlocking your doors, then you will surely know that there is actually some kind of problem with your main remote control.
If your backup remote doesn’t work either, it’s always possible that it’s bad too. However, there may be mechanical or electrical problems with door locks.
At this point, you’ll want to check and make sure your physical key or valet’s emergency key can work with the locks.
What about cars without physical keys?
Some cars have ignition buttons that only work when the key fob is nearby. These vehicles usually have a physical key to lock and unlock the doors, but this may be hidden. The fob will often have a hidden key inside, so if you don’t have a physical key for your car then check the fob for an unlock button or switch.
Another issue you may have is that some car doors don’t have room to insert a key. Most of these cars still have the keyhole, but it may be hidden behind a decorative piece near the doorknob. In this case, you’ll want to find a trim piece with a small hole in it, which you’ll have to push back to gain access to the keyhole.
Finishing like this can damage the paint on the car door or door handle, and you can also dent or bend the trim piece. So, if you are uncomfortable and there is no emergency that requires you to get into the car immediately, you can turn to a professional.
If you can lock and unlock doors with a physical key, then the locks are probably mechanically sound. However, it may still be problem With electricity . You can rule this out by locking and unlocking all doors using the physical master control inside the vehicle, which indicates that the electronics are good.
There is always the possibility that the receiver may be faulty or even disabled, but it is more likely that there is only a problem with your remote control.
Check remote control battery
Most car key remotes use inexpensive batteries for buttons category 4 . However, it’s still a good idea to check the actual battery your remote is using and see if it’s good.
There are several ways to determine the type of battery you need. This may be in your manual, or you may contact your local dealer. You can also just open the remote and look at the battery, which usually has a number printed or imprinted on it. Car keys typically use CR2025 or CR2032 batteries, although CR1620, CR1632, and others are also used in some applications.
Once you know what type of battery your remote has, you can either check the voltage with a multimeter or just swap a known-good battery as they aren’t that expensive. Most of these batteries should show between 3 and 3.6 volts.
If your car key works after you change the battery, you’re done. If it doesn’t, then there may be another problem with the remote, such as broken battery contacts or a problem with the buttons. It is also possible that your car has forgotten your key fob and you will have to reprogram it.
Broken internal contacts in remote car key
Key fobs are subject to more physical abuse than most electronics, and they are not indestructible. The two most common points of failure are the battery and button terminals, although there are many other ways they can fail.
The best way to check this yourself is to simply spread the remote again and do a thorough visual inspection. If the battery connector terminals are damaged, you will be able to see them by looking at them and they may also feel bad. If they are, then careful soldering them in place can return your broken key fob to a useful service.
If the battery terminals don’t look broken, you may have trouble soldering the buttons in place. They can also be soldered in place if you find them to be loose unless the button has been physically disabled.
The rubberized buttons used by most car key remotes can fail in a variety of ways. If you notice that one or more of the buttons look like they don’t slide out properly or seem to be broken inside, this may prevent the remote from working properly.
Reprogramming the remote car key
In order for the car’s remote key to work safely, it must be effectively paired with the receiver in your car. This prevents anyone with the same make and model from walking up and using their key fob to unlock your vehicle.
If your remote for keyless entry and your car is no longer talking, you will have to reprogram the keyless entry system to restore remote key functionality. This is often achieved by getting into the car, closing the door, and inserting the keys into the ignition.
Instead of starting the car, you have to turn the key to the drive position and back to the locked position several times in a row. If you turn the key to the home position and the starter engages, you have turned it too far.
In case your vehicle uses this reprogramming method, you will usually hear a beep after a few key presses. You can then press one of the lock or unlock buttons on the remote control, after which you should hear a beep a second time.
Another method that some cars use is to get in the car and lock the door. You will then need to insert the key into the ignition and remove it six times within 10 seconds. If your vehicle is using this method and you have succeeded in doing it correctly, the outer and inner lights will flash.
