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Key Fob Problems Cheap Fix

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Old Feb 21, 2010 | 02:09 AM
  #1  
purple haze's Avatar
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Joined: 08-16-2007
Posts: 14
From: Beaverton, OR
Key Fob Problems Cheap Fix

Only a dealer or lock smith can reprogram your fob to your car. This trick save me some bucks.
I had problems with my key fob. Dealer wanted $125.00 to repair this. My lock button wouldn't work. So I was thinking it was a bad contact problem. It was. I cleaned it and put it back together. Still didn't work well. So I moved the rubber contact pad over to the lock contact. That worked. So the rubber contact goes bad. I found a new key fob on ebay and purchased it. For $30.00. Got it in and pulled the rubber contact pad out and put it in my key fob. Works great now.
The battery on the key fob also will need repaired sometimes too. Look at the contacts on the tabs to the PCB and resoldier the contacts to the Board.

http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/b...t=IMG_0029.jpg
http://s209.photobucket.com/albums/b...t=IMG_0032.jpg
Old Feb 21, 2010 | 01:35 PM
  #2  
skyeglen's Avatar
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Joined: 01-15-2008
Posts: 265
From: michigan
Yikes! Dealer wanted $125 to reprogram FOB's? I did the cleaning with a Q-tip and alcohol several times and it worked wonders but the rubber cracked around the Lock symbol and finally just fell off so I got a couple new ones from and on line place.

Chevy dealer wanted $65 to reprogram 3 FOB's but the local Pontiac/GMC dealer did it for $29 and washed and vacumed the car as a service to every veh that they take in. Bonus!

I thought of just changing the rubber but there were other "issues" with that FOB. Hit the lock button then the remote start button and the alarm would got off. Bad mo jo or something.

Glad you got yours fixed pretty cheap.
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 04:57 AM
  #3  
JT's HHR's Avatar
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Joined: 10-26-2005
Posts: 222
From: Lancaster, CA.
Originally Posted by skyeglen
I thought of just changing the rubber but there were other "issues" with that FOB. Hit the lock button then the remote start button and the alarm would got off. Bad mo jo or something.
I had this same problem with one of mine. I think I over heated the board when I soldered the battery holder back on.

After the dealership spent 2 days trying to find the problem with the car I brought in the other fob. Thats when they figured out it was the fob and not the car.

I got 2 new programmed remotes for free.
Old Feb 25, 2010 | 09:38 AM
  #4  
ZTony8's Avatar
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Joined: 04-11-2008
Posts: 663
From: Eastpointe,MI.
I can't stress enough about having clean contacts in the fobs.I see many customers here at the shop who bring in inoperative units that are just dirty.After checking for the usual unsoldered battery clip I'll clean the fobs and they usually begin working again.The customer is happy('cuz it doesn't cost them anything) and the parts guy is a hero.
Old Aug 31, 2011 | 07:04 PM
  #5  
jerSSey HHR's Avatar
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Joined: 07-03-2008
Posts: 1,664
From: jerSSey, exit 5
I've tried everything including cleaning and soldering the contacts and replacing the battery and can't fix the problem. The weird thing is both key fobs gave out at the same time and I only use one of them regularly. I've had my truck key fob for ten years with no problem.
Old Sep 1, 2011 | 07:00 AM
  #6  
Doctuh's Avatar
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Joined: 02-06-2010
Posts: 580
From: Shreveport, LA
dealers

There are two local dealers. One programs key fobs free but otherwise dealing with them has been a disaster for me. The other charges like $20, but otherwise their service department and body shop are incredibly good. Figures.
Old Sep 1, 2011 | 07:49 AM
  #7  
db/sb's Avatar
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Joined: 06-26-2006
Posts: 1,876
From: San Bernardino, California
Rather than buying a new key fob just to use the rubber pad you could try one of these. It worked on ours: http://www.keylessfix.com/keylessfixcom/
Old Sep 1, 2011 | 08:48 AM
  #8  
bk94si's Avatar
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Joined: 01-10-2011
Posts: 204
From: Tri-Cities, WA
thanks for the link. I just ordered 2. :)
Old Sep 1, 2011 | 09:01 AM
  #9  
wraunch's Avatar
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Joined: 01-28-2009
Posts: 154
From: Raleigh, NC
How hard is it to solder the contacts back on? I have one fob that I dropped and the contact on one side broke free of the solder.
Old Sep 1, 2011 | 10:24 AM
  #10  
panelmoxie's Avatar
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Joined: 01-14-2011
Posts: 175
From: north ga
great link thanks I needed that.



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