3 Reasons Why Your Car Key Remote Might Not Be Working
Discovering that your car key remote isn’t working is as stressful as it is frustrating, not to mention inconvenient. If you find yourself unable to use your car key remote, here’s a guide as to what may be causing the fault and the ways in which a car key remote can be programmed.
Why Is My Car Key Remote Not Working?
It’s quick and easy to get a car key replacement, should the worse happen and you’re unable to fix your key remote. However, here are a few factors that may be causing the problem as well as simple solutions to fix them.
Is The Fault With The Car?
The car key remote itself may not be broken and the problem may be with the car’s locks or signal receiver instead. Use your spare car key remote (which you should make sure you always have for circumstances such as these) to test whether or not that’s working.
Bear in mind that if you bought both the spare and the main remote at the same time, the problem could still be with the batteries of the car keys as opposed to with the car.
Have The Remote’s Batteries Died?
While car key remotes do have impressively long battery lives, the time will at some point come when they need replacing and renewing. It’s likely to be a fault with the batteries if the buttons on the key need to be pressed multiple times before working, or if the key is working sometimes but not constantly.
Although many car keys are different, the majority run on Lithium coin batteries which can be easily sourced and replaced to get you back in your car in no time.
Are There Any Broken Pieces In The Remote?
If you’re able and confident to do so, carefully take the car key remote apart to see if there are any broken or loose parts that are causing the device’s faults.
The majority of remotes split in half at the sides and can then easily be taken apart and put back together without causing any further damage. Loose pieces may be able to be put back into their place to start the key working again, although broken sections may need renewing and replacing.
Use this opportunity to gently dust off the car key in case any dust or dirt has entered the fob to stop it working properly.
How Does A Remote-Control Car Key Work?
Remote control car keys, also known as keyless remotes, are essentially short-range radio transmitters that once pressed, send a coded signal to your car’s radio receiver by radio waves – this code is generated by the key fob’s controller chip.
The receiver unit then receives this code, and either locks or unlocks depending on the button you’ve pressed. Both the key and car must be in a certain range of one another for the signal to work, which is generally around 5-20 metres.
The code itself is generated as one out of billions of possible others and is created via a number generator that’s located in both the transmitter and the receiver. Each time you press a button on your car key remote, two codes are generated and transmitted – one being the security feature code as mentioned above to unlock or lock the car, and the other is a function code telling the vehicle what specific task to perform (such as locking the doors or unlocking the boot).
Both the receiver and transmitter are coordinated to ensure that both recognise each other’s code that’s been sent. This coordination prevents other people from using their key remote to open your car, as they are not synchronised together and therefore won’t respond.
How Do You Programme A Car Key Remote?
Programming your car key remote may seem like a daunting task but it’s an easy job to accomplish, you just need to be sure you’re doing each step in the right order and timeframe. The way in which you programme your car key remote will differ depending on whether your car has an ignition key or a push-button start, so here’s what to do in both scenarios:
For Cars with Push-Button Starts
Once in the car, make sure all doors are closed before quickly pressing and releasing the start button 15 times (make sure you quickly press the button in just 1-2 second intervals). The engine should not be started during this process.
After pushing the button 15 times, push and release the lock button of the key fob, where the doors should immediately lock. This lock signifies that the programming is complete, and your key should be ready for use.
For Cars with Ignition Keys
Once in the car, make sure all doors are closed and insert the key into the ignition before turning it to ‘ACC’ or ‘Accessories’ (the second position) – the engine should not be running at this point. Wait for 10 minutes and 30 seconds, before switching the ignition back off.
After just a few moments, repeat the steps again and do this a total of 3 times. Your key should now be programmed and ready for use.
Struggling with a broken car key remote? No problem. Get in touch with us here at Fast Keys to discuss replacement or fixing solutions.
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