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Vehicle Keyless Entry Auto Locksmith
Few drivers remember the days when a simple metal key was all we needed to unlock a car. For decades now we’ve enjoyed the convenience of keyless entry. Modern key fobs allow remote unlocking, better security, and hands-free convenience when gaining access to your car.
But when your key fob suddenly stops working, do you know what steps to take for diagnosing the problem and fixing it?
For anyone who’s ever had problems with his or her keyless entry and didn’t quite know what to do, here are a few pointers. These are things you can do yourself in order to figure out the problem with your keys, before you wind up calling in the experts (that’s us!).
Pointers for when your keyless entry stops working.
1. First, try the easiest solution.
Most car owners have two fobs. The easiest solution is to find your second fob and see if it works. If it does, then use it to gain access to your car. Meanwhile, continue reading to diagnose the problem with your original fob.
2. Check the fob’s battery.
As with any battery-powered device, checking the battery life should be your first step when things go wrong. You may not even have known that fobs have batteries, but of course they do. In a best-case scenario, the problem with your key fob is that the battery has run down and gaining entry to your car is simply a matter of replacing the battery.
If your fob is older than a year or two, there’s a pretty good chance it stopped working because the battery has run down.
It’s not hard to replace the battery, either. Opening the fob is a bit tricky but if you know the secret it’s much easier. Use something very thin like your fingernail to wedge open the cover. Look for a slot on the side of your fob, and that’s where you should pry.
Some drivers are concerned about breaking the fob when opening it up to replace the battery so they take it to a battery shop. Since you might need a new battery anyway, this is a good place to get some help with opening up your key fob.
To determine what type of battery you need to order or buy, check the existing battery: there should be a number on it. That number indicates the battery size to order.
3. Consider that it may not be your fob.
If you’ve changed the battery in your fob and you still can’t gain access, then something more serious might be causing the issue. The other end of the system might be at fault, meaning broken locks, lock motors, a problem with the transmitter, or a switch that’s gone bad. Plus, memory cards can go haywire, too, causing your fob to stop working.
If you’re at this point and it’s not the battery that’s causing your entry issues, then it may be time to turn to outside help.
4. Go in for a fob reprogramming.
When your keyless entry isn’t working, of course the worst case scenario will be if your auto locks need to be replaced. But before we go down that road, there’s still something to rule out. If your battery is OK, the next least-worrisome problem to have would be a memory card issue.
Sometimes faulty batteries can cause the memory card in your fob to malfunction. In fact, this is most often the case when fobs go bad.
To reprogram your keyless entry, find the instruction manual for your vehicle. In it, there should be a highly detailed step-by-step guide to reprogramming your own key fob.
The problem with programming your own fob is that there are about half a dozen steps, and they must be performed in a timely manner in relation to one another or else you have to start all over again. If you have the patience and the ability, you might succeed.
Many drivers find it more convenient and efficient to call an auto locksmith to reprogram their keyless entry fob when it stops working. It’s actually an economical choice when you compare the cost to that of having the auto dealer do it for you.
When your keyless entry stops working, you can always call us!
We are available ’round the clock with mobile service to your vehicle, wherever it lies within our service area. Call us any time of day or night and we’ll be at your side as quickly as we can, with an expert auto locksmith to help you gain access to your car, and get your fob in working condition again.
