Repair Damaged Remotes
Auto Key Pro’s Key FOB repair business is the best in the Greater Hamilton Area, rest assured your key will be in very safe hands.
Auto Key Pro’s Key FOB repair business is the best in the Greater Hamilton Area, rest assured your key will be in very safe hands.We repair most makes & types of car remote control Key fobs & Key Shells. We have a high success rate when it comes to repairs with many makes and models available for repair.
When key FOBs are damaged, they can cost a lot of money to replace, with some key FOBs priced in the hundreds of dollars. Your best option is to see if repair is possible prior to replacement to save money.
Common faults:
- Lock & unlock buttons fail to work effectively.
- Outer casings can become worn out and can crack or break
- Broken battery holders & connectors can cause the key FOB to stop functioning.
- Water damaged FOBs may cease functioning.
We also stock replacement key FOB outer casings for esthetic and function.
Consultations are free. Please do not hesitate to visit and speak with an expert or call us directly.
Some Common Ways to Repair Damaged Remotes
Not all damage to a car key remote or fob is electronic, or electrical (ie, a dead battery). Some may be physical, and depending on the extent and your skill, repairing damaged remotes or car keys may be done with a bit of super glue. If you’re not so lucky and the damage is beyond the realm of a simple DIY, then a trip to your local auto locksmith may be in order. This can be a case of a key breaking in half, or the cuts in the keys wearing out to the point that they simply cannot activate the tumblers necessary to turn the locking mechanism.
For non-obvious damage, (i.e. the remote is not unlocking the car) it’s best to confirm where the fault is by using a second key, or the valet key, if one is available. If all the keys don’t work, then maybe the keys aren’t faulty at all, but rather the car’s locking or anti-theft mechanism. If the spare keys work, then you will have isolated the cause and begin to take steps to repair the damaged remote.
Repairing damage to remotes or car keys that look physically intact are more involved. Even replacing a dead battery may not be as simple as it sounds, because most modern car keys use transponders which are paired to a particular car. During a battery change, when the circuit gets interrupted (as in the case of a dead battery), the pairing between the chip in the key and the steering column can be lost, so a bit of reprogramming may be in order. Though the remote is undamaged, the net effect is that the remote would not work until the manufacturer-required steps to re-pair the car and the key are made.
Other possible instances where one would have to repair damaged remotes include:
- Water damage, such as getting caught in a downpour, leaving it in your pants while washing them, getting coffee or soda on them, or dropping them in a puddle. The first thing NOT to do in such cases is press on the remote’s buttons. Pressing them them will close the circuit and surely cause a short, where a short bath in liquid may not have been enough to cause one. Open the remote, dry out the interior thoroughly, and with luck, that is all that’s required to get the remote working again.
- A corrupted code in a transponder key in not an unknown problem and if an manufacturer-prescribed procedure for troubleshooting doesn’t work, then a call or visit to a qualified locksmith will be necessary.
- Corroded or damaged buttons, where the the contacts necessary to close the remotes circuit have failed. In a lot of cases, cleaning the contacts will restore functionality. To repair a damaged remote like this, one will have to open up the case. Though the procedure is uncomplicated, light fingers and a steady hand are required to avoid further damage.