A fob that stops working is either out of power, has lost its pairing with the car, or has physically failed. The fix ranges from a coin-cell battery you can buy at the Fred Meyer checkout to a full replacement, so it is worth spending two minutes narrowing it down before you call anyone.
Test 1: does the car start?
If the buttons are dead but the car still starts with the fob in your pocket (push-start) or with the blade in the ignition, the fob's transponder is fine and only the remote side is failing. That is almost always a battery. Most fobs take a CR2032 or CR2025 cell; the type is printed inside the case.
Test 2: does the backup method work?
Push-start cars all have a backup: hold the fob against the start button or a marked spot on the steering column, or drop it into a slot in the console. If the car starts that way but not normally, the battery is the problem. If it will not start even with the fob touching the button, the fob has lost its programming or its chip has failed.
Test 3: do all buttons fail, or just one?
One dead button with the rest working is a worn contact pad inside the case — a physical fault, not a programming one. We can often replace the case and move the electronics over, which is far cheaper than a new fob.
When it is programming
Fobs lose their pairing after a dead car battery, a jump start, a battery swap or an ECU fault. The fob itself is healthy; the car has simply forgotten it. Re-pairing takes a programmer connected to the OBD port — about ten to fifteen minutes in your driveway. Some older Fords, GMs and Toyotas can be re-paired with an on-board procedure and no tools; if yours is one of them we will tell you on the phone.
When the fob is dead
Water, a trip through the washing machine, or a drop onto concrete can kill the board. Signs: the LED does not blink when you press a button even with a fresh battery, or the car cannot see the fob at all. At that point it is a replacement fob, cut and programmed in the van. Bring the dead one — we can sometimes recover the blade or the case.
- Buttons dead, car starts: battery
- Nothing works after a jump start: programming
- One button dead: worn case
- No LED with a new battery: dead fob
Changing the battery without breaking the fob
Look for a small slot on the seam of the case. Insert a coin or the emergency blade and twist gently; the halves separate. Note which way the battery faces (usually + up), swap it, and press the halves together until they click. If you tear the rubber button pad, do not throw it away — we can move the board to a new case.
Questions we hear
I changed the battery and now nothing works.
Two usual causes: the battery is in upside down, or the fob lost its pairing because the swap took too long on a make that times out. The first is a ten-second fix; the second is a re-pair at the car.
The car says "key not detected" but the fob is in my hand.
Move the fob away from your phone and any other fob, and hold it against the start button. Phones and second fobs interfere; if that starts the car, the battery is marginal. If not, it needs re-programming.
Can you fix a fob that went through the washing machine?
Sometimes. Dry it for 48 hours before trying a battery. If the LED never returns, the board is gone but the blade and case may be reusable, which lowers the cost of the replacement.
Around Spokane
We re-pair and replace fobs in driveways from the South Hill to Deer Park and in the lots next to every dealership — often the same day someone was quoted a week's wait for a key to be ordered.
