Repair before you replace
A lot of people are quoted for a brand new key when the one in their pocket has a five pound problem. The electronics inside a fob usually outlive the plastic around them, so the common faults are mechanical rather than electronic.
Worn button contacts, a cracked case, a snapped blade hinge, a flat battery or a loose solder joint from being dropped once too often. All of those are repairable, and all of them are cheaper than a replacement key that has to be bought and programmed from scratch.
What we fix
| Fault | Usual fix |
|---|---|
| No response at all | Battery, contacts or a broken solder joint |
| Works only up close | Weak battery, corroded contacts or a damaged aerial track |
| One button dead | Worn rubber pad or contact pad, replaced |
| Case split or blade loose | Recase, moving your existing electronics across |
| Buttons work, car ignores them | Fob has lost sync and needs reprogramming |
| Dropped in water | Clean and dry the board, then test. Sometimes recoverable, sometimes not |
Recasing, and why it is the best value job we do
A recase means we take the working electronics out of your battered key and fit them into a new shell, with a freshly cut blade where the key has one. You keep the programming you already have, because the chip and the board are the same ones the car already knows.
No programming session, no new key to buy, no risk of the car refusing the key. It is quick, and it is the single cheapest way to get a key that feels new again. If your key is held together with tape, this is the job you want.
When it is not the fob
Sometimes the key is innocent. A receiver module that has failed, a blown fuse on the central locking circuit, or a flat vehicle battery will all look exactly like a dead fob from the driver's seat.
The quick test at home is to try your spare key. If both keys are ignored, the problem is almost certainly in the car rather than the keys. We will confirm it with a diagnostic scan rather than selling you a new key that was never going to help.
Batteries, and the mistake people make
Most fobs use a coin cell that lasts three to five years. Replacing it is simple on most keys, but two things catch people out. Cheap cells from a market stall are often half dead before they go in, and some fobs need the case reassembling in a particular order or the contacts do not sit properly.
On a handful of models, letting the battery go completely flat means the key loses sync and needs resyncing to the car. If that has happened to you, the key is not broken, it just needs pairing again, which takes minutes.
We come to you
Fob work happens at your car because we test it there. Driveways in Chapel Allerton, parking bays in Meanwood, workplaces around Rothwell. You do not need to drop anything off and nothing gets posted away.
Worth doing while we are there
If your fob has just been through a repair, ask about the state of the blade at the same time. A worn blade and a tired barrel go together, and both are easier to deal with as a planned job than as a snapped key on a cold morning.
If the repaired fob is your only key, this is also the moment to get a spare made. The equipment is already out and the car is already open, so it costs a fraction of a separate visit later.
Fob repairs around the city
Fob faults are spread evenly across Leeds, though we see more water damage in the areas people walk. Keys that have been out on the trail in Meanwood, round the park in Roundhay or along the canal come back wetter than most.
The other thing we see constantly is cheap replacement batteries. A coin cell from a market stall can be half dead in the packet, which sends people looking for an expensive fault that does not exist. If your fob has just started working only at close range, try a good quality battery first and save yourself a call-out.
Questions about key fob repairs
Is repairing a fob really cheaper than replacing it?
Usually much cheaper. A recase or a button repair keeps your existing programming, so there is no new key to buy and no programming session to pay for.
My fob only works right next to the car. Why?
Normally a weak battery or corroded contacts, sometimes a damaged aerial track on the board. All three are repairable.
Can you fix a fob that has been through the wash?
Sometimes. We clean and dry the board and test it. If the board is beyond saving we will tell you straight rather than charging for a repair that will not last.
Do you replace the blade in a flip key?
Yes, we cut and fit a new blade and refit your existing electronics.
My fob stopped working after the car battery went flat. Is it broken?
Probably not. Some models lose sync and need pairing again, which takes minutes.
Both my keys stopped working at once. What does that mean?
Almost always a fault in the car rather than the keys, such as a receiver or a fuse. We scan the vehicle to find out.
Do I need to leave the key with you?
No. We work at the vehicle and test everything before we go.