Reasons Your Car Key Fob Isn’t Working

The following is a scenario many of us are familiar with: you walk to your car, press the “unlock” button on your remote key, and instead of the reassuring blink of the hazard lights, nothing happens. Not only is this frustrating, it can also be potentially dangerous, particularly if it’s late and you’re parked in a deserted area.

So, what happened here?

Well, your key fob has clearly stopped working and you’ll need to either get it repaired or replaced. But what happened to cause your key fob to abruptly stop doing its job? How do car key fobs work anyway? Well, let’s take a look.

Possible Reasons for a Key Fob to Stop Working

There are a number of possible reasons for a car key fob to stop functioning. Here are some of the most common ones:

The Battery is Dead

This is perhaps the most common reason behind an unresponsive key fob, and it’s also one that’s easiest to fix. Just like all other electronic devices, your key fob needs power to function—power which it draws from its batteries.

If the batteries in the key fob are weak or flat, it inevitably won’t function like it normally does. This issue can be fixed by replacing your old key fob battery with a fresh one. However, different manufacturers use different batteries for their key fobs, and it can be quite difficult to figure out which battery works with your key fob.

The Key Fob Needs to Be Reprogrammed

Another possible reason is your key fob has been reset somehow. This usually happens after the batteries are replaced or accidentally disconnected. In order for your key fob to work again, it’ll have to be reprogrammed and synced with your vehicle again.

Broken Internal Contacts or Circuit Board

While car key fobs are typically built to take a lot of punishment, one drop too many can cause an integrated circuit or metal contact within the fob to break. When this happens, the device either starts to malfunction or stop working at all.

Turn to Your Friendly Auto Locksmith in Houston for Help

At CarKey4Less, we’re ready 24/7 to help out people in need. Whether you drive a Mercedes-Benz, or a Lexus, our technicians are adept at working with all types of auto security systems and key fobs. Wherever you are in Houston TX, just gives us a call, and we’ll be there to help you out in a flash! Get in touch with us to learn more!