Worn key

[sweegie]

IIRC you should just be able to prise off the pad without splitting the key. Just get a wee screwdriver under it and prise off gently.

[Mr Footlong]

When you say pad, are you talking about the bits I bought? If so then the are press in, you do not have to take any of the fob apart. You can pry a side out easily with a precision flathead or with a loose stanley blade which is perfect, it isn't like you are planning on keeping the old one intact

/edit, didn't see the reply above.

[yorkrs6+]

New key fob arrived today... So I set about taking the old one apart...

What a chew .... I'm sure safes would be easier to crack

Some monkey looks to have superglued my replacement as well ...

Circuit on stock key fob not easy to get out - held in by some fixtures that are designed never to ever come out...
2hrs later and I'm still trying to get the key section apart

Perhaps that £175 wasn't so bad after all ....

[bam_bam]

Funny, i'm drunk and i still managed to pull apart my new 'replaceent@: withj fingernails a pray.
I'll be honest. it flew acreoss the room romss witjha va vigour i've neot seen beofre. i'll not sfind the parts uptil monday but its ok.

[yorkrs6+]

I finally got the key section apart - had to prise it open with a screw driver and hammer - an hour of trying I resorted to YouTube to make sure I wasn't missing the obvious - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRO6OaEu ... ata_player. - concluding it should fall apart like the video (after removing the screw) I resorted to the hammer.

as i said - The screw in the replacement looked like it had been glued in - I eventually got this out with some serious force - but clearly the screw was made out of butter as the philips head managed to round off making the occasion really special - imagine my joy .... I can only think we have a yellow friend over the big pond who made this key fob for a bowl of rice who felt he'd take some joy in his handy work and would superglue it all together ! If he could see my face ... His life's work would be complete.

....If only it fell apart like the video....
After a what seemed like hours of dicking about and several bears I was finally there... the holy grail of the key fob.... The imobaliser chip....
I can only conclude there is some German key fob assembler who's life's work depends on making sure that imboliser chip will never move from its position.... And I mean never move...I firmly believe he used a special glue to bond the plastic with the glass chip ! His last thoughts must have been - try move this sucker! I even resorted to the hair dryer .... Daddy what r u doing with mummy's hair dryer? That said it all ..
I eventually got the imobaliser chip out - but pretty sure it wasnt in a good shape. It looked like the glass had fractured around the chip.
Being British I continued on... Persistent in the belief all would be well..
Reassembled I tried the unlock button...
....there was deathly silience. The key looks great - but sadly does not work...
The moral of this story - I wasted £6, a Friday evening and a few bears.... My advise - Go to the dealship and spank the £175 and get it done properly.. I could have been unlucky with an over keen German key fob assembler and his Chinese cousin...

Footlong - the button option was the easy choice... And would have done this but sadly both my keys are scuffed and scratched... I would suggest this first if your buttons are worn - this bit is easy.

[sweegie]

All might not be lost.... With the new key in the ignition, and the car unlocked with a working remote, does the immobiliser light go out when you try to start the car?

Could well be that the key just needs rematched after being out of battery power for a while. This is easy, but alas futile, if you can't start it due to a shagged transponder in the key. If you can start the car with the new key, I'll talk you through the rematching

ETA: Even if the transponder is goosed, you can get a new one of fleabay. Basically, as long as the key electronics are ok, the key can be persuaded to work

[yorkrs6+]

Remote on my spare key worked - few... Not ever used it.
So I decide to take apart The section with the battery in it - simply to double check I'd not put the battery in the wrong way round - all was well - clearly not drunk enough.

So I put spare key back together - try remote .... Nothing

I suspect once the battery is disconnected from the transponder circuit? It looses it's relationship - so perhaps my new key is ok after all??

Anyway spare key unlocks the door the 70s way - ie stick it in the door and unlock it manually
Spare key when in ignition - imobaliser light on dash goes out - car starts.

Flee bay key fob - key starts the car - but imboliser light stays on and flashes

Didn't try driving down the road

Thoughts?

[Mr V10]

Photos first, advice later.

[neastev]

I received the new key on wednesday and went through the same process as you without the booze......

not the easiest thing to do but mine works fine (after a significant dickin about) Borders on impossible to get the glass chip and PCB out of the old fob. I landed up re-using the old part with the PCB.....

Anyway, once changed over I pushed the button and nothing.... opened the door with the key/lock and alarm started with the beep and lights flashing. Put the key into the ignition and started the car and all was well. Switched engine off and the fob buttons still dont work..... Locked car from the outside with the key then pressed the unlock button for a few seconds and the doors opened. All now works fine and the key looks pretty good. Not sure if this is coincidence but its worth a try....

Hope it helps

[bilko1]

The transponder does not need any power, the battery is for the remote locking / unlocking only.

[Ian_C]

once changed over I pushed the button and nothing.... opened the door with the key/lock and alarm started with the beep and lights flashing. Put the key into the ignition and started the car and all was well. Switched engine off and the fob buttons still dont work..... Locked car from the outside with the key then pressed the unlock button for a few seconds and the doors opened. All now works fine and the key looks pretty good. Not sure if this is coincidence but its worth a try....

Yeah that was my experience recently when the keys got out of synch. If the unlock and lock remote buttons do NOT work but the key still starts and runs the car normally then you are fine - the key will match itself back up soon enough. I think the trick is to press the unlock button on the remote whilst the key is actually in the ignition? I found the buttons just started working themselves after driving the car.

[sweegie]

clearly not drunk enough.

Clearly.

I suspect once the battery is disconnected from the transponder circuit? It looses it's relationship - so perhaps my new key is ok after all??

Yep, will need rematched as others described. Window open etc etc and follow instructions. VCDS info here http://tinyurl.com/blafbbb - don't even need to use the cable.

Spare key when in ignition - imobaliser light on dash goes out - car starts.

This is good

Flee bay key fob - key starts the car - but imboliser light stays on and flashes

This is not normal! Sounds like you've trashed the transponder during the surgery. In these circumstances the car should not even start... 10p says you've got a remap? 20p says the remapper has disabled the immobiliser check in the Engine ECU. You will need to get a new transponder off ebay, but only do this if you can match the fob to open the doors, else you'll need a new key with associated electronics.

Didn't try driving down the road

Would probably be fine - either it starts or it doesn't, unless you've got fancy and very non-standard code in your engine ecu that kills the car after 30 secs of a non matched key. Not impossible mind you, just very non standard.

Thoughts?

Try the fob matching process. If you can get it to open the doors, your key will be fine with a new transponder

[yorkrs6+]

Thanks for these tips - will give it a go