Need to change your Ford key battery? then this is for you.
Today we’re looking at the newest type Ford proximity key that is used on many vehicles, including the new Mondeo. The key will be similar to this one.
If you’re in America, you may have additional buttons according to the model, but they are basically the same.
To method used to change the Ford key battery is identical, whichever model.
HOW TO change New Ford Key Battery.
The two halves of the key split apart along the length of the key.
Release the two halves by sliding the catch at the end of the key
Pull the two halves of the key apart then place the cover aside.
HOW TO Open the Ford Key Battery compartment
Next, the key splits again, and this can be very tight. we’ve found that a penny is good because it’s the correct size and isn’t sharp. Find the slot at the end of the key.
Twist the penny and them the case opens
Pull the two halves apart, again, they may be very tight.
Changing the Ford Key Battery
You’ll need two batteries inside this key, which is a new feature on Ford keys.
You’ll notice that you cannot read any writing on the first battery.
Use a thin screwdriver to lever the battery out as they’re held in tightly. Next, you have a piece of paper, that tells us to change both batteries, thanks Ford.
Move the paper out of the way and then you’ll notice that the writing on the second battery can be read.
Again, lever out the battery with a screwdriver, or something thin.
Putting the Ford key battery back together.
Make sure the batteries go back in the correct orientation, with the paper between them.
Next is to join the two halves of the Ford key battery compartment back together. There are two plastic lugs that need to locate in the correct place.
Once you’ve done this, squeeze the key back together and it will eventually snap shut. It’s very tight.
Then the two halves of the key need to be re-joined. There is a small curved lug that hooks into the key. You must locate this first.
Next, squeeze the key together while. You’ll need to slide the catch while you do this, otherwise it will break. Don’t just force the two halves together.
And that’s it!
We’re not sure how long these batteries will last, the older style Ford Key Batteries last 12-18 months. We hope that helps
https://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ford-Mondeo-2015-1-min.jpg384576Steve Bulleymenthttps://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Edited-logo-NEW.jpgSteve Bulleyment2018-11-27 09:59:362019-01-30 21:22:41New Ford Key Battery Change
If your car key won’t turn in the lock, this is for you.
We see this every week. Customers stranded because although they can get into the car, the key is rock solid in the ignition. Whatever you do, your car key won’t turn.
To be honest, there’s normally a bit a of a warning it’s going to happen.
Most of us have a special magic trick so the lock turns. Either you pull it out a little bit before turning the key, or we give it a ‘jiggle’ up and down in the lock to make it turn.
This is common, we all do it. My house front door key was like it for months and I should know better, being a Locksmith!
The problem with using the car like this is eventually, we don’t get away with it anymore.
As it gets more worn, one day you’ll eventually be sat it in your car, trying to get somewhere important, and your car key won’t turn, ever again! Or maybe you’relocked out, trying to get into the car.
So, what can be done about it?
My car key won’t turn – Reason 1
Sometimes it’s the lock.
There are a few makes of car and van, where the lock fails suddenly because something breaks inside. We see this on the French models Peugeot, Citroen and Renault. The lock can be working fine one minute, and rock solid the next.
However, this is the exception rather than the rule.
My car key won’t turn – Reason 2
The main reason for lock problems is gradual wear over time.
With the Renault style locks, this can be because the key shape is badly designed. Click here to read about how Renault keys damage locks.
With most keys, gradual wear can be difficult to spot, unless you have a fresh new key to compare it to
As you can see with this Ford fiesta key, the profile is very worn, instead of having a crisp edge. This worn edge no longer moves the levers into the correct position and the lock gets sticky.
Can you see how the levers are pulled in tight when it works correctly?
However, when the key is worn, the levers poke out and stop the lock turning smoothly.
It’s no wonder this Ford lock above had trouble turning , the levers poke out a lot!
What can you do when your worn car key won’t turn?
The good news is most car keys are made up of two parts, the key and the key blade.
The key blade can be removed, re-cut and refitted without having to buy a complete key. This will save you a fortune when your worn key won’t turn.
How do I get a new car key blade?
Ok, so this is important.
There are two ways to replace the blade when your car key won’t turn.
1. Copy the Old Blade
Some key cutting shops can only copy keys. This is done by cutting the new key by tracing the old blade.
The problem with method is that it’s a bit old fashioned. Although the blade is freshly cut, it has the shape of a worn key. It may be slightly better in the lock, but there’s a better way to get a new key blade.
2. Cut the blade to key number
Every car key has a ‘key number’, or it can be known as a ‘key code’.
This number is a code that tells us, or the dealer ,what shape your wiggly line is on the key. Key numbers are really important and if you have yours, you’re halfway to getting a new key if they ever get lost. Click here to find out more about key numbers.
When we cut a blade to key number, the computer-controlled machine produce a brand new key, so there’s no wear on the blade at all. When your car key won’t turn, this will often get the lock moving again.
What to do when my car key won’t turn
Find a good Auto Locksmith and ask them to look at the key. It may be you just need a new blade so that your lock works normally again. Otherwise you’ll be paying out big money, for a new lock and key.
What NOT to do..
Drill the lock out
Hit it with a hammer to make it turn
Force it with a screw driver
Try and ‘hotwire’ the car
Any of these will just make everything more expensive.
Unsure how to find an Auto Locksmith? Click Here to find out
We hope this helps!
https://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Ford-Fiesta-worn-Key-Blade-1.jpg384576Steve Bulleymenthttps://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Edited-logo-NEW.jpgSteve Bulleyment2018-11-23 11:33:252019-01-30 21:21:00Worn Car Key won't turn lock
At the last count, 400,000 had watched our YouTube video on ‘how to fix a broken Hyundai Key’. It’s our most watched video so this shows around the world there’s a problem. So here are step-by-step instructions on how you can fix your own broken Hyundai key.
The problem is a hole.
The key blade holder has a hole, where the locking pin slides in and out.
This design has been used since the mid 90’s without any problem. However the latest batch of car keys are just not strong enough. Poor design means there’s not enough metal around the pin hole. After a while, the hole cracks, opening up and letting the pin fall away.
This is when the key blade wobbles, the key blade holder cracks and you’re left with a broken Hyundai key.
The good news is they can be fixed!
Four Stages in fixing Broken Hyundai key
There are four stages when fixing your key.
Getting the new blade ready to turn the locks
Opening the old key case up
Removing the transponder chip and electronics
Rebuilding the new case
Before you start to open the old case, you want to get the new case ready. This means you need to sort the new Key Blade out.
Stage 1 – Getting a blade to turn the locks
We believe that you always need to think ‘what if?’
So, if you only have one broken Hyundai key, you’re working with the only programmed key you have. This is why you need to get the blade turning in the locks, before you start breaking open your old key.
However, if you have two keys, happy days. You have the luxury of a back-up which is great, so you can fix the key in whatever order you like!
So let’s look at getting the blade sorted on your broken Hyundai key.
Option 1
Get the new key blade cut. This is the simplest option. It will save you messing around swapping the blade.
This is what we do, because we have the key machine already. A good Auto Locksmith or key-cutting shop should charge about £10 to cut the key blade. However, you may find that other shops won’t cut it because they haven’t sold it to you.
Option 2
Is to swap the key blade over from your broken Hyundai key into the new key.
There are a couple of things to take notice of.
Removing the pin and uncut blade from the new key
IMPORTANT
Before you start taking the new blade out of the blade holder.
You may need to modify the old key blade to fit onto the new blade holder. This is usual, and is because the factory that make the new blade and case have it slightly differently to the original broken Hyundai key blade.
First things First – Broken Hyundai Key
If you’re going to swap the blades, this is what you need to do.
Open the new repair case and remove the blade and blade holder.
Next you need to remove the pin that holds the blade. Sometimes it will only come out one way.
WARNING
Choose a work surface that can get marked or damaged. When you knock the pin through, it will need to come out the other side and will mark the work surface. So, don’t choose the best kitchen side, or dining room table! Find somewhere, uncluttered and can get marked when working on your broken Hyundai key.
You also need some room for the pin to pop out on the other side. When you knock it through it can feel very tight but it will come out. Also, keep an eye on where the pin goes, don’t lose it!
Once the pin is out of the new blade holder, then you need to remove the original blade from your broken Hyundai key.
Fitting the old original blade into the new case
It may need some modification.
Sometimes the tang is slightly oversized, so you’ll need a small needle file to dress it off. Try it first, it shouldn’t need a lot. Once you have the old blade sliding in and out of the new holder, then have a look at the hole and slot.
Do the holes line up?
If they don’t, then you’ll need to enlarge the slot in the blade so that the pin can be put into the key.
It may need widening out as shown.
Here is a guide to show you how much the slot needs to be opened
Just take it easy until you can see daylight and have room to replace the pin, don’t make it too wide, otherwise the pin will not stay in!
Getting the pin back in!
This can really test your patience. It does us up here in Lincoln if we ever need to swap the blade.
The problem you have is that somehow you need to hold the pin upright and knock it back into the blade holder. We’ve tried all sorts of ways and now use two methods.
Method 1
Blu tack is useful. To keep the pin upright, put a blob of Blu tack around the hole and stand the pin upright. This means that you don’t have to try and hold the pin.
Or, you can find some very thin pliers or tweezers and hold it upright while you knock the pin back in.
Method 2
The Blu tack still comes in handy, but this time, instead of knocking the pin in with a small hammer, you can squeeze it into the hole using pliers.
It’s fiddly either way.
This is why we recommend getting the new blade cut when sorting out your broken Hyundai key. However, if you don’t have that option, then this is the next best method.
Once you have the old blade in the new blade holder, well done!
You need to make sure it’s held firm and then you can move onto stage two.
Stage 2 – Opening the broken Hyundai key case up
These old cases are usually lightly glued shut. We’ve found the best way of opening them is to use a pair of circlip pliers.
These work opposite to a normal pair of pliers
When you squeeze the handles of the pliers, the jaws open instead of shut, and they put pressure on the case. They’re perfect to open up old keys and we use them every day in our Auto Locksmith business.
Place the jaws in the hole near the flip blade.
When you open it, the spring, blade and button may shoot off somewhere, but don’t worry, this is normal. Other ways to open your broken Hyundai key up is with side cutters, or a hacksaw.
Just take it slowly and be very careful not to damage the electronics inside, this includes the transponder chip.
Stage 3 – Removing the transponder chip and electronics from broken Hyundai key
Once the key is apart, you need to look out for two important things.
1 The green circuit board. This is obvious, and just needs gently taking out and putting to one side. Don’t put it into the new case yet.
2 The transponder chip. This is not so obvious. It can also be a bit tricky to get out.
It is hidden underneath a black or white cover as shown below.
The chip looks like this.
**** VERY IMPORTANT take care. If you damage this chip, the car will not start. ****
It’s brittle and you need to be careful when removing it. Sometimes it just falls out of the key, like on our video. However, a lot of the time it’s glued in, and needs carefully removing.
We’ve found the best way is to gently heat the plastic around it and we use a soldering iron for that.
However, if you don’t have one, you can just cut away at the plastic with side cutters, or a hacksaw
You just need to be careful and not force it out, or saw into it! Don’t heat it up in an oven or microwave, otherwise you’ll see fireworks! And the key chip will stop working.
In summary, just take your time. It takes a while to carefully get it out, and it’s important you don’t rush.
Stage 4 Rebuilding the new case
This can feel tricky at first, simply because you haven’t done it before. However, don’t worry, you can do it!
Glue the chip into the new case so it doesn’t move about, or use some Blu tack
Place the chip into the new case
Place the circuit board into the new case
Now the fiddly bit in for you Broken Hyundai Key
Fit the metal button into the blade holder ( it will only go one way) until it drops through to the other side as shown. Then fit the spring
The next bit can be fun! You have to place the spring end, over the plastic spigot and then wind the spring around twice anti-clockwise. If it all falls apart, don’t worry, this is common! Just start again
After two winds, then hold the blade in place
Place the cover over the metal button and snap the case shut
Then it should stay together, so you can test the flip works.
Replace the battery
Lastly, when you are happy, screw the case shut
Here’s the video
You should have a fully working key now! Just test and make sure it works.
Hello Again and welcome back to our blog. This week we’re looking at the Volvo XE90 Key
We’ve spent alot of time over the last few months talking about technical matters, key repairs and programming. However, this looks at the escalating cost of Keyless car Keys, and the Volvo XE90 key got our attention.
Our customer, called us because after just three years, his key had stopped working.
The buttons had been intermittent for a while, but now the car didn’t recognise the key either.
Just a three-year-old key!
When we examined it, we couldn’t find any fault, as if the key had just died.
Volvo XE90 Key Price
Although we don’t programme these, I had a hunch these would be expensive to replace and wasn’t disappointed.
For a spare key, you need the following parts
Volvo XE90 Key Remote
These are a standard price and compare with the new Ford and Peugeot keys
At £135 plus VAT, which to me and you are £162, you’ll need a brand new one from Volvo. Don’t waste your money on a used one from the internet, it won’t programme to your car.
What we weren’t expecting was the key extras you need to turn it into a Volvo XE90 Key
Volvo XE90 Key Cover
When you buy the remote, it’s naked. This expensive remote hasn’t even been dressed to look like a real car key.
This is the first outrageous cost you come up against. To make the remote look like a key, you’ll need a pair of covers.
These fix over the key, and for the privilege of having the Volvo logo you pay £69 plus VAT, which is £83! For a plastic cover. Unbelievable. and then it gets worse….
Volvo XE90 Key Blade.
Tucked away inside the key is an emergency key blade. This is needed with all keyless cars, in case the car battery goes flat, and you’re locked out.
This is an expensive piece of metal! At £81 plus VAT, £97 is the real world, I believe it’s the most expensive blade in mainstream car production.
How can the charge nearly £100 for this piece of metal?
But this is what we have with the Volvo XE90 Key blade.
Volvo XE90 Key programming
You think we’re finished, but we’re not. Next there are two charges, one of which is the programming, the other? Who knows.
The first charge is for the software download, which we assume is the car key programming charge. This is cheap compared to Ford. At £35 plus VAT, just £42 this is a bargain.
However, then there’s an additional ‘labour charge’ of £45 plus VAT
Now we’ve been cutting and programming car keys for nearly fifteen years and cannot think what labour is involved. After all, the key has been cut, and the software has been accounted for.
Is it that they are charging £54 labour to drive the car from the Volvo car park into the workshop?
If you’ve just bought a new XE90, or XC 90, or are on the lookout for one, make sure you get two keys with the deal.
Take a look at our video which explains it all
While these cars are new, Volvo will get away with it. However, in ten years when the car is only work a few thousand on the forecourt, they will be unaffordable.
The most concerning part is that our customers key failed after such a short time.
This will be something we’re looking out for.
If you are having problems with your Volvo XE90 key, let us know in the comments below.
There’s good and bad news if you own a Vauxhall Astra J.
The bad news is, they’re the most common key we see that breaks.
The good news is, they’re one of the easiest to fix. Here’s our guide to fix your broken Astra key, saving yourself money.
Broken Astra Key Checklist – What you’ll need
Both parts of the key! If your blade breaks away from the key body, keep it safe. We see lots of people who lose the blade, and that’s bad news.
A Spare Key? We believe that before you try and fix the old key, you should have a standby key to use. The reason is that hen things go wrong with key electronics, you end up stranded.
We have thousands of comments on our key repair YouTube channel, most of which are positive. However, occasionally, someone will complain that the car won’t start after they tried to fix their car key watching our video.
‘Okay great now my car wont start and I ruined my old case too so thank you for your bad advice. Smh people dont risk it’
If you’re not confident, get a spare key before you try and fix your broken Astra key.
Broken Astra Key Video
Here’s the video, if you’d prefer to watch, instead of reading.
What you need to fix your broken Astra key
You need a repair case that you’ll swap the electronics into. We prefer the cases that have a screw that keeps both parts together, instead of glue.
We use them for hundreds of happy customers in Lincoln and keep getting asked for them on-line. So we’ve added a link to our Amazon store above.
They come with two or three buttons.
Circlip pliers – These are amazing for opening up all broken car keys, and very good when opening your broken Astra key.
When you squeeze the handle, the jaws open and the force will split open the key.
Pin Removal punch
This is a luxury that will make swapping the blade over a bit easier.
If you don’t have a punch, get the key blade cut instead.
The problem is that many key cutting shops won’t do this if they haven’t supplied the key as well.
and lastly…
Pliers to squeeze the pin back into the new key after you swap the battery, or a small hammer to knock it in.
Patience
This is really important. You have to remember that you’re doing something you’ve never tried before. Whilst it’s fairly simple to do, you need to put some time aside so that your not in a rush to fix your broken Astra key. It’s a bit fiddly and shouldn’t be rushed.
******** Important ********
Broken Astra Key instructions
Before you break open the key case, you need the new key to turn the locks. Imagine breaking your old key open, only to find out you can’t turn the lock with the new key!
Why do I need to swap the blades over first?
Sometimes, the original Vauxhall blade from your broken Astra key is a slightly different shape and will not fit into the new case.
Or, it may need bit of filing to make it fit.
This happens sometimes. The problem is that the repair case is made in a factory across the other side of the world and it’s been designed to accept in the blade that is already fitted to it.
How to swap the Broken Astra Key blade over.
Using the pin removal tool, find somewhere to rest your old flip arrangement that holds the old key blade. There will be some hammering, so make sure it isn’t your best dining table, or wooden kitchen side! They may get damaged.
Knock out the pin from the new blade, and the pin from the old blade and swap over blades.
Remember, they may need a little filing, but don’t force the old blade into the case. If you do this, you will break the new case.
Do NOT try and use the old blade and hinge in the new key case. It will not work. They’ve been made differently, as the photo shows, and the key will not flick out like it should.
How to Fix your broken Astra Key. Checklist
1 Clear a space, make some room and make a brew, get a beer or whatever is your fancy. We’d recommend turning the TV off so that you can concentrate.
2 Place your circlip pliers inside the gap in between both halves of the key. Give them a squeeze, the key will ‘crack’and both parts of the broken Astra key will be apart.
3 Pull both parts open enough, so that you can carefully remove the green electronics.
4 Put the electronics from the broken Astra key into the new case.
5 Take the blade and hinge assembly and insert the metal button. It will go it three ways, but only one is correct. When the button drops through and pokes out the other side, then you know it is correct.
6 Pop the spring into the button and then place the other end of the spring over the plastic spigot on the other half of the new case. You then need to wind it around in an anti-clockwise direction.
7 Don’t worry if it takes a few goes to fix your broken Astra key. This is fiddly and we do it all the time and it can still take a few goes. You’ll feel like you need an extra hand, so it may help if you have someone to help you.
8 Once you’ve managed to wind it round, close both halves of the case together.
You’ve almost fixed your broken Astra key!
9 Make sure the blade flips out when you press the silver button. If it doesn’t you need to take it apart again and have another go. It may take a few goes, don’t worry, you can do it!
10 When you get it working, fix both halves together with the screw provided.
11 Pop a new battery in, or use the old one if it is still ok.
12 Replace the battery cover
That’s it! Try it out and check that it works
Well done, you did it.
Any questions? Just comment below and we’ll try and help.
https://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Blade-and-pin-1-min.jpg9991500Steve Bulleymenthttps://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Edited-logo-NEW.jpgSteve Bulleyment2018-11-13 11:15:422019-01-30 21:13:22Help How do I Fix my Broken Astra Key ?
Firstly, if you been broken into and tools stolen, then we’re sorry to hear this. It’s a real problem for any Ford Custom owner at the moment, and tools go missing in seconds. That aside, if you notice your Ford Custom door lock is damaged, you really need to get it sorted out.
Ford Custom Door Lock Damage
The lock should look like this. The key-way runs vertically.
Whereas in these two photos, you can clearly see how the lock has been twisted.
Once you look around, it’s shocking how many owners are buying these vans with locks already damaged. Thieves have got so good at breaking in there’s not alot of obvious damage to the Ford Custom door lock.
How come it’s twisted so easily?
When you look at the design of the standard Ford lock, it’s no wonder that they are so easy to twist open.
The plunger is used to keep the door lock in the correct orientation. However, thieves worked out within weeks of the release that the Ford Custom door lock was easy to break.
The other lock in the photo is a high security lock and the plunger is made from steel and screwed in place to stop the the lock being twisted.
Do I need to change my Ford Custom door lock?
Yes. If your lock has been attacked, you’re vulnerable from another easy break-in and your key will probably won’t work anymore in the lock.
Imagine in the winter when the battery goes flat on the van, you’ll need a door lock that works, otherwise you’ll be locked out of the van! If the battery is flat on the van, then it won’t open off the key!
You must sort it out to prevent these problems ruining your day.
Changing the Ford Custom Door Lock
Before these locks are attacked, they are very simple to change.
1. Remove the door card.
2. Remove the ‘C’ Clip that keeps the door lock in place
3. Turn the lock 90 degrees so the lock plunger can be pressed in.
4. Once the plunger is pressed in, twist the lock in the opposite direction and pull it out of the door.
It can be quite fiddly to push the plunger in!
Changing the Ford door lock when it’s damaged
This can be tricky.
The problem you have is the the back of the lock has been damaged. On top of this, the lock body may be mis-shapen and this causes two problem
1 The lock cannot be turned to the correct position, so that the plunger can be pressed in. The key may turn in the door, but because the Ford Custom door lock is damaged.
It’s like the lock turns in fresh air!
2 The plunger is broken, as well as the lock body, which means it cannot be pushed in.
3 The lock body it stuck and won’t come out of the van.
When this happens, there’s no simple answer. It’s simply a case of trying to force the lock to turn. It will help if you can remove any part of the lock that’s broken.
Or it may be a case of chopping the face of the lock off to remove and replace the door latch. This is when it gets an expensive repair.
Should I get a high security lock?
Yes. The standard Ford Custom door lock is a joke, whereas the replacement locks are now good quality and don’t require the lock to be modified. This may be important if it’s a hire van.
If your door lock is twisted, sort it out before it becomes a major problem for you.
https://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/180425-033-ZF-0177-18004-1-003.jpg6661000Steve Bulleymenthttps://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Edited-logo-NEW.jpgSteve Bulleyment2018-11-05 05:28:372018-11-07 07:14:38Ford Custom Door Lock is Damaged-What next?
‘I heard a noise, thank goodness, if I’d been on the grass, it would be lost for good’
Sound familiar?
There’s a new problem that’s starting to feed through into our everyday cars. It leaves us stranded, even with a car key!
Every week we get emails from frustrated readers and hear about the problem they have with a wobbly or broken car key blade. So, we wanted to warn you about the most troublesome keys to watch out for, and what can be done about it.
But before that, why are car key blades just dropping out of keys? Let’s have a look at how they’re held into the main button part of the key.
Car Key Blade Fitting – How most Car Keys are Made
The blade has a groove in it, which is held in key using a small roll pin
A hole is needed in the key blade holder, so the pin can be inserted and removed. This is a problem.
The hole is to blame. I’ve never blamed a hole before, but this is the problem for sure. There simply isn’t enough metal all around the hole, to keep it from cracking.
Or, the blade holder cracks, which opens up the slot where the blade should sit tight
Then, when it cracks, it opens up slightly, and the pin drops out
‘ting’
you hear the blade drop to the floor, hopefully.
Flip keys are cool
A Flip key is cool, but trouble.
We all like a flip key. Let’s face it, you press a button, the blade flicks out and we feel like we’re James Bond with this special gadget. In fact, it’s got so popular, that they sell kits to change a normal ‘boring’ key into a flip key.
We don’t recommend this click here to find out why.
The real problem with a car key blade that flicks out, is that they’re not made strong enough. Our customers complain it’s deliberate, that the dealers planned it, so they must buy a new key!
Before we name and shame the worst offenders, this will help.
Top Car Key Blade Tip
If it’s looking wobbly, or is already broken, keep the blade safe. Your bill and your pain will be much higher if you lose the blade. So, keep it safe. Don’t lose it, please.
Let’s have a look at the worst car key blade problems, and what can be done about them.
The Top 3 Broken Car Key Blades
Troublesome Car Key Blade Problems – Top Award – Vauxhall
Vauxhall Astra J, Insignia, Mokka, Corsa E, they’re all the same. If your car key looks like this, you need to keep an eye on the car key blade
The hole cracks and then the hinge fractures as we’ve shown. We fix about three a week, plus the ones we fix by post. So, it’s a big problem and getting worse as these cars become mainstream.
The good news is you can fix your own Vauxhall key, with a little help from us. Oh look! a handy video
This is a good repair and should give your key a few more years of life. We don’t think the repair cases last quite as long as the original. They have the same problem with cracked holes. However, it will solve your problem cheaply, and is a good fix.
Troublesome Car Key Blade Problems- Second Place – Kia and Hyundai
Oh my, there must be so many owners Hyundai and Kia owners with a broken car key blade problems. Our video has nearly 400,000 views and is our most popular ‘How To’ lesson we have on-line.
Again, the hole cracks, the pin drops out and the blade is lost.
Now this repair is a bit trickier, but we’ve tried to explain it in much more detail here. Our advice is go slowly. Be like a mouse, nibble, and nibble and remove the plastic about the chip without being in a rush. If you don’t feel up to it, we can fix it by post.
It helps of course if you have a spare key, the pressure is right off. Take your time, melt the plastic around the chip until it pops out.
Good luck with this repair, and here’s that most viewed, in over 200 countries!
Car Key Blade Third Place Award – VW, Seat, Skoda and Audi
This is a real surprise, simply because VW started the whole flip key thing and they used to be amazingly strong. In fact, we’ve seen the original keys last fifteen years, without any problems.
Alas, those days have gone. In 2010, (a bad year for car keys), the design of the key changed. Blades drop like leaves in Autumn, especially once the ignition locks and housing become stiff. This is another bad problem, for you.
So now we have VW, Seat, Skoda and Audi keys with a car key blade problem. The worst thing is that they changed the design of the key in 2014, and the new keys are even worse! The new style of key is causing quite a drama, with some customers having them replaced under warranty.
This is the most difficult key to fix out of the three, simply because when you open the key, here’s a chance the chip will break. That’s bad, you’ll be stranded. Have a read to get more of an idea whether you should attempt this.
When we fix these by post, we always wait for a quiet time before fixing them, so we can concentrate. So, take care with your key.
Car Key Blade News- Is it getting better?
There are now more cars getting made with proximity, or Keyless keys. So, with these keys, there isn’t a car key blade to cause problems, or an ignition to break.
There are new problems with these keys, and we cover them here. In the meantime, we don’t think anyone is sitting down and planning an ultra-strong car key. So, we believe the problem is here to stay.
Watch out for news from us, but more importantly, keep an eye out for your car key blade!
https://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/broken-kia.jpg391623Steve Bulleymenthttps://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Edited-logo-NEW.jpgSteve Bulleyment2018-11-01 10:46:162018-11-07 22:32:18Broken Car Key Blade
It’s ‘Tech Tuesday’ , when we publish our weekly technical guide. This week we’re looking at problems with ‘Keyless cars’. If you have your Hyundai ix35 long enough, there’s a chance you’ll be locked out with Keyless Car Key problems.
Lets talk about why this might happen.
There are a few reasons why you may find yourself locked out with Keyless Car Key problems, so lets have a look.
Flat Battery on the Car leaves you Locked out with Keyless Car Key
Remember the olden days when the ice was thick on the windscreen? A chorus of cars struggling to start would fill the neighbourhood. This doesn’t happen these days. The cars won’t turnover once the battery drops to a certain level, they just sit and won’t even crank.
However there are still plenty of cars with flat batteries, leaving owners locked out with Keyless Car Key problems.
In normal use, the car detects you walking up to the car, then unlocks automatically.
However, if the car battery is dead, it won’t unlock. The car is asleep, deaf to you and your keyless car key.
So when this happens, you’ll need to know how to unlock the car using the emergency key blade.
Flat Keyless Car Key Battery
This is obvious, but it needs thinking about.
You get a warning on your dashboard when the key battery is low. We know everyone is busy and you may not have time to get it changed. Did you know you can do it yourself?
However, if you leave it too long before you change the key battery, you’ll be locked out with keyless car key drama, so you’ll need to know how to use the emergency key blade. Click here for instructions on how to use the blade.
Faulty Keyless Car Key
So you may be to blame for a low battery ( don’t be too hard on yourself) but you can’t help it when the key goes wrong. This still leaves you locked out with Keyless Car Key.
Faulty car keys are leading to owners getting locked with keyless car key problems. When the key stops giving off the special keyless signal, then the car won’t recognise it.
This could be because of several reasons such as the key being dropped and damaged, or getting wet. Water and electronics don’t mix well. Here’s advice if the key gets wet.
Opening the Car with the Emergency Blade
When you find yourself locked out with Keyless Car Key, you need to remove the emergency key blade from the remote. Just press the small silver button.
Next, pull the blade away from the remote
Place the blade into the door lock
Then turn to the rear of the car, anti-clockwise.
Then the door will open, don’t worry if there is a bit of noise from the alarm!
You can still start the car if you have these problems, just click here for our guide
We hope this has been helpful
https://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ix35-unlock-blade-2-min.jpg10001500Steve Bulleymenthttps://thecarkeyman.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Edited-logo-NEW.jpgSteve Bulleyment2018-10-29 11:43:322018-10-28 08:42:23Hyundai ix35 Locked out with Keyless Car Key
Based on The Renault Master, If you have a Movano Key, you have one of the best van keys on the market. They just got it right. No folding flips, or tiny little buttons.
The key comes in two parts. The remote has two buttons, open and close, or occasionally three buttons on some models. The extra button allows the load area to be unlocked independently.
The rubber buttons do wear through on the Movano key, but the switches underneath are big and strong and so can withstand the rough handling. Even when the electronic switches are damaged, they can be replaced easily.
Spare Keys
You’ll find a big difference between the price of a key from the dealer and if you buy one from an independent. The dealers charge over £240 for a spare Movano Key, however, we think this is excessive. Expect to pay £120 – £140 for a new, two button remote key from an independent Auto Locksmith or key cutting shop. This gains five stars.
They’re just really good quality. Hard wearing and robust, even when they look a bit tired. Again, the Movano Key earns five stars.
This type of wear and tear can easily be repaired, to save you needing a new key.
There’s lots of equipment on the market now that will code you a Movano key without any need for the security code. It’s a bit embarrassing that the dealers still need the code to be honest. So again nice and easy and five stars.
There have been a few problems getting hold of these genuine keys. This has led to some delays when doing spare keys or lost. We keep a good supply in because we don’t want to use the aftermarket version which are much poorer quality. Any decent Auto Locksmith will keep a Movano key in stock, so there shouldn’t be any delay.
Lost Keys
Lots of good news for you here. The locks can be decoded and give us the key number so we can cut a key. As we’ve already mentioned, a good Auto-Locksmith will not need codes.
However, if for some reason you do need a dealer code, the good news is that unlike Ford, the records kept by Vauxhall are very good. They key the key number and immobiliser code for every Vauxhall Movano key in a central database and is issued as a ‘Car Pass’.
To obtain the car pass there are a few hoops to jump through. You’ll need the logbook, a utility bill, and some photo identification. It all needs to be in the same name and address.
Then once this is done, you may have to wait up to three days.
Like we said, try to avoid this if you can.
The car pass will cost around £30 depending on what the dealer charges in your area. Although this seems to be a pain, at least they are available, with a Ford van, then it it’s a different story.
Losing your Vauxhall Movano key shouldn’t be stressful. A good Auto Locksmith will be very happy to get your phone call. How do you find a good Auto Locksmith?
As a guide price, you should expect to pay £180-£240 for someone to replace a lost Vauxhall Movano key. The price range is this large depending on location and competition. If you’re waiting for more than a day, you need to find a different Auto-Locksmith instead of the dealer.
Welcome to another look at the problems with keyless cars, especially those by Ford. Today we’re looking at the Ford C-Max ‘No Key Detected’ message.
We’re going to assume you’re inside the car. If you’re not, take a look at our article on how to unlock your keyless Ford, with the emergency key blade.
You’ll get the C-Max ‘no key detected’ message after you’ve pressed the button on the dash.
This just means that the car isn’t seeing your key for some reason. It could be because the key battery has finally given up, in which case click here. (It’s very easy to change these batteries yourself, if you have a steady hand and know what to do.)
Or maybe the key, or car is faulty, however the main this is getting the car started so you can take it somewhere and get it looked at.
Thankfully, Ford have built in an emergency start procedure, so you can use the car even with a C-Max ‘no key detected’ message.
All you need is the emergency key blade from inside the key.
7 steps to overcome Ford C-Max ‘No Key Detected
1. Find the Keyless emergency start position. There are five different places on Ford cars. The 2014 Ford C-Max uses the most common position.
2. Use the key blade in the access hole and Gently prise away the cover.
3. Offer the ‘fat’ end of the key to the slot.
4. Push the key into the slot.
5. Put your foot on the clutch as usual, then press the button.
6. The Ford C-Max no key detected message should disappear and the car should start as usual. Now you’re up and running.
You can use this method every time you get the Ford C-Max ‘no key detected’ message. In fact, we see some cars the that re used daily with the key in the slot. However usually the key just needs a key battery. This will take care of your C-Max ‘no key detected’ message.
If you have the message but your emergency start position is missing, take a look at our handy Ford Emergency Keyless start guide
We hope this is useful. Please leave any questions you have below and look out for other articles looking at Keyless start issues.
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Losing your Vauxhall Movano key shouldn’t be stressful. A good Auto Locksmith will be very happy to get your phone call. 
