You may have purchased a used car that only came with one or even no keyless entry alarm remotes and you need to replace or buy new ones.
The good thing is there are a few solutions for this problem but the bad news is that the process is going to cost you some money.
Depending on the age and availability of parts for your vehicle you can either get an OEM keychain remote or you can get an aftermarket remote that will work just like your old one.
If you simply destroyed the outside shell of your remote you can also order shells.
Lets look at the process of obtaining and programming your new keychain fob.
Who sells replacement Car Keyless Entry Remotes?
If your vehicle is under warranty then it is suggested that you ask your dealer about a free replacement. Many dealers will provide this service for free if you are a good customer and your car is relatively new. However if you damaged the remote and it looks like abuse they probably won’t cover it..
Some new vehicles come with an automatic keyless entry that operates automatically when you get near the vehicle. Normally these systems are only installed on higher dollar vehicles and for this reason you will most likely have to buy your new parts from your dealer. After market vendors most likely will not have a solution for you.
If your vehicle is outside of its warranty or you just don’t want to pay the $100 or more for a single remote then you have 3 options.
Purchase a Used remote online on an auction site from another owner who sold their car.
Purchase a Used remote from a local junkyard that is nice enough to keep a selection of remotes and label them correctly by year and model.
Purchase a new third party aftermarket remote that can provide the same signal as your manufacturer’s remote.
When you go shopping for replacements don’t be surprised that used parts are going for a high dollar and that after market parts are not a whole lot less then the manufacturers.
Higher prices may be the norm but if your vehicle is very popular and you can get an aftermarket remote you may find one for about 1/3 what the dealer charges. This would be a good deal and probably better then purchasing a used remote that may go bad on you in a short period of time.
Purchase a new Remote Shell that is just the outside case and fix your own remote
You may be able to fix your remote by installing a new battery but if it is worn pretty bad you may still want to purchase a case or shell for the remote that looks and works just like the original.
This will require that you remove and replace the battery.
It will also require that you buy and install the new shell
and
It will most likely mean that you need to reprogram your remote once it has a new battery.
Not all remotes will need to be reprogrammed because they come with individual id’s but some will. You will not know until you attempt the repair or unless you contact your local dealer and ask.
If you find that you can not program the remote yourself expect a Dealer to charge you from $60 to $100 per remote.. however if you purchase parts from them they may program the remote for free. This really depends on the dealer and your relationship with them.
Programming your Cars Alarm Remote Fob
Once you have obtained the parts that you need either a rebuild kit and battery or a used, new or aftermarket alarm remote you will need to program the remote to work with your vehicle.
Each manufacturer is different but a sample set of steps that you may need to take will be as follows.
Open the vehicle and turn the car’s ignition key to accessories.
Find the Alarm System computer and set the dip switch to allow for reprogramming.
Press the alarm remote open button until the door locks open.
Turn the dip switch back to normal.
Turn off the vehicle.
Try your new remote and your old remote if you still have an original to make sure they both operate correctly.
NOTE in many systems only 2 remotes can be programmed so if you thought you were going to buy an extra for the teen driver you may not be able to.