No one is safe from damage or loss of the alarm key fob. If you don't have a spare key fob, you'll have to buy a new one. There is no need to buy a whole system kit. Most likely, you can find a keychain that suits you at retail. Whether it is possible to replace the car alarm key fob yourself is a controversial issue. However, you need to try anyway. Let's start by choosing the keychain that suits us.
Keychain
The most common reasons for replacement
The most common reason for the need to replace a key fob is the breakdown of the old one. It can fail for several reasons, these include:
Dead battery. This is the most common reason for inoperability. Signs that your battery is about to run out include dimming backlighting and a lot of effort that you have to make when pressing the buttons. Replace the battery to resume normal operation. Make sure that the new element has the same characteristics (size, operating voltage).
Moisture entering the housing. Water is a good electrical conductor, therefore, when it gets on contacts and microcircuits, it leads to short circuits.
Physical damage. If you are careless, you may drop the keychain. At a minimum, if it falls, its body will be scratched or cracked. Scratches spoil the beautiful appearance of the device, and cracks increase the chance of water getting inside. And in the worst case, one or another element in it may fall off, immediately depriving it of its functionality.
In some cases, repairs or replacement of spare parts will help you get by with “little loss.” But most often it is more profitable to choose a new keychain.
Important! To protect the remote control as much as possible from physical influences, we recommend using special covers. They exist for almost all models of security systems. Can be made of leather, rubber or silicone. The case will not only protect, but also decorate the keychain.
Leakage of electrolyte from the battery. This can happen if you use low-quality batteries. Leaking electrolyte disrupts the functioning of electrical circuits inside the housing. If you do not immediately wash it off with alcohol (aggressive solvents can harm the board, it is better not to use them), then it will lead to oxides and corrosion on the contacts.
You should check whether the key fob has become untied from the system . Sometimes, strong radio interference can lead to a permanent loss of communication between the remote control and the car alarm. Signs of such a combination of circumstances will be that the key fob appears to be fully functional and working, but the car does not react to it in any way.
Another reason is the loss of the key fob . In this case, it is better not to use the car alarm, even with an additional key fob, until you remove the lost key fob from the system memory. Otherwise, the person who finds it missing may gain access to your car and steal your property from it.
In order to clear the system memory, you must perform the key fob binding procedure.
Video: DIY repair of the Starline key fob
The AlanMorfreeman channel in its video showed in detail the process of resoldering the contact elements on the communicator to control the Starline alarm system.
Do you have any questions? Specialists and readers of the AUTODVIG website will help you ask a question
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What to do if your key fob is lost or broken?
Despite the loss of the key fob, you still need to get into the car. But how to do this if there is simply nothing to remove the car from the alarm system?
Firstly, do not forget that each system has an additional key fob. It has a limited list of capabilities, but you can open and close doors, as well as disable and enable security.
If for some reason you do not have a second key fob, then we will consider several ways to disable the alarm.
Physical shutdown
Use your car keys to open the car. However, by doing this, your car's alarm will go off.
If the alarm is simple and has no interlocks, then you can quickly de-energize it by removing the fuse from the unit's power harness. But for such an action you need to know where the fuse or alarm unit is located. Otherwise, you may waste a lot of time searching for them.
Important! During the shutdown procedure, the vehicle's siren will blare continuously. Please take this into account when choosing when and where to work. At late hours, the squeak of the siren may disturb your sleeping neighbors.
But if your system has an engine blocking function, then cutting off the power will only complicate the situation. The protective algorithm will work and block your engine. And in this case, you cannot avoid calling a tow truck and visiting a service center. After these steps you will have to restore the wires.
Attention! Under no circumstances do we recommend biting or cutting wires. This will not only lead to additional work to restore the electrical wiring, but can also lead to a fire due to a short circuit between the cut exposed wire and the car body.
Emergency shutdown
The essence of this method is to disable the security by pressing (a series of presses) the secret VALET button. The procedure algorithm as a whole looks like this:
- open the car with the key;
- sit in the driver's seat;
- turn on the ignition;
- Click on the Jack button a certain number of times.
Each alarm model has features in performing this work. Read more about this in the manufacturer's operating instructions.
It is also important to know the location of the Jack key. Due to the fact that this button can turn off the car alarm, it is located in a secret place out of sight, which only the owner of the car knows about.
If for some reason you were not told where the installers placed it, or you bought the car secondhand with an alarm already installed, then you will need to find it.
Important! When buying a used car, be sure to ask the previous owner where Valet is located.
This button is most often installed in the dashboard area of the car. Popular locations are:
- fuse box;
- glove box;
- next to the dashboard;
- under the steering column;
- in the area of the pedal assembly.
If you cannot find the button, you can track it via a wire from the control unit. The unit itself can also be found by following the wire from the LED indicator, which is always visible and is most often located on the driver's pillar of the windshield.
Also, using this button you can disarm the car once. This is also described in more detail in your instructions.
Coded shutdown
This method is very similar to emergency unlocking. It means entering a PIN code consisting of two, three or four digits. Similar to the emergency one, each model has its own algorithm nuances. But the general procedure looks like this:
- turn the key into the ignition;
- press the Jack key several times, equivalent to the first digit in the code (if the first number is 3, then press three times);
- turn off the ignition;
- turn it on;
- enter the second digit in the same way.
And so on, depending on the length of the code. After completing the procedures, the indicator LED will signal that the alarm is turned off.
Reprogramming Basics
The main reason for the remote control not working is the battery or accumulator installed inside the structure. If the device cannot open car doors when buttons are pressed, and no icon or icon can light up on the display, this may mean that the device needs to be repaired and restored. In practice, replacing the battery in the alarm key fob solves the problem. To replace the battery on the car alarm key fob, you need to unscrew the bolts securing the back cover and simply remove it, and then replace the element.
Valet button for alarm control
As for how to program the alarm key fob so as not to encounter the problem of button failure and repair in the future, first of all the alarm must be configured in Valet Mode.
This mode allows you to:
- Assign new functions to the buttons of car anti-theft systems.
- Turn off the alarm in emergency mode.
- Connect new remote controls.
The Valet button is located inside the car; its location depends on where it was installed during installation of the alarm. To open this operating mode, you will need to enter a special code, which was initially programmed to protect the vehicle in the event of the signaling being turned off. The code itself must be indicated in the instructions for the anti-theft installation, so the service book should never be left in the car. Remember that the settings in each individual signal are different (the author of the video is Mikhail Autoinstructor).
For example, you need to know how many remote controls can be programmed. And if you try to enter the code on an extra remote control, then this combination will simply be erased from the original key fob. The procedure for programming the remote control and buttons is not complicated, but if you have never encountered it before, then it is better to entrust this matter to specialists.
As for the repair itself, qualified specialists can also repair the device. At home, repairs can be carried out by disassembling the remote control housing and dismantling the circuit. Typically, buttons stick as a result of dust or moisture getting on them. In this case, the repair will consist of cleaning and drying the board.
How to change the key fob?
After you have turned off the alarm, you need to replace the remote control. This is both a simple and at the same time difficult task. The simplicity of how to replace a key fob is that only one specific key fob model is suitable for a specific alarm model. Not counting systems from the same model range, which differ slightly. You can find out the exact name of the model from the instructions, or from the information located on the control unit housing.
And difficulties may arise with finding a new key fob for an outdated alarm model that has been discontinued. Especially if the alarm was not popular. You can try to buy the desired keychain used. But it is not a fact that it will be in good working order. And sometimes purchasing a new system will be more profitable than buying a rare key fob.
labavto.com
If the anti-theft system control panel is lost, the car owner is faced with a new problem. Some car enthusiasts see the solution to the problem only in buying a new alarm system, others are trying to choose only a key fob for their system. Read more about how car alarm key fobs are programmed and how to choose the right remote control.
Compatibility of key fobs with alarm systems of different brands
With the simplest alarm systems (those that only have the function of opening/closing the car), you can “make friends” with universal key fobs. You can purchase them online, for example in the AliExpress online store. But such alarms are rarely preferred, since they have almost no benefit other than remote control of the central locking.
If you could not find a key fob specifically for your model (duplicate), then some manufacturers have provided compatibility of key fobs from different models. These models include:
- Alligator;
- Pantera (Panther);
- S. (APS);
- Cenmax (Cenmax);
- Mongoose (Mongoose).
The compatibility level can be divided into three levels:
Full - this is when all the functions of the car alarm are prescribed, the appearance of the key fobs is identical to the key fob from the kit, the only difference can be in the color of the case.
Partial - the car alarm is armed/disarmed, but additional functions can be partially programmed; the appearance of the key fob, the number, shape, location, and color of the buttons most likely differ from the key fob included in the kit.
Incompatible key fobs are either not interchangeable at all, it is impossible to program them, or they will work with errors.
You can view the compatibility tables at this link: https://startgsm.ru/materials/tablitsy-sovmestimosti-brelkov-avtosignalizatsii/
Select the brand you are interested in and open the table. It contains a list of models and also notes compatibility. Green indicates complete, yellow indicates partial, and red indicates incompatibility.
As you can see, most models cannot be combined, but there is still a chance that you will get lucky and find a compatible remote control.
Valta search plan
Along the entire perimeter of the cabin, we are exclusively interested in three zones where the ill-fated button may be located.
- Zone No. 1 - under the steering column. Don't be shy, in addition to visual inspection, try to feel it.
- Zone No. 2 - behind the ashtray or center console pocket. It’s better not to work too much with your hands here, limit yourself to your eyes.
- Zone No. 3 - under the glove compartment. Look and touch)!
If you don’t find Valet in these areas, look behind the fuse flap; the button may be located there too. The most important thing is don’t be nervous! I know that when we tie up, the alarm beeps every now and then, it’s terribly infuriating, but to achieve success you need to maintain composure!
How to reinstall a new key fob?
After successfully selecting and purchasing a suitable key fob, you need to register it in the car alarm memory. For this you will also need a Jack. You can carefully read the instructions for this procedure in the instructions.
Attention! You need to register all your key fobs at the same time! During programming, all old remote control IDs are deleted. That is, if you do not link the old additional one at the same time as the new one, you will no longer be able to use it!
If we describe the procedure briefly, it will look like this:
- sit in the driver's seat;
- turn on the ignition;
- go to service mode;
- enter programming mode;
- to save a new key fob into the memory, press the door close button on it;
- a beep will confirm success;
- repeat for other keychains.
Up to four key fobs can be registered in the alarm memory at the same time. Each action must be performed no later than 5 seconds after the previous one, otherwise the system will exit the mode and you will need to start all over again. The detailed algorithm is described in the instructions. If the documents from the alarm are lost, then find it on the Internet.
If you doubt your actions, it is better to use the services of a specialized service center. An error in the registration process can lead not only to loss of time, but also to damage to the car alarm.
Design and principle of operation
As always, before moving on to practice, it will be useful to learn a little theory; believe me, in practice it often helps out. So, the standard alarm device looks something like this:
- Main unit;
- Transceiver antenna;
- Keychain;
- Shock sensor;
- Led indicator;
- Service button.
Previously, such systems worked on the principle of a static code, that is, there was one constant code that the key fob exchanged with the transmitter antenna. Naturally, it was too vulnerable, so after a while, experts introduced dynamic code. Of course, you can hack it, but it is much more difficult to do.
