Broken FOB KEY - PLEASE HELP!

CS- Fill in your profile since we have no clue which car you have and what kind of problem that creates. Do you have the Alarm PIN?

Read this and let us know if you have any questions.

Taz
Terry Phillips
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Fobs have batteries--Make sure it is fresh

 

It might be time to bite the bullet for new set of fobs.......you can't go thru life with only one!

It's one red and two blacks, the whole set, Taz??????

 

Terry covers it well in his document. There are also a bunch of threads on this. Basically, if you are lucky, you need to buy a set of fobs ~$500 and order the alarm PIN (if they will do it) ~$350. Then program per the document and you are good to go. BUT the car will be parked for several months until you get the PIN.

Option 2 is purchase new FOBS. Swap ECUs (hoping that it hasn't been done already) and program. If that doesn't work. Spend the money for a complete new set.

The good news is you will have a PIN and all once you get this fixed.

 

Unless you can track down a previous owner.....

One of them has the red one........

One of them has your other black one........and so on.

 

Did it get ruined or just wet? You try to dry it out and install a fresh battery?

 

are these 'dealer only' items?

Rgds,
Vincenzo

 

Yes and no. You can get used fobs but there is no way to program them. You can use an after market fob to clone an existing fob but no way to mate it with the car without cloning.

A dealer set is all matched and has a PIN. You need the old PIN to program them to the car.

If you need more detail, before we beat this horse again, why don't you search one of MANY threads on this subject. There are very long and detailed discussions.

 

OK - I had this happen once to a rental car in maui a few months ago...
I ran the key through laundry & remote died..

Take the fob apart, you may see traces of rust forming... try to clean the battery contacts with an eraser or fine sand paper- blow it out with air, you may wish to try spraying electrical contact cleaner through out if cleaning battery contacts does not do it..

I was lucky, she worked like new once I did the above..

If not, you are in a heck of a pickle without a functioning remote.. it could get expensive to resolve..

 

I think about $1K all in to flat bed it into a dealer and burst into tears...

I had to rekey one of my 308GTBs and even THAT ran into some time and money.

 

Because of the imobilizer it could be 2-3x that if they can not recover the PIN from Ferrari.

 

CLS- Use a hairdryer on the remote. Get a small phillips head screwdriver, break the fob down, take out the battery, and prop it somewhere where the dryer can blow on it continuously. This will get rid of all the trapped water. Give it a while, put in a new battery and say a prayer to Enzo for help. A dab of battery terminal spray applied with a toothpick will help maintain good contact and keep down corrosion.

With no PIN, you cannot start your car without a fob. Even if the fob starts to work, it is time to think about what to do before the next crisis arrives. You can:

Clone your fob and be happy with two operating fobs and the ability to have as many spares as you want.
Get the PIN from FNA and get a new set of three fobs and new PIN ($550-1000).
Get a new Alarm ECU with matching set of three fobs ($1500-2000).

Regardless, get a big key fob/chain so you cannot do it again. A leather cover is highly recommended in case you drop it, too.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

You may still be able to read the eprom even if the remote does not work.