If the fob is your only one and the car won't start, you're stranded until it's replaced.
A Summer Storm, a Flooded Lot and a Fob That Went Under
Storm calls follow a pattern around here, and this is a typical one, written up the way our technician remembers it.
The front desk supervisor at a hotel off Westheimer finished his shift a little after six in the evening, right as one of those summer storms opened up. The employee lot behind the building sits low. By the time he reached his car, the water was over his shoes. He was juggling an umbrella, a lunch bag and his phone when the fob slipped out of his hand and landed in the water next to the front tire. He fished it out in a second or two. It was already too late.
The buttons did nothing. The hidden blade got him into the car, which was something. But the car didn't see the fob at all, even held right against the start button, which is the usual trick for a weak battery. He tried a fresh battery from the hotel gift shop. Nothing. The dealer's service department was closed until morning, and his only spare was at his sister's place in Katy.
He called us from the driver's seat. The dispatcher asked where exactly the car was, how deep the water was now, the year, make and model, and whether he had the registration. He did.
The technician got there in uniform, his ID clipped to his shirt. The water had drained to a puddle. He checked the supervisor's license against the registration, then split the old fob case with a pick. Green corrosion across the circuit board. Not worth trying to save.
He matched the part number on the old board to the new smart key in his van, then hooked his programmer to the OBD port. The snag: the car's own battery was weak, probably from the doors standing open while the supervisor tried everything, and programming needs steady voltage. He clipped on a jump pack to hold the voltage up, then programmed the new fob, deleted the drowned one, and cut the emergency blade on his code cutter.
The car started on the first push. The technician's advice was short: in storm season, keep the fob in a zip bag in your pocket, and keep the spare somewhere closer than Katy.
Replacing a Car Key Fob, Step by Step
Check the Easy Things First
A dead fob is not always a broken fob. Replace the coin battery, making sure it faces the right way. Try holding the fob against the start button or in the backup slot, since many cars read the chip even when the battery is dead. If the car starts that way, you may only need a battery or a re-sync through key fob programming.
Broken Key Fob Repair or Replacement
Cracked cases, worn buttons and a loose battery door are often repairable. A key fob shell replacement moves the circuit board and chip into a new case, and the car never knows the difference. If the board itself is cracked, water-damaged or corroded, the fob needs replacing.
Smart Key Fob Replacement for Push-to-Start Cars
The new fob must match the frequency and part number for your exact vehicle. Many fobs look identical across model years and still won't work. We read the old fob or the car before we start, and we cut the emergency blade that slides out of the fob, because you'll need it the day the battery dies.
Lost Key Fob Replacement
If the fob is gone rather than broken, we program a new one and delete the missing one from the car's memory where the system allows. If it was your only key and the car is locked, that's an all-keys-lost job; see lost car key replacement.
Fobs Bought Online
They can work. They can also be used fobs already locked to another car, or the right shape with the wrong chip. If you've bought one, tell the dispatcher the part number on the back or inside the case, and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth trying.
Turn-Key Remotes and Flip Keys
Older cars with a separate remote and key, or a remote-head key, are handled the same way. The blade is cut, the chip programmed, and the buttons paired. For a spare of a working key, see car key replacement.
The ID Check Before Programming
We check a photo ID against the registration or title before programming anything to the car.
Keeping Fobs Alive in Houston
Change fob batteries every year or so, before summer. Keep fobs out of hot cupholders and dashboards. And keep two working fobs, always.
Getting to You, Rain or Shine
Give the dispatcher your address in the Galleria, and the work is arranged at that door. Weather is a real factor here. Heavy rain floods low spots along Richmond Avenue and Westpark Drive and slows the West Loop to a crawl. Holiday shopping traffic does the same around the mall.
Technicians Who Know Fobs Inside Out
Our technicians come in uniform with photo ID. They inspect the fob and the car before recommending anything, and if a shell swap will do, they'll say so instead of selling you a new fob. They carry professional programming equipment, jump packs for weak car batteries, and a wide stock of fobs. Every new fob is tested for start, lock, unlock, trunk and range.
We're licensed and insured, and our customers have given Fast Locksmith 24/7 a 5-star Google rating.
Key Fob Replacement Around the Galleria
Fob calls in the Galleria come with their own local flavor, and they look different from what we see in the suburbs. Hotel and restaurant staff park in tight back lots that drain slowly. Residents of the high-rises off San Felipe and Post Oak keep cars in hot garage decks that cook fob batteries. And shoppers drop fobs between the mall, the ice rink and the parking garages often enough that lost-fob calls run all year. Summer storm season, roughly May through September, is when the water-damaged ones pile up.
Look at the fob before you give up on it. A cracked shell or a loose button can often be fixed by moving the board into a new case. Show the technician the fob, and he will tell you whether the electronics are still good.
Know your vehicle's fob type. Some use a flip key, some a smart key with a proximity chip, and some a simple remote. The year and model decide which, and a photo of the back with the part number settles it.
Keep the emergency blade handy. Most smart fobs hide a small metal key inside. Learn where it is and which door it opens, because it opens the car when the fob battery is dead.
Water and heat are hard on fobs. Pool days, summer dashboards and a pocket in a rainstorm are the usual causes of failures in Houston. A silicone cover and a habit of keeping the fob out of the sun add years to its life. If the fob is a flip key, check the hinge pin as well, since a loose pin lets the blade wobble and wears the contacts.
After a replacement we test every button: lock, unlock, trunk, panic and remote start where the car has it.
We also replace key fobs in Memorial, River Oaks and Uptown.
Estimated Technician Arrival Time
Arrival times vary depending on your location and technician availability.
Actual arrival time may vary depending on your exact location, traffic conditions, time of day, current demand, and technician availability.
Providing your exact vehicle location when calling allows us to give you a more accurate estimated arrival time.