A Downpour on Richmond Avenue and a Fob That Went for a Swim
Houston rain is hard on fobs. Here's a typical example from an office lot in Westchase.
Around five in the afternoon, one of those summer storms opened up over west Houston. A woman left her office in a building on Richmond Avenue and ran for her car in the surface lot. The lot was already flooding at the low end, water over the curbs. Halfway across, her fob slipped from her hand and landed in a puddle deep enough to cover it. She fished it out and pressed the unlock button. Nothing. She pressed it again. Nothing.
She used the emergency blade to open the door and got in, soaked. Her car was push-button start. She held the fob against the start button. It started. So the chip still worked. The buttons didn't. She drove home to her apartment off Wilcrest and called us that evening.
The dispatcher asked straight questions. Did the car start? Yes. Did the buttons do anything at all? No. Was there a spare? Yes, but it hadn't been used in a year. He told her to take the battery out of the wet fob and leave it open to dry overnight. He booked a technician for the next morning and drying and reprogramming if needed. About, he'd call.
The technician got there in uniform and held up his ID. He checked her license against the registration. He opened the fob. There was still a little moisture and some early corrosion on the battery contacts. He cleaned the contacts, dried the board, fitted a fresh battery and tested the transmitter with a frequency tester. Weak, but there. The fob had also lost its sync with the car. He connected his programmer to the OBD port and re-paired it. Lock, unlock, hatch. All worked.
He then tested the spare. Its battery was nearly flat. He replaced it and confirmed it was still paired. No new fob needed. His advice: if a fob gets wet, battery out. And test your spare twice a year.
Fob Programming, Straight Answers
Battery First, Always
Most fobs that stop working need a new coin cell. Swap it before calling. If nothing changes, the remote needs programming or the fob needs replacing.
Dead Buttons After a Swap
If your key fob stopped working after battery change, the remote may have lost its pairing. Some cars need the remote re-synced after a battery swap. Try locking and unlocking next to the car a few times. If that doesn't work, it needs programming. Check that the new battery went in the right way up, too. It happens more than people admit.
The Car Can't See the Key
A "smart key not detected" warning means a weak battery or an unrecognized fob. Hold the fob against the start button. If the car starts, change the battery. If not, call. Phones, laptops and other fobs in the same bag can sometimes interfere, so try it with the fob alone.
Wet Fobs
Take the battery out. Open the case. Let it dry for a day. Don't use a hair dryer on high heat; it can warp the case and damage the board. A bowl of dry rice doesn't do much, but open air for a day does. Many wet fobs recover. Some need their contacts cleaned or a new board.
Car Remote Programming for Separate Remotes
Older cars often have a separate remote. Car remote programming for these uses a different procedure from the key chip. We handle both, and we can add a second remote for another driver at the same visit.
Spares Are Easier While One Works
Do it when a new driver joins the household or a fob starts acting up. Some cars need every existing fob present to add a new one, so bring them all.
Online Fobs
Send us the part number before buying. Many online fobs are the wrong frequency or locked to another vehicle. Used fobs from auction sites are a particular gamble, because many can never be reprogrammed to a second car.
Erasing Old Fobs
A lost or stolen fob should be erased. On most cars, all fobs are cleared and the ones you have are added back.
When the Car Is the Problem
Sometimes the receiver or antenna in the car fails, not the fob. We test both. If the car is the problem, we'll explain what's wrong and whether it's a job for us or for a mechanic.
What We Need From You
Photo ID and title, registration or insurance in your name. Every fob you want kept, including the spare from the kitchen drawer. A fob that isn't there during programming may stop working afterward.
Storm Season Habits
Keep fobs in a zipped pocket or bag when it's raining. Don't leave them in the cup holder of a car with an open window. Test the spare at the start of hurricane season, and if you might need to leave home in a hurry, know where both fobs are.
Coming To You Across Westchase
Across Westchase, the work happens where you are: at the curb, the door or the lot. In Westchase, Richmond and Westchase Drive fill when the towers let out. The Beltway feeders back up at rush hour. Planned visits are booked when it suits you.
The Simple Fix Comes First
A uniformed technician carrying company ID does the work. They test before replacing, try the simple fix first, and only recommend a new fob when the old one is truly done. They'll also show you how to open your fob and change the battery. Every fob is tested on all its buttons and the ignition before they leave.
Fast Locksmith 24/7 is licensed and insured, with a 5-star rating on Google.
Key Fob Programming Around Westchase
Fob calls in Westchase come from office workers in the towers on Richmond, Westchase Drive and Briarpark, apartment residents along Wilcrest and Briar Forest, families in Walnut Bend and Ashford Forest, and anyone caught in a storm in a flooding lot. Key fob programming in Westchase is usually done in well under an hour. If you're searching to program key fob near me, call first: the dispatcher can often tell you whether a battery will fix it.
Key fob programming is the step that makes a new or old fob talk to the car. If your fob stopped working after a battery swap, a jump start or a long time sitting, it may need a reset rather than a replacement.
Tell us the make, model and year, and whether the car starts with a button or a key. Some programming is done in the car with a tool, and some needs more.
If you ordered a fob online, send us a photo first. Some are made for another market and can't be programmed here.
Plan to be with the car. We need it for a stretch of the work, and a spot where the door opens fully makes it easier than a tight deck space.
Bring every fob. If we program several at once, none get dropped from the car's memory.
We test each button before we finish, including the trunk release and the remote start.
If you are not sure whether your fob needs programming or a new battery, say so. We check the battery first, because it is the simplest cause and the least work.
We also program fobs in the Energy Corridor, Memorial City and Bellaire. For a fob that's lost or broken, see key fob replacement, and for a key that won't start the car, see car key programming.
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.