Key fob service, Leicester

Car Key Fob Repair in Leicester

Inta-Lock repairs car key fobs at your vehicle in Leicester, covering flat batteries, worn buttons, cracked cases and remotes that have stopped locking the car.

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A key fob is the remote control half of a car key, a battery, a set of button switches and a transmitter on a small circuit board inside a plastic case. Matt East opens the fob, finds the part that failed and repairs that part, so the board and the chip you already own stay in service where they are sound.

Matt is with you within the hour in Leicester, and the same day across Leicestershire. A quote is agreed before work begins.

Fault traced to one partThe fob is opened and the battery, the contacts, the switches, the board and the case are checked before any part is fitted.

Tested on your own carEach button on the repaired fob is pressed at the vehicle, with you present, before the visit ends.

Phone answered 24 hoursCalls about a key fob that has stopped working are answered every day of the year on 0116 442 2084.

Fob fault matrix

Key Fob Faults Matched to Their Repair

Eight symptoms cover the faults a car key fob shows, and each one points to a part, a repair route and the point where a new fob takes over.

What the fob does	Probable part	Repair route	When a new fob is required
The remote works only close to the car, or the range has dropped	Battery	A new coin cell of the type the fob takes is fitted and the battery contacts are cleaned	Not required for a battery fault on its own
No button does anything and the indicator light on the fob stays dark	Battery, battery contacts or circuit board	The battery and the contacts are dealt with first, then the board is inspected	Where the board is cracked through or corroded
One button has failed and the others still work	The switch under that button, or the rubber pad over it	The worn pad or the failed switch is replaced and every button is tested	Where the board beneath the switch is damaged
The case is cracked, the button rubber is torn or the key ring loop has snapped	Case	The board, the transponder chip and the blade are moved into a new case	Not required while the board and the chip are sound
The flip blade wobbles, sticks or does not spring out	Flip mechanism in the case	The case and its flip mechanism are renewed and the blade is refitted	Not required while the electronics are sound
The fob has been through water, rain or a wash cycle	Circuit board	The battery is taken out and the board is inspected for corrosion, cleaned and tested	Where corrosion has eaten into the board
The remote stopped after a battery change, or after the battery of the car went flat	The synchronisation between the remote and the car	The remote is synchronised or coded to the vehicle again	Not required, because the fob itself is sound
The buttons lock and unlock the car and the engine does not start	Transponder chip, or the immobiliser of the car	The chip is tested first, and a fault on the vehicle side moves to immobiliser diagnosis	Where the chip is dead or missing from the case

The matrix narrows the fault before the fob is opened. The part named in the second column is confirmed by inspection at the vehicle.

Fob or car

Signs That Separate Fob Faults From Car Faults

A remote that does nothing is a fault in the key fob or a fault in the car that listens for it, and a few plain observations place it on one side.

Signs the fault sits in the fob

The spare key locks, unlocks and starts the car as normal
The indicator light on the fob stays dark or glows dimly
One button has failed while the rest still work
The case is cracked, damp inside or worn through at a button

Signs the fault sits in the car

Both keys stop working on the same day
The indicator light on the fob flashes and the car ignores it
The remote locks some doors and leaves others unlocked
The battery of the car is flat or has recently been disconnected

The first list is key fob repair. The second list is a fault in the receiver, the locking system or the battery of the vehicle, and opening the fob does not cure it. Say which signs match when you call.

What is inside

The Five Parts Inside a Car Key Fob

Five parts make up a car key fob, and each one fails in its own way.

BatteryA coin cell powers the remote buttons. As it runs down the range of the remote shortens, and then the buttons stop altogether.

Button pad and switchesA rubber pad sits over small switches soldered to the board. The pad tears and the switches wear, usually under the button that is pressed the most.

Circuit boardThe board carries the transmitter that sends the lock and unlock signal. Water, a hard drop and a leaking battery are the usual causes of board damage.

Transponder chipThe chip is what the immobiliser reads before the engine starts. On a bladed key it takes its power from the vehicle and not from the fob battery, and in some cases it sits loose in the case as a separate part.

Case and bladeThe case holds everything in place and keeps water out. On a flip key it also carries the spring mechanism that folds the blade away.

The separate chip is why a case swapped at home sometimes leaves a remote that locks the doors and an engine that does not start. The chip stayed behind in the old case.

After the repair

When a Repaired Fob Is Coded Again

A battery, a case or a button repair leaves the coding of the key fob untouched, because the board and the chip that hold its identity stay in the key.

A remote that has lost its synchronisation with the car is different. The fob is sound and the vehicle has stopped recognising it, so the remote is synchronised to the car again as part of the repair, by the procedure that vehicle uses.

Where the board or the chip is beyond repair and a new part goes into the fob, that part is programmed to the vehicle before the remote and the engine start work again, which is the job set out under car key programming.

How it works

How a Key Fob Repair Visit Runs

Six steps take a faulty key fob from the first call to a tested remote.

Call Matt on 0116 442 2084 with the make, model, year and registration, and say what the fob does and what it has stopped doing. A quote is agreed before work begins.
Matt arrives at the vehicle, at home, at work or at the roadside. Identity and authority to request the work are checked, and what applies is confirmed on the call.
The fob is tried on the car, along with the spare key where there is one, to place the fault in the fob or in the vehicle.
The fob is opened and the battery, the contacts, the switches, the board and the case are inspected in turn.
The failed part is repaired or replaced, and the remote is synchronised or coded to the vehicle where the repair calls for it.
Every button is tested on the car with you present, along with the start function of the key.

A key fob repaired and tested beside your car in Leicester.

Call Matt on 0116 442 2084

What it costs

What Sets the Quote for a Fob Repair

Three things set the quote for a key fob repair, and the figure for your own fob is agreed before work begins.

The part that failed. A battery is the smallest repair. A case or a button pad is a parts swap, and a fault on the circuit board is the largest of the repairs.
The type of fob. A remote key with a fixed blade, a flip key and a proximity fob are built differently, and the parts that fit one do not fit another.
Whether coding follows. A repair that keeps the board and the chip ends when the buttons are tested. A repair that fits a new board or chip adds the programming of that part.

No price list is published. Describe the symptom on the call and the quote is given for that fob and that vehicle.

Matt East, the auto locksmith behind Inta-Lock in Leicester

Who does the work

Matt East Repairs Each Key Fob Himself

Matt East handles and attends key fob repair work himself, so the locksmith who hears the symptom on the phone is the one who opens the fob. Matt has trained as a locksmith since 2011 and has worked on automotive keys since 2019, with more than 1,000 jobs behind him.

For key fob work Matt uses Autel and Xhorse equipment. Garages and dealers have referred key work to him since 2021.

SERMI Accredited
NCFE Qualified
NNAL Member
Enhanced DBS Checked
Insured to £5 Million

Reviews

A Google Review of a Failed Car Key

The Leicester listing of Inta-Lock carries 4.9 out of 5 from 51 Google reviews. The review quoted here describes a car key that stopped working.

Car key stopped working and within an hour I had someone with me. Matt was incredibly knowledgeable and professional. He works very quickly and explained everything as he went.
Evan Fleet, Google review

View all Google reviews

      EXCELLENT  
   Based on 51 reviews 
    
 
 
 
   
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Logan Max 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Inta-lock Auto Locksmith in Leicester did a fantastic job with my Audi keys. The service was professional and efficient, and they sorted me out with a new key quickly. Competitive pricing and friendly service. Highly recommend them.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Ian Wright 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Swiftly gave a quote, Turned up when he said. Replaced lock swiftly and had card payment organised. Very satisfied with work and efficient and polite service.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Alan Johnson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Needed a spare key for our Mini - Matt’s response to our enquiry was very quick, concise and included all the information we needed. Matt was available to come to our house to do the work very quickly, arrived on time and carried it all out as agreed with no issues. Great customer service
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Prakash Gurung 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. This guy swearing
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Santini Basra 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matt was great, came and sorted out our issue very fast, was very friendly and really flexible. Would def work with him again.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Abidur Masum 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Quick and Efficient. Highly recommend.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Rachel Telfer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Matt looked after us brilliantly. A very efficient service, highly recommend.
  
 
  
  
 
     Verified by Trustindex  Trustindex verified badge is the Universal Symbol of Trust. Only the greatest companies can get the verified badge who has a review score above 4.5, based on customer reviews over the past 12 months. Read more

Where we work

Leicester Areas Covered for Key Fob Repair

Key fob repair is a mobile service, carried out beside the car the fob belongs to. That matters because a repaired remote is only proven when it locks, unlocks and starts that vehicle.

Matt is with you within the hour in Leicester, and the same day across Leicestershire. The phone is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Leicester Areas

View All Areas We Cover

Know the difference

Key Fob Repair Beside Its Neighbouring Services

Four neighbouring situations look like a key fob fault from the outside, and each one ends in a different service.

Repairing a Fob Compared With Replacing It

Comparison. Both end with a remote that locks, unlocks and starts the car, and both are carried out at the vehicle.

Differences. A repair keeps the fob you own and renews the part that failed. A replacement supplies a new key, cut and coded to the car from the start.

Similarities. Both begin with the same inspection of the battery, the buttons, the board and the chip, and both are quoted before work begins.

Effects. A repair that reuses the board and the chip buys fewer new parts than a new fob. Where the board or the chip is beyond repair, the job moves to replacement car keys.

A Fob Fault Beside an Immobiliser Fault

A fob fault and an immobiliser fault both leave a driver pressing a key that does nothing, and they sit on opposite sides of the same signal. The fob sends, and the car receives and decides.

The spare key is the plainest test. A spare that works puts the fault in the first fob. A spare that fails in the same way puts the fault in the vehicle, and that work belongs to immobiliser diagnostics rather than to a key fob repair.

A Failed Remote Beside a Snapped Blade

A key fob has an electronic half and a mechanical half. Fob repair deals with the electronic half, the battery, the buttons and the board, along with the case that holds them.

A blade that has snapped is a mechanical fault, and where part of it is left in a lock or in the ignition, the first job is broken car key extraction. The remote half of that key often survives and is reused once a new blade is cut.

Mobile Fob Repair Compared With Postal Repair

Comparison. Both open the fob, find the failed part and return a working remote.

Differences. A postal repair receives the fob without the car, so the remote is tested on a bench and the key is away from its owner while it travels. A mobile repair happens beside the car, and the fob stays in sight.

Similarities. Both rely on the same parts, a battery, a case, a button pad or a switch, and both depend on a board that is still sound.

Effects. A driver with one key keeps the use of the car during a mobile repair, and the remote is proven on the vehicle it belongs to, on a driveway in Rushey Mead as readily as on a street in the city.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the car still start when the fob battery is flat?

A bladed transponder key still starts the car with a flat fob battery, because the transponder chip takes its power from the vehicle and not from the battery.

The remote buttons stop and the blade still turns the door lock. A proximity fob with a flat battery follows the backup start procedure in the handbook of the vehicle.

Does a key fob lose its coding when the battery is changed?

Most key fobs keep their coding through a battery change, and some systems ask for the remote to be synchronised to the car again afterwards.

The coding is held on the board and the chip and not in the battery. Where a remote stays silent after a battery change, synchronising it again is part of the repair.

Why has my key fob stopped working after a new battery?

A fob that fails after a new battery usually has the cell fitted the wrong way up, a cell of the wrong type, a bent battery contact or a lost synchronisation with the car.

Where those four are ruled out, the fault sits on the circuit board and the battery was never the cause.

Is a water damaged key fob repairable?

A water damaged key fob is repairable where the circuit board has not corroded through, and that is established by opening the fob and inspecting the board.

Take the battery out as soon as the fob gets wet and leave the buttons alone, because a powered wet board corrodes faster than a board with no battery.

Which battery does a car key fob take?

A car key fob takes a coin cell, and the type is printed on the cell already fitted, with CR2032 and CR2025 as familiar examples.

The two differ in thickness, so the cell printed inside your own fob is the one to match.

Why have both of my key fobs stopped working together?

Two key fobs that stop together point to the car and not to the fobs, because two separate batteries and two separate boards rarely fail on the same day.

The fault is then in the receiver, the locking system or the battery of the vehicle, and it is diagnosed on the vehicle side.

Is a key fob repaired at the vehicle on the same visit?

A key fob is repaired at the vehicle on the same visit where the part it requires is carried in the van, and that is confirmed on the call.

Give the make, model and year and describe the fob, and Matt says on the phone whether the battery, the case or the button pad for it is to hand.

Tell Matt what the key fob does and what it has stopped doing, and the repair starts there.

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