Car not responding to button presses on key till close.....

[vythrasher]

Hey Guys

May be simple but im not sure.

I go to get in my car last night and usually i click the unlock button on the key about 7-8 meters away (about the distance from my house to where i park my car) only this time the car does not respond to the clicks. i got all the way up to my car and still no response from the car. finally i opened the car via the doorlock, key in ignition and drove away. Today i figured out the buttons on the key will work but i must be on the drivers side facing the key almost at the drivers seat. Probably about 50cms away from the car. Seems simple...battery in key is dead..replace battery story over.

Anyway, i went and got my spare key - admittedly it probably hasnt been used in a year or so, but it behaves EXACTLY the same as the main key.

My question is -- is it likely that its the car and the alarm system or whatever it is - or do i just have 2 dead keys? and if so - how do i go about replacing the battery?

thanks guys for your help!!!

[love the general]

do you have a dashmat? it may have moved a little and covered the sensor that picks up the signal? its the black strip in the middle of the dash right up near the windscreen

[rydogz]

mate if its fully dead it will set the alarm off if you manually open the lock after remote locking it and you wont be able to start the car either.

[Dezza]

battery in your remote change it

[vythrasher]

LTG - nah mate no dashmat - never had one. Windscreen is clear and there is nothing interfering with that part of the car.
Rydogz - Yeah should have said when i opened the door with the key the alarm went off. Didnt go off till i turned the ignition.

So i take it this means that i have 2 dying keys then?

[VYMAD]

Possibly 2 dead key batteries, but the range generally becomes less as the batteries die. To go from the said eight meters or so to all of a sudden not working at all seems rather odd? Also the fact that both keys have the same symptoms is strange, even if you havn't used the spare for a long time.

[sp001in]

battery in your remote change it

The VY keys aren't designed to be opened to have the battery changed. Not saying you can't just saying they can be easily broken.

New keys fobs (even HSV or CHEV) are only $65 on ebay. make sure they are new, holden charge $30 to code it to your car.

[Dezza]

yeah happend to me i was out went to get in my car it didnt open open the door with key alarm went till i put it in ignition got home tried spare did the same thing got a new battery put in one remote worked no worries

[rydogz]

Perhaps the s is different. Mine goes of as you open the door or even the boot. And the immobiliser light just blinks at you while you sit there frustrated lol. As said above the keys are annoying to open the little screws rust and the rubber buttons are shit. gut the key into a new case.

[brokenikon]

Similar dramas, starting to wonder about bloody vy keys and their life spans. Holden gouge up here, cost at least $200 bucks for them to do it last time (dont get me started on this)
You can, well, I can, bypass the whole embarrasing alarm going off in future by physically locking the door with the key instead of pushing the remote buttons.
But the fix was simply take the keys and car to holden and get them to wave their magic wand and your fine. They had to recode the keys to my car, not sure if thats normal or, as I said earlier, they fn love gouging idiots like me that keep having to go back there.

[vy_ss]

i have a simular issue myn locks sometime and not others it just beeps the horn and not lock but will activate the alarm but will some times lock al the doors manualy but other times wont lock the other 3 doors and i have a brand new key.?.

[vythrasher]

THanks for the replies guys....well i rang local holden dealer and they want $150 for a new key. Said the head of the key is dying (how the hell that happens ive no idea!!) Theres no way im paying that for a key thats just ridiculous. Am i better off taking it to a local locksmith or say Mister Minite??