VZ key issue

[dcrou7]

Hi guys and girls. Today my key buttons randomly stopped working when I went to lock my car after getting home from work, I'm guessing battery? But the key isnt 2 years old as I got a new key when I got the car and up until now it has been working flawlessly like it would unlock 10m away every time but when I went to lock it today... nothing? The car still unlocks with key and starts fine. I have found if I hold the key against the windscreen above the dash the buttons will work but any further away... Nothing! Am I just up for a new key or could it be something more sinister?

Thanks!

 

[99notout]

Yep, battery. Do you leave your keys in your pocket with coins and stuff? I have found that the buttons get pressed over and over and the battery dies quicker than usual that way.

 

[dcrou7]

Hi, thanks for the response. I actually went out again about half an hour ago (about 4 hours after It stopped working) and Its working again?? I locked and unlocked probably 10 times and up to 10m away just to make sure and seems to be working fine? Any idea on what could have caused it to stop working like that? And I don't usually have my keys in my pocket I have them clipped to my belt but they do get a lot of use at least 6 to 10 times a day.

 

[diysv6]

The rubber gaskets above the push buttons in the remote key fobs don't have very small cracks in them, and your car keys are getting moisture and dust into them from the workplace environment, high humidity, condensation, rain etc. ?
The batteries in the fobs are not replaceable I'm told, but could there be any corrosion issues?

Good luck under the dash, but is there a loose connector on the remote receiver device at the base of the windscreen?

Maybe a scan tool/Tech2 would throw some light on the issue?

 

[exanVZ]

I've owned 2 VZs over the last 5 years and had random key issues with both, every now and then. Just last week I went to lunch, locked it, came back out and couldn't open it, walked all around the car pressing it, and didn't open at all. Then went to the boot and pressed the boot release and that worked, then pressed the doors and that worked too, so I think sometimes it can just get out of sync with the rolling code or however it works. It's been fine again since.

I also got new key heads programmed for my old VZ and on a few occasions, couldn't use them to open the car at all, but my old key heads (with no blade) worked fine.
The door was screwdrivered on that car so I was never able to use the key to just open the car and start it.

Not sure if this helps, but sounds like a similar issue to what you had.

 

[A9L]

Ive had mine go odd once or twice, even one that was two weeks old. Sometimes even parking under/close to things that generate a large electromagnetic field or pulse can throw them off. When that happens I just go home and get my Flux Capacitor to neutralise it.