Disintgrating key fobs

[AreWeThereYet]

I have the standard 2 key fobs for my VF Calais. On both key fobs, the rubber buttons are falling apart, i.e. the rubber is tearing and separating from the fob. Has anyone else noticed this? It is not as if either my wife or I are stabbing the buttons with sharp finger nails. In fact I rarely use the buttons at all, as most actions can be done using buttons on the car itself - door lock/unlock, open boot. The key fob just stays in my pocket most of the time.

I puchased replacement shells on eBay. It turns out the Chinese made shells have slightly different dimensions around the flip key axle, so you can't successfully swap your key blade over, necessitating the new blade to be key cut to match at your expense. I sent the eBay purchased shells back.

Doe anyone have any good ideas re replacing/repairing the rubber on the fob buttons?

 

[stooge]

I have the standard 2 key fobs for my VF Calais. On both key fobs, the rubber buttons are falling apart, i.e. the rubber is tearing and separating from the fob. Has anyone else noticed this? It is not as if either my wife or I are stabbing the buttons with sharp finger nails. In fact I rarely use the buttons at all, as most actions can be done using buttons on the car itself - door lock/unlock, open boot. The key fob just stays in my pocket most of the time.

I puchased replacement shells on eBay. It turns out the Chinese made shells have slightly different dimensions around the flip key axle, so you can't successfully swap your key blade over, necessitating the new blade to be key cut to match at your expense. I sent the eBay purchased shells back.

Doe anyone have any good ideas re replacing/repairing the rubber on the fob buttons?

yes it is pretty common for them to fall apart with regular use.

the chinese shells will fit the oem blade if you dremel out a few spots around where the key slides.
the buttons are a part of the top of the shell so they cant be replaced without replacing the shell so all you can really do is find an oem shell or a chinese one and hack it up.

VF Flip Key Shell Replacement

I have two of the standard 5 button flip keys for my VF (non proximity, not keyless start) which both have been replaced once under warranty. The car is now out of warranty, and one of them is falling apart (seriously, can they not design a key that stays together?). Holden wanted $455 to...

forums.justcommodores.com.au

 

[VS 5.0]

I got shells for my VE keys from Supercheap and they fit fine.

 

[Z31na]

Map keys part number KF218. Most auto stores should be able to get in. Bought one myself. Exact fit for blade and PCB. Holden Logo fits perfectly. Even has the same writing in the key blade housings as OE. Not a fan of their whole replacement remotes. Too many customer returns - especially on Falcon and Territory ones. But I've never had to do an exchange on a bare shell like what your needing and my own KF218 is still perfectly fine after about a year.

KF218 | MAP - Mechatronics Auto Parts

maparts.com.au

 

[mpower]

I have two fobs the thing that kills them (and one of mine is like this from when i bought the car) is fingernails.

I use the second one and have had no issues with any degradation in the past 2 or 3 years since i bought it. this was obviously the spare so they are the same age, just i use one and don't jam my nails into it. I use the buttons every day, remote start.

To replace try and find genuine either here or maybe even from the states.

 

[Z31na]

Other keys stabbing the buttons don't help button longevity either.

 

[Skylarking]

I have two fobs the thing that kills them (and one of mine is like this from when i bought the car) is fingernails.

I use the second one and have had no issues with any degradation in the past 2 or 3 years since i bought it. this was obviously the spare so they are the same age, just i use one and don't jam my nails into it. I use the buttons every day, remote start.

To replace try and find genuine either here or maybe even from the states.

I also find that fingernails can help to damage the key fob rubber button cover while body heat from keeping the key fob in your pocket can also do the same.

I’ve gone through 3 key fobs over the last few COVID years… This peeves me off and grinds my gears…

Unsurprisingly, everyone has finger nails while roughly half the population keeps their key fob in their pocket. So if a key fob can’t cope with normal usage from normal people, people which have fingernails and pockets, then I’d say the product simply isn’t fit for purpose or durable from an ACL perspective.

Really, manufacturers should either design the key fob to cope with such normalities around the use case for the product they sold (hard key covers with flexible gaskets that copes with millions of presses) or they should design the key fob so it’s really easy and trivially cheap to replace only the rubber keypad cover which is known to deteriorate after a few years.

Sadly they do neither while they expect owners to pay the extortionate multiple $100’s for the privaledge of a new key fob. Suck shitfuckery of design is simple too profitable for them to do the right thing. So we should all return the favour and give the dealers and manufacturer hell over their failure to meet basic ACL durability requirements.

But sadly the masses don’t like to complain or make a fuss so they just buy another key while the dealers and manufacturers profit from their faults product. And the dealers and manufacturers all know it…

Not sure if tribunals are back to normal again. If so it may be time to make a small claims case against the vehicle seller and the manufacturer for the 3 key fobs that have failed @ their cost of $350 per key…

Unfortunately the law is fooked up and judges often never assign appropriate punishment using the principle the offender shouldn’t profit for their illegal acts… As an example, just recently some bint was charged for illegally presenting herself as a doctor and illegally providing COVID certificates (why she wasn’t charged for fraud I don’t know). She made $120k from her illegal endeavour but was spared jail and only fined $20k (maybe $25k)… with no reported no confiscation of her illicit gains. What a limp wrist punishment and an equally limp wrist deterrent for others who contemplate such shitfuckery.

Many manufacturers should hold their heads in shame… just as some judges should…
[end rant]

 

[wetwork65]

Unfortunately the law is fooked up and judges often never assign appropriate punishment using the principle the offender shouldn’t profit for their illegal acts… As an example, just recently some bint was charged for illegally presenting herself as a doctor and illegally providing COVID certificates (why she wasn’t charged for fraud I don’t know). She made $120k from her illegal endeavour but was spared jail and only fined $20k (maybe $25k)… with no reported no confiscation of her illicit gains. What a limp wrist punishment and an equally limp wrist deterrent for others who contemplate such shitfuckery.

Many manufacturers should hold their heads in shame… just as some judges should…
[end rant]

It is slightly off topic, but I saw this case too and marvelled at the lack of punishment for this serious fraud.
I wonder what other documents were signed off for profit by this "doctor" and is she still practicing.
Come to think of it, does she have a provider number? She may be able to write some scripts for me.

 

[VS 5.0]

It is slightly off topic, but I saw this case too and marvelled at the lack of punishment for this serious fraud.
I wonder what other documents were signed off for profit by this "doctor" and is she still practicing.
Come to think of it, does she have a provider number? She may be able to write some scripts for me.

She isn't a medical doctor.

 

[Skylarking]

She isn't a medical doctor.

Yeah she had a doctorate in some bullshit field… not medical at all… In her mind she was providing a medical service for which she wasn’t licensed to provide but it was of public benefit(?) so ok. In my mind that just makes the fraud even more egregious cause she should have known better…

But it’s this sort of poor punishment dished out by these soft judges that encourages businesses to chase profits at the expense of following laws of the land. They make stuff for profit that is defective by design and we buyers have to fix these defective designs at our own cost. That’s why I say ACL needs some teeth to stop such profits that these manufacturers who design such crud that fails to meet basic ACL durability requirements make. And they make these illicit profits while boasting about their environmental credentials

[edited to add text in italics]