How to change the battery in the key remote?

[VYMAD]

I've had my VY keys open a couple of times to adjust the slip key fob, and place foil under the electrical contacts as per the How-to on a VS key. Glues back together ok, but yeh, like Wortus said, it is noticable around the edges. Also to replce the buttons with the $10 EBAY ones doesn't require taking the key apart.
If battery eventually fails, I'll try and replace it before forking out big dosh.... Stingy Scottish Bugger!!!!!

 

[Calaber]

I've had my VY keys open a couple of times to adjust the slip key fob, and place foil under the electrical contacts as per the How-to on a VS key. Glues back together ok, but yeh, like Wortus said, it is noticable around the edges. Also to replce the buttons with the $10 EBAY ones doesn't require taking the key apart.
If battery eventually fails, I'll try and replace it before forking out big dosh.... Stingy Scottish Bugger!!!!!

I don't think that's being stingy - to me, it's common sense to seek a cheaper but practical alternative and I would do the same as you. Holden are generally pretty good with replacement parts but their attitude to the key heads is ordinary. If Mr. Minute sells them at little more than half the price, then they are grossly overpriced from Holden, because you would have to expect that Mr. Minute gets their key heads from the same supplier - or are they cheap Chinese copies?

 

[colgf]

If you are carefull & can get the key head apart by prising it open along the seam with a sharp stanley knife , the battery soldered tab can be cut off at the battery end with small tinsnips or sidecutters but leave the tab in place on the circuit board , buy new battery from Dick Smith , chemist(hearing aid type battery), orLeading edge,the battery part number is on the old battery, place in the key , bend the tab over the battery again & you can solder it onto the battery with a small soldering iron, seal the 2 halves back together with a thin bead of silastic, hey presto , cost about $3.95 for the new battery. The key code is NOT lost when you remove the key battery, it is a permanent code( ROM). The BCM is what gets reprogrammed to any NEW key because every key has a different code.

 

[vy_storm]

bend the tab over the battery again & you can solder it onto the battery with a small soldering iron

Just a note here to the in-experienced. Batteries are not meant to be soldered. Due to their chemistry and construction they tend to heat up and explode when soldered, so any advice taken on a public forum should be countered with an "at your own risk" label. Batteries in production facilities are usually always spot welded, which results in a short burst of heat and minimal damage.

Re-soldering tabs into a PCB is less risky, but the time taken to solder each joint should not be excessive as the heat will still transfer to the battery.

 

[wortus]

Just a note here to the in-experienced. Batteries are not meant to be soldered. Due to their chemistry and construction they tend to heat up and explode when soldered, so any advice taken on a public forum should be countered with an "at your own risk" label. Batteries in production facilities are usually always spot welded, which results in a short burst of heat and minimal damage.

Re-soldering tabs into a PCB is less risky, but the time taken to solder each joint should not be excessive as the heat will still transfer to the battery.

It would probably need extra flux as well to get the solder to stick properly however you can and should get the proper battery from Jay Car which already has the connections spot welded to it. Simply desolder the battery connections on the PCB, remove the battery and resolder in the new one using a proper soldering iron for the job.

 

[Calaber]

Given the advice in the immediately preceding two or three posts, surely it's worth having a go at replacing the battery rather than the whole key head? As I said earlier, the dead key head isn't worth a bumper anyway with a dead battery, so what's to lose?

 

[wortus]

Given the advice in the immediately preceding two or three posts, surely it's worth having a go at replacing the battery rather than the whole key head? As I said earlier, the dead key head isn't worth a bumper anyway with a dead battery, so what's to lose?

Exactly. I have 2 keys and when one dies I will have a go at replacing the battery in the first instance and if the buttons are broken get an aftermarket case off e-bay.

 

[fatty1]

Well I do have an interesting story for you all.
My battery went flat in my key so I decided to open it and replace the battery, low and behold the key then refused to work. However after driving around using my spare key for a week with my repaired key in the console I decided to try my repaired key and it worked fine and has worked fine ever since??? No reprogramming required
VY series 2 2004

 

[VYHDT]

Well I do have an interesting story for you all.
My battery went flat in my key so I decided to open it and replace the battery, low and behold the key then refused to work. However after driving around using my spare key for a week with my repaired key in the console I decided to try my repaired key and it worked fine and has worked fine ever since??? No reprogramming required
VY series 2 2004

thats whats supposed to happen, open it with spare key start it with new battery key.. car learns new key.. job done...

 

[calaiscruise]

my poor old VY key remote is getting tatty, the buttons have just started to crack, and i think the battery is probably near the end..... so I plan to disassemble it, to replace the battery and buttons.

What's the best way to "crack" open the shell causing the least damage?
many years ago I came across an old broken VY remote key shell, and levered it open but made quite a mess
I seem to remember a thin 1mm circle rubber seal inside the edge, that would be easily damaged on opening?

And what are people's experiences of these "replacement buttons" that you can buy on Ebay for a few dollars?

Or has anyone bought one of those Chevrolet/Pontiac shells (for the exports to USA/middle East etc) and re-housed their VY remote circuitboard into it.... that would be cool :surprise: