Key blade on keyfob (key fob) won't flip out

MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
(Sorry if this is covered elsewhere - hard to search for short words like key and fob.)

The metal key part of my key has been a little temperamental in the last few days, being a bit reluctant to flip in and out. I ignored it, and so now, of course, it is stuck in the closed position. Any ideas on how to coax it out? The chrome button seems not to press all the way down, to release the key to swing out.

I have tried fiddling with it and wiggling it (steady, now) but nothing comes out (quiet at the back!).

I thought maybe the inside bit of the button had got misaligned in its slot, but I can't get a blade into the gap to try to push it into place.

Supposedly there were disassembly instruction at the location below, but the link seems to be dead.
http://www.klangford.com/Klangford/My_Mods/Pages/Key_Disassembly.html

I do have a spare key, but I put that away so very safely that it will take me all day to find it.

I also have a cheap Chinese key fob copy that I was thinking of using one day. Maybe this is the time. Are there also instructions on how to move the chip over to the new case?
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,730
Remove battery
Heat with a heatgun or in a low oven
Remove badge
Undo screw underneath badge
Disassemble
Do NOT lose the RFID chip which looks like a glass grain of sand. Your car will NOT start without this. (You seem to be aware of this)
Sometimes they are lose already, in which case no issues. Otherwise Dremel, or, apparently soak it in acetone.
Fix
Re-assembly etc etc

BTW the Chinese fobs are 'unlikely' to be entirely compatible.

C
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
CatmanV2 said:
Remove battery
Heat with a heatgun or in a low oven
Remove badge
Undo screw underneath badge
Disassemble
Do NOT lose the RFID chip which looks like a glass grain of sand. Your car will NOT start without this. (You seem to be aware of this)
Sometimes they are lose already, in which case no issues. Otherwise Dremel, or, apparently soak it in acetone.
Fix
Re-assembly etc etc

BTW the Chinese fobs are 'unlikely' to be entirely compatible.

C
Click to expand...

Thanks, very useful. Although you cant remove the battery when the key is (stuck) shut. I guess I will just have to heat it and see if the battery explodes......
 
CatmanV2

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,730
MarkMas said:
Thanks, very useful. Although you cant remove the battery when the key is (stuck) shut. I guess I will just have to heat it and see if the battery explodes......
Click to expand...

Yes, good point. You might be able to get the badge off carefully without heat, but the glue is quite strong....

C
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
CatmanV2 said:
.... the glue is quite strong....
Click to expand...

It is odd that the fob itself is made of a flimsy, crumbly blue substance not unlike cheese, but the badge is made of some sort of indestructible titanium alloy and the glue is some special NASA-developed substance intended for gluing together Saturn V rockets. If I was ever totally immolated in a big crash, all that would be left would be a pile of ash, plus the keyfob badge with a blob of glue on the back.
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
Assuming the Chinese copy is a faithful copy, then this is the internal mechanism (of the fake), where pushing down the button (which has a spring inside that cleverly does both the resistance to the pushing and the flipping out action) pushes a couple of lugs away from some flanges on the plastic case. I think the button on mine has got misaligned (or the metal lugs have) so that they won't push down out of the way.

60569

I'm going to try to violently disassemble the fob (if it is not already on fire).

(Have found spare key in box labelled 'spare Maserati key')
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
OK, well I fixed it. Had to get violent with the kryptonite badge, drilling a small hole, inserting a screw and applying plier-pressure. I suppose I can stick on my nice Chinese badge now...

Then dismantled and shook out lots of little bits of blue cheese that were presumably jamming the mechanism. All works fine now, but gap at **** end of the key fob, where it is, vitally, attached to the key ring, is even worse than before. Any ideas there, apart from just filling it with glue and clamping for a bit?

60575
 
Wanderer

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
If we could find someone with a 3D printer and a dismantled original condition fob is it possible?
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
Wanderer said:
If we could find someone with a 3D printer and a dismantled original condition fob is it possible?
Click to expand...

You can buy copies of the shells for about £10 on ebay, but supposedly the quality is not good. Or what are probably real used fobs for about £100.
The problems are:
  • is the copy good enough (so maybe we could do better)
  • how to gouge out the security chip from the old fob without damaging it
  • cutting the new metal key blank if the old metal key does not fit the new shell for some reason
  • reprogramming
 
Wanderer

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
MarkMas said:
You can buy copies of the shells for about £10 on ebay, but supposedly the quality is not good. Or what are probably real used fobs for about £100.
The problems are:
  • is the copy good enough (so maybe we could do better)
  • how to gouge out the security chip from the old fob without damaging it
  • cutting the new metal key blank if the old metal key does not fit the new shell for some reason
  • reprogramming
Click to expand...
I was thinking just the plastic shells, the key and guts you can reuse. My current key is mangled at the end where the key ring goes, and and the spare key was permanently 'erect' and plastered in black mastic or something to keep it together. I got a $10 Chinese set of shells for that, and whilst it's ok, the battery holder is flimsy and the keyring metal clip is prone to just falling out.
 
E

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,486
Same thing started happening to mine. I've put celotape around it to stop me closing the blade. You know you'll be in the middle of nowhere when it decides that it doesn't want to play ball!
Eb
 
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,899
Ebenezer said:
Same thing started happening to mine. I've put celotape around it to stop me closing the blade. You know you'll be in the middle of nowhere when it decides that it doesn't want to play ball!
Eb
Click to expand...

Well that is a very half-baked solution when all you have to do is give the dealer £400. :)
 
Wanderer

Wanderer

Member
Messages
5,791
To give back some respect to the standard key, I, slightly under the influence but by no means paralytic, fell into the Royal Canal a few weeks back, went completely under. Avec clef. It wouldn't work the doors or alarm for days after but seems to have dried out and functions perfectly now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.