Remote keyfob unprogrammed itself

This morning, She Who Must Be Obeyed reported that her keyfob no longer worked. I figured "batteries" and swapped in a new set. No Joy. Tried swapping them with the set from my keyfob -- mine still worked, hers didn't. Ok, must be the contacts: they looked OK, but I cleaned them all up with contact cleaner anyway. Still no worky. Finally, out of desperation I dug out the programming connector and reprogrammed both keyfobs into the system. Works fine again now.

Has anyone else ever run into a random loss of programming for one keyfob only?

I have found that when a remote loses power it loses its programming as well.

I have had the battery die, and the remote in the car retained its programming, and I have switched batteries in the remote fob, and it maintained function. I do not know why yours would act up unless it has an internal issue.

Key fobs aren't programmed, cars are.

Sounds like the remote was dropped one too many times. These are available on ebay. Just be sure you look at the back and get the same P/N# as the one on the backside of your existing one.

If it stops working again, I have a couple of Buick and Oldsmobile units

Wagoninabox wrote:

Sounds like the remote was dropped one too many times.  These are available on ebay.  Just be sure you look at the back and get the same P/N# as the one on the backside of your existing one.

Yeah, I learned that one the hard way. I bought the car with only one remote. I then bought a pair on eBay that were supposedly compatible with a 91-95 RMW (among others). However, they didn't work (different year? Canada/US?). I needed FCC ID # ABO0104T.

So if anyone needs a second remote, FCC ID # ABO0303T, I have a pair of used ones. Both are typically scuffed (but the icons are completely legible) and both have a crack on the back at the cover screw. One has "Buick" embossed on the front, the other is plain. Both made by "United Technologies Automotive" (my working ones are by TRW). A $20 value (might even have been each) Free to a good home.

As for the programming, the keyfobs themselves must have some sort of programming at manufacture. Maybe a write-once memory or maybe just a difference in resistor values (like the PASS system). Perhaps the critical resistor has drifted in value or a cosmic ray flipped a bit in either the key or the module. Swapping batteries into the one remaining working remote made no difference, and I had the car battery disconnected a few months ago when I changed the AC compressor so I doubt it was a power issue at either end.

Anyway, thanks for your comments, I'll wait and see if it happens again.