Key fob not working? Start here.

How to test a key fob — the 5-minute battery check.

If your symptom matched any of the DIY-first cards above, here's the exact sequence. Most jobs end after step 5.

Push-to-start won't read the fob? Get going right now.

A dead fob battery on a push-to-start car doesn't have to strand you — almost every one has a backup built in. Three things to try, in order:

Still "key not detected" after all three? If the fob battery is good but the car still says key not detected, check your 12V car battery next — when it's low, the car can't power the receiver and it looks exactly like a fob problem. If the car battery's healthy and it still won't read, text me the year/make/model.

Key fob only works sometimes? That's a clue, not a coincidence.

Intermittent is the battery's signature move. A coin-cell doesn't die like a light switch — it fades. As it weakens, the fob's transmit range shrinks: it works at one metre but not five, works on the second press, works in the afternoon but not first thing. People chase ghosts — interference, a cell phone in the same pocket, the car "acting up" — when the cell is simply near the end of its life. (For the record: your phone isn't the culprit. It runs on a completely different frequency than your fob.) A fresh battery settles the question for ten dollars.

The Winnipeg winter twist: cold doesn't drain the battery so much as throttle it. To fire its little radio when you press a button, the fob needs the cell to deliver a brief jolt of voltage. In deep cold the chemistry slows and a half-worn cell can't push that jolt — even though a multimeter might still read close to 3 volts sitting still. That's voltage sag, and it's why a battery that behaved fine in September quits on a −30 °C morning, then "comes back" once it warms in your pocket by lunch. Looks random; it's perfectly predictable. If your fob is 2+ years old, swap the cell in the fall and skip the January surprise. My fob battery guide covers the winter-drain effect and which cell your fob takes.

Two non-battery causes of "sometimes": a cell seated loosely after a drop or a previous swap — open the fob and check the battery sits tight under its clip — and a worn button dome that needs a firm press dead-centre to register. The first is free to fix. The second means the switch is on its way out, which is a replacement-fob conversation, not a battery one.

Both key fobs stopped working? Look at the car, not the fobs.

Two fobs carry two independent batteries, bought at different times, worn at different rates. The odds of both dying the same day are close to zero — so when both quit together, the common factor is the car, and the fobs are probably fine.

The usual suspects, in the order I actually find them in Winnipeg:

1. A weak 12V vehicle battery. The most common by far — and the sneakiest, because the engine may still crank fine while the keyless receiver browns out. If the fobs got flaky around the same time the car started its slow-crank mornings, that's your answer. Test or charge the car battery before touching the fobs.
2. Recently added electronics. A new dash cam, a plug-in charger, an aftermarket remote starter — anything powered near the dash can step on the receiver. If both fobs died the week something new went in, unplug it and test again.
3. A car-side fuse or receiver fault. Rarer, but it happens. If the 12V checks out and nothing new was installed, the receiver circuit is the remaining suspect — that's a diagnose-at-the-vehicle visit.

Quick sanity check while you sort it out: the hold-the-fob-to-the-start-button trick from the section above works even when the remote side is completely dead, so you're not stranded. One make-specific note — dead-fob complaints cluster hard on certain Honda Civic years around Winnipeg; if that's your car, the Civic fob post covers that exact pattern.

If the battery didn't fix it — 4 possibilities.

Battery is fresh, still nothing. Here's what's actually happening.

"Fob not working" vs "lost all keys" — different problems.

This is the #1 confusion that costs Winnipeg drivers money. They book the wrong service, wait, get told it's the wrong job. Here's the clean line.

Pricing reality check — DIY vs locksmith vs dealer.

Open-ended starting prices for Winnipeg, July 2026. Exact number depends on year/make/model — I text it before I dispatch.

Floors include labour, pre-tax — programming a fob you own is 5% GST; if I supply the part, tax is 12%. Exact price by text before dispatch. Full pricing page →

Key fob questions I get asked a lot.

When to text me.

You've done the triage. Here's the call.

• →Battery swapped, still nothing. Text me the year/make/model and what symptom remains. Most likely a fob program job from $90+.
• →You bought a replacement fob online. Send me a photo of the fob and the original. I'll confirm it's the right part number before you waste a trip.
• →Fob is physically cracked, water-damaged, or buttons feel mushy. Time for a new one. Text me — I'll source the correct fob and program it on-site.
• →Engine won't crank, immobilizer light flashing. That's AKL, not fob programming — see the lost-keys page. Different floor ($280+, smart keys from $350+), different procedure.
• →Not sure which category you're in. Text me anyway. "Not sure — help me figure it out" is a real intake option. I'll diagnose by message before charging for a trip.