The remote control for my VY Commodore recently started losing a lot of range. I’ve had this before with a VS and knew the batteries could be changed, so decided to show you how it’s done.
Tools Required
- Car key
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Some kind of desoldering tool – either solder wick or a solder sucker are easiest to come by
- A new battery – you’re after a horizontally-mounted CR2032 with solder tags. I bought mine from Retro Sales for $1.80
- A selection of flat blade screwdrivers – a couple of jewellers ones and a couple of medium sized ones
- Philips #1 driver
- Wire cutters
- Super glue
Method
- Unscrew the two Philips screws holding the key blade in place
- Use a thin screwdriver to start to prise apart the two halves of the key fob. Take care that you don’t damage the fob too much, and that the screwdriver doesn’t slip and either cut your hand or slip inside and damage the electronics.
- Once you’ve got it slightly apart, get another person to slide a thin screwdriver into the gap between the two halves to hold it open. You can then start working a larger screwdriver into that gap to open it further.
- Slide a larger screwdriver into the gap when you can, and then slowly slide this around the fob until the two halves are separated.
- Unclip the pin attached to the front of the key fob.
- Slide the rubber gasket off the end of the electrical contact and remove the circuit board.
- Desolder the two battery contacts and remove the battery.
- Install the new battery, noting the polarity. The negative terminal is at the edge of the board.
- Push the rubber gasket back into place.
- Run a thin line of super glue on the key fob just inside the gasket and press together firmly. If necessary, clamp the key fob together and apply further super glue from the outside.
- Test!
