Electronic car key fobs are convenient, but when they stop working, you might be left in a panic. Thankfully, a locksmith in Montgomeryville County, PA can create a new electronic car key fob for you, or replace the battery on your working model. But how can you tell if your electronic key needs to be repaired or replaced all-together? If you’ve found that your electronic car key is no longer working, take these three steps.

• Make sure it’s the remote. This might sound very basic, but before you spend your time and money calling a locksmith for a new electronic key, make sure it’s the key that’s actually your problem. If you have a spare electronic key, see if it unlocks your door. If it does, you know for sure that your key is the problem. If the door remains locked, the problem likely lies with the hinge or locks on your car itself.

• Check your battery. The first thing you can likely assume if your electronic key is definitely the problem is that a dead battery is the most likely culprit. Most car key remotes use simple cell batteries that you can replace yourself. Replacing the battery is significantly less expensive than paying for a new key, so it’s worth the investment to give another battery a shot before calling for a whole new electronic car key copy in Yardley. To find out what battery your remote uses, pop it open with a screwdriver and search for the number on the battery. Most newer models will take CR2025 or CR2032 batteries, but some older models will require CR1620 or CR1632 batteries.

• Call the pros. If swapping out the battery does not fix your remote, there is likely internal damage to the key that will need to be reprogrammed or replaced by a professional. Electronic car keys go through a large amount of wear and tear, so it’s not uncommon for fobs to stop working after being kicked around a bit too much.

If you need a new electronic car key, make a call to Mike’s Lock Shop at 215-495-0133. We’ll get you back on the road in no time!