How to Unlock and Start a Car with a Dead Key Fob

Total time: 10 minutes

1. Replace the batteries

    

   

   Inside the key fob, there are batteries for it to function properly. Because it’s often quite difficult to get into a car with a dead key fob, you really want to consider replacing the batteries first. Many don’t know that it’s often not as difficult as it seems to replace them. You just need to remove a simple cover from many key fobs to replace them, and you can often buy them at any supermarket or gas station. Consult a repair manual for your car model if you don’t know how or find information online. You can also try holding your car key very close to the car door when trying to unlock it – to try to get a small signal, which might be enough to unlock the car.
   However, if you’re stranded far from home, replacing your old batteries with new ones might be problematic, and in that case, you should continue with this guide.

2. Remove Key from the Key Fob

   

   Even if it doesn’t look like it, most car key fobs actually have a key inside, which you can use to open the doors or even start the car. This key is often removed by pressing a small button with something small. Sometimes, this key is located inside the key fob, meaning you have to disassemble it. Try to find information about this in your repair manual or online to do it for your car model. Once you’ve found the key, you can continue with this guide.

3. Remove Door Handle Cover

    

    

   

   A secret thing you might not have known about your car is that it actually has a door lock behind the door handle cover. This doesn’t apply to all car models, but if you don’t find a key lock on the driver’s door, there’s a good chance you have one behind the cover. It’s often located on the driver’s door, and you can often remove it using a screwdriver or the car key, but be careful not to damage the cover or the paint. If you’ve found the key inside your key fob and found a key lock behind the cover, it’s now easy to access your car. If you don’t find a lock behind the cover, it’s time to move on to the next step.

4. Remotely Open the Vehicle

   

   Another secret thing is that you can access your car remotely on many modern car models. Have you installed an app for your car? Then it’s often quite simple, and you can often unlock it from that. If you haven’t, you can often call your authorized dealer, and they will send someone who can unlock it remotely. You often need your secret code for this, which is probably not something you carry around, unfortunately. Call your authorized dealer and ask what they can do in your case.

5. Remove Ignition Lock Cover

   

   Once you’ve unlocked your car and gotten inside, you might wonder how you can start the car now when the key fob is dead? The same applies here as with the door handle – your car often has a hidden cover where you’ll find an ignition lock behind. Now that you have access to your car, you can easily find it in your maintenance manual. You can also try holding the key close to the ignition lock or key start button to try to get a small signal for a slight chance of starting. If you’ve managed to start your car, it’s time to head to the nearest place where you can replace the key fob batteries.

6. Call for Help

   

   If you’ve tried everything in this guide, but nothing has worked, it’s definitely time to call for help. Call a towing company, which can assist you, or you can try to find the emergency service number for your car model. In most cases, they will quickly send help to get you into the car or to tow your car to the nearest workshop.