locksmith port kennedy

Car Key Shell and Battery Replacement

Car key buttons not working, blade snapped off, key taped up, I think we’ve seen it all!  Many of our customers aren’t aware of shell key replacements, in fact many are quite surprised when we ask them a few questions and determine that we can just replace the outer shell and they are even happier with the price!  Replacement key shells are almost half the price of a complete new key and about 75% of our new customers aren’t aware that this is even an option until they call us for a quote.

We’ve seen so many keys taped up and the tape has ended up jamming their ignitions, we’ve had keys where the tape is so thick, we’ve had to cut through layers and layers of tape just to open the key.  We’ve seen keys that have had very worn buttons to the point that the customer needs something sharp to press the tiny button head and we’ve even had a customer use their key as a bottle opener, which bent the key blade.  In most cases these customer were afraid of the price, as car keys are known for not being ‘cheap’ and were pleasantly surprised with the product and price.

Not all car keys can be re-shelled though, most proximity or key-less entry keys do not have replacement shell options and in these instances a whole new key is required.  In some of the older vehicles where an aftermarket immobiliser system has been fitted, these fobs or remotes can not be replaced or re-shelled, these types of aftermarket systems require an auto electrician to either supply a new remote or fob or sometimes if the system is too old, it would need a full replacement.  Another car key that can not be re-shelled, nor batteries replaced is the Holden Commodore keys that came out in the early 2000’s.  Unfortunately, due to the way these keys are made and put together, the whole key has to be replaced and these keys are becoming very rare, making them costly.

If you’re sitting, reading this article, looking at your key, but not sure if you’d require a replacement key shell or a complete new key, ask yourself these questions:

  1.  Are the buttons on the remote still working, to lock and unlock the car?
  2. Does the boot button work?
  3. Does the key still start the car?

If you answered “YES” to these questions, great!  This means that it’s most likely that we can just replace the outer shell on the car key.  If you answered “NO” and the outer shell is so far gone and one or all of the buttons aren’t working anymore, a complete new key is required.  WE try to encourage our customers to get the shells replaced before this happens. If you find that all of the buttons have stopped working completely, all at the same time, sometimes it is just a battery replacement. *

Have you changed the battery recently?  If your remote has randomly stopped working, we suggest a battery replacement first.  We recommend that you take it to a locksmith shop or places like Battery World to get a replacement battery.  Ensure to use a good quality, Japanese cell battery, especially in the key-less entry or proximity car keys.

We hope this article has provided you with some new knowledge about car keys, getting a replacement key shell or replacing batteries.  It doesn’t cost anything to get an over the phone quote, so send us a message through our website or give us a call and we will be able to let you know a price and availability.

*Note: If attempting to replace a car key battery yourself, please ensure you keep all parts together and avoid the microchip and circuit boards dropping out.  Keep all parts away from children and dispose of old batteries correctly, not in general waste bins.

Article Credit: Altitude Locksmiths.  Image Credits: Altitude Locksmiths and Canva.