key fob battery change now not working

[Take-A-Seat]

Hello there, I'm new to the forum.

There have been a few threads on this topic, but none have been in regards to triple function key fobs. So I hope I've done the right thing starting a new thread.

Changed the battery in the key fob the other day, mine's the one with the boot unlock function on too, for a '59 plate Ibiza 1.2, now the car won't unlock/lock with button press, have to open it manually but only drivers door will unlock, I can't even use the central locking button on dash until key is in ignition and turned to pos 2.

In fact, if I remember right I didn't even take the battery out, I just split open the flip out key and prised apart the battery compartment to check what battery type for my vdub key, and upon returning to unlock car, nada. Did something fall out? I even popped into Halfwits and had the lad there change the battery just in case, his solution was to leave it for a couple of minutes and let it reset. The light on the fob flashes when the button is pressed so the battery is working.

What did I do wrong? Tried all sorts of re-synching methods found on here and utube, but none work! There's nothing in the manual except contact technical dept. I can't believe a simple battery change is going to cost me a trip to Seat.

I've not had any unlock/locking problems before this event.

Any help would appreciated, thank you.

 

[RUM4MO]

Sorry, not a very useful posting from me but, I'd expect when you used the key in the driver's door lock to unlock the car, that the other door(s) and hatch would have unlocked.

Which leads me to ask you this, did everything work okay prior to you opening up your key fob - or more to the point, why did you open up the keyfob to check for battery type?

I am suggesting that something has failed and you started trying to solve it at the easiest place which is the key fob battery.

BTW, I would expect that if you did not get the key into the ignition lock quick enough, that the alarm would have been activated.

I have only ever used the key to unlock daughter's late 2009 Ibiza SC when the car battery has been discharged too much to operate the central locking.(so only the driver's door would unlock)

 

[Take-A-Seat]

Thank you for your reply.

Everything worked fine before opening fob. As said above I opened it up to check the battery size and type for similar fob on my vw Sharan. That's what's extremely annoying about the whole thing coz there was nothing wrong with the fob or the central locking before checking battery. I had tried to call my missus since she had the battery number for the vdub fob but there was no reply, so thinking nothing of opening the seat key I tried it to check which number, which I now know is cr2032! How could something so simple cause this to happen?

And strange too that only the drivers door opens with manual unlocking.

 

[frenchy]

The key has lost its sync with the car. If you have tried all the usuall methods I would suggest taking it to seat and they will resync the key for you, they can do it by the diagnostic computer. I used to work at a main dealer and on the odd occasion it was impossible to sync it by the owner and had to be done by the computer.

 

[RUM4MO]

Thank you for your reply.

Everything worked fine before opening fob. As said above I opened it up to check the battery size and type for similar fob on my vw Sharan. That's what's extremely annoying about the whole thing coz there was nothing wrong with the fob or the central locking before checking battery. I had tried to call my missus since she had the battery number for the vdub fob but there was no reply, so thinking nothing of opening the seat key I tried it to check which number, which I now know is cr2032! How could something so simple cause this to happen?

And strange too that only the drivers door opens with manual unlocking.

Okay, I have now washed the Ibiza and taken it for a drive to dry it off(!) and I can confirm that if you use the key in the driver's door lock, only that door will get unlocked - which seems a bit silly, though it means that your car is okay other than needing you to get the keyfob to re-sync with the central locking control unit.

 

[Brody_Antoine]

You can run your own diagnostics before taking it to seat dealer. It could be a very minute problem. Get a vag cable there loads on ebay get the lite version of vag diagnostic and scan the car for the error code. I've change my battery in my fob plus my car battery has gone dead and was worried that it would disabled the alarm but it never did. So you need to find out what's gone wrong.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[RUM4MO]

I think that in this case, it sounds like Frenchy is saying what has happened and no amount of scanning will sort that out. Also it does sound like the OP is not into messing around with scan tools so they would be wasting their money. Finally, I think that you are referring to what is usually illegal copies of VCDS - talking about that is not encouraged on public forums.

 

[Brody_Antoine]

I wasn't referring to illegal copies. You can get genuine copies of Ross tech Vcds which is genuine. You are the one who mentioned illegal copies maybe you should advised him/her.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[RUM4MO]

I wasn't referring to illegal copies. You can get genuine copies of Ross tech Vcds which is genuine. You are the one who mentioned illegal copies maybe you should advised him/her.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

It was the name you used that made me make that comment, if you had said VCDS Lite, then it would have been okay. Some of the sellers of copied illegal versions of VCDS call them creative names that include "vag diagnostics".

I have already given my thoughts on that problem to the OP in previous postings!

 

[Brody_Antoine]

No hard feelings.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

 

[Take-A-Seat]

Been in touch with Seat. They want £51 for a half hour of work to diagnose and re-synch key. It's a bit steep for a battery change on a key fob!

Any ideas?

 

[RUM4MO]

Been in touch with Seat. They want £51 for a half hour of work to diagnose and re-synch key. It's a bit steep for a battery change on a key fob!

Any ideas?

You are right, but, what else can be done for that money, either you put up with the inconvenience of having lost your remote central locking function, or you take the money hit. Frenchy has already told you that what has happened to you has happened to a few other people - and said what the way to sort it is. Annoying, but there you go! I am hoping to get a free software update for the BCM on my daughter's late 2009 Ibiza SC - and I know that I'll get hit for the same sort of money or more to get this free fix to a known SEAT Ibiza problem.

 

[Take-A-Seat]

Thanks for all your help, looks like a trip to Seat is inevitable! Annoying! Grrr...

 

[Rob66]

Hi mate, seems to have just lost its sync

This is for the Leon but give it a go may well work. It worked for me.

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=310803

 

[everson38]

jow did you get on with this problem? would love to know outcome

 

[Mk1Cortina1964]

I may have the solution if you have changed your key battery and now the key does not work.
First be sure the key is NOT working by pressing any of the buttons on the key - the red pip light on the fob should blip.
Assuming it doesn't blip, then you may have inadvertently done what I did.

I thought the replacement battery was CR 2032 but found it is too thick to sit down in its hole properly so then fitted a brand new CR2025 - the correct one for a 2014 Leon 1.2 TSI.
However, still no blip, and after some time I discovered this was why:
In fiddling with the CR2032 I must have accidentally pushed the contacts back out of position so that they were no longer touching the replacement correct battery.
Looking at the battery seating there are two contacts at about 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock, and another one recessed at 12o'clock.
In my case it was the 10 o'clock one that had almost disappeared and I teased it forward a little using a watchmaker's style very fine screwdriver. Perhaps a paper clip might have done it or you might even hook some thread around it to pull it forward just a little bit - don't go mad at it.
Anyway, I did this to both the angled contacts and all then worked fine.
In trying to swop things around I had done the same to the spare key and this solution worked on that too, so from thinking I needed to buy 2 new keys, I am up and running again at no cost, bar a few grey hairs.
Hope this might help someone!
Bernard.