It was working just fine…

It was working absolutely fine until today when it suddenly stopped working – that is the sentence we hear at least 5 times a day when our customers call us to get a replacement Renault key card. After few questions it turns out that there were many indications that the key card will stop working in near future. How to spot them? Here are some useful tips.

1. Replace key card battery message on the dashboard

You see this information, you go to a shop to buy a new battery, put it in the key card and think everything is fine. Until the message appears two or three days later. You then think to yourself – I have exchanged the battery maybe it was dodgy and I need to get a new one. You do what you think is the most reasonable thing and get a new battery. The situation happens again within few weeks. And here we go again, after a month or two you are so used to the situation that you buy the batteries along with your daily paper. Until the key card stops working completely and you need a replacement Renault key card as you can’t open or lock your car, unless you have an emergency key, But let’s be honest who wants to take their key card apart every time they want to lock or unlock their Renault? To avoid being locked out of your Renault you should contact a specialist if above situation started happening. It is not normal to change the battery three times a week and it means that connections on the matrix board of your Renault key card have been damaged and you will need a new Renault key card.

2. Card not detected message on the dashboard

It suddenly appears, then goes away so you think that maybe the onboard computer went crazy for a moment and don’t think much about. Until it happens again and again. So you go online and what do you see? A magic life hack with a piece of cutlery jammed into key card reader. You think this can’t be right but you read the comments of people who tried it and it worked for them. So you give it a go, firstly a bit shy and embarrassed you sneak to your own car with a knife hidden in your sleeve, you make sure no one sees you, you do what was told on the video and wow it works! You are so happy you want to jump out with joy. Depending on how lucky you are you drive around with a knife stuck into your dashboard a month, two or three and you get so used to it that you don’t remember the days of driving without a knife in your car. Sounds familiar? Unfortunately many of our clients done that and ended up in a middle of nowhere with their Renault refusing to start up or they had to exchange not only the key card but also the key card reader. The way the system works is by sending waves at a given frequency, the knife jammed in the card reader strengthens the signal because it’s made out of metal, but at the same time because it’s made of metal it can damage the electronics in the key card reader. So I would like to beg you all again, please don’t stick the knife into your dashboard, just give us a ring and let us get you a new Renault key card.

3. The lock and unlock buttons don’t work

This is usually the first sign that your Renault key card will stop working. Many of our customers just ignore this fact and leave their car unlocked, they get so used to this that they don’t think about much. Honestly? Years before I started my business I was like that myself, I was thinking oh it’s on the drive, none will snatch it, or who would steal a 04 plate Megane? Until the card stopped working completely and yes I called Renault and the first thing I said was “It was working just fine…” When locking and unlocking stops working you should look around for a new Renault key card immediately, as it is the first sign that the key card will stop working very soon. For those of you who are like I was and don’t care about locking the car, all I can say is that in the worst case scenario if your car would get stolen the insurer will not pay for it as per T’s &C’s you are obligated to make sure your car is locked and to have two sets of keys. Yes, two sets. So be very careful as you can end up without a car or compensation.

 

I will be polite and will not write about many of our customers who claimed over the phone that the key card was working just fine and when we got to their place we saw Renault Scenic key cards in three pieces, Renault Megane key cards with tape all over them or Renault Laguna key cards with half of the plastic shell missing. We all hate spending money and I get it, but at the same time we want to be able to get from point A to point B without disruptions, without a knife jammed into the dashboard and without some other crazy life hacks. So don’t be afraid to give us a call, don’t worry we are not as impolite and frankly stuck up like Renault dealer, we will always advise you based on the information you give us and we will always try to give you the best price possible.