Legendary Problem Solved....
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 182
Likes: 0
From: TARZANA CA
This forum rocks!!!
I have two fobs for my 99FRC, purchased new. The first fob quit several years ago so I used the second fob. The second fob quit working several days ago. It would sync but then lose the sync in a matter of minutes.
I opened up both fobs, re-soldered the chip in both and now they both work again.
Thanks for your willingness to share your experience and knowledge.
I have two fobs for my 99FRC, purchased new. The first fob quit several years ago so I used the second fob. The second fob quit working several days ago. It would sync but then lose the sync in a matter of minutes.
I opened up both fobs, re-soldered the chip in both and now they both work again.
Thanks for your willingness to share your experience and knowledge.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,949
Likes: 337
From: Shell Point (Crawfordville) Florida
This thread's been around for years, but my fob recently quit so I decided to fix it this way too. I had a good pair of loupes and sharpened a pin point tip on a small soldering iron, and at first the repair worked, then it quit again. I didn't feel like giving up, so I got one of those helping hands LED lit magnifiers from a site on Amazon for $3.96 which was the solution. Not only could I now see the joints better but it held the module so I could solder it effectively. Many of you expert solderers will have something like this, but for the rest of us, $4 was a great investment to get this job done. And you could use it to repair all your wife's jewelry and anything else small you have lying around.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 12,461
Likes: 886
From: Fort Wayne IN
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (performance mods) 2019
2017 C5 of the Year Finalist
2016 C5 of the Year Finalist
2015 C5 of the Year Finalist
Sonofa. Top right on the main chip, sure as anything, the pin is loose. Gonna have to get a fine tip for my gun and reheat and see if it takes.
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,384
Likes: 124
From: Reno/Sparks Nevada
Of the 3 fobs I had that didn't work; one of them had detached lugs. Soldered them back on and VOILA, it worked. Unfortunately the other 2 fobs I had that didn't look like that had detached lugs didn't work even after I re-soldered some or all of the lugs on the two chips. I guess 1 out of 3 is good. I'm going to look at the other 2 again. I did clean up the carbon pads, circuit board, etc. on a previous attempt to get them working. I don't want to give up on them.
Art
Art
Drifting
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,825
Likes: 389
Folks, be sure not to let the soldering iron tip contact the solder point too long. Just long enough to let the solder meld properly into the connection. Otherwise, the prolonged heat from the tip may affect the components through heat transfer.
Last edited by avigar; Nov 13, 2016 at 01:46 AM.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Key fob
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Pismo Beach California
Remote
Must be Xmas time. I figured out the issue with the famous key fob problem of it loosing sync with the cars. Turns out it's a problem with one of the chips coming detached from the circuit board.
When you open the key fob with the board facing you, look near the top right hand corner. There's a rectangle shaped chip, check the prongs. I checked mines both times when each of my remotes wouldn't keep sync with the car, each time it was loose.
I resolder it or you can even use permanent glue between the chip & board to hold it firm if you're not comfortable with soldering. Make sure the prongs have a good connection. Sorry that I haven't taken any pics, but it's pretty much straight forward.
Yeah, I know my atar is big, but I put it in at normal size & it keeps blowing up to the huge size. Yeah, I've resized it, lower resolution. I'll play with it some more later when time permits.
When you open the key fob with the board facing you, look near the top right hand corner. There's a rectangle shaped chip, check the prongs. I checked mines both times when each of my remotes wouldn't keep sync with the car, each time it was loose.
I resolder it or you can even use permanent glue between the chip & board to hold it firm if you're not comfortable with soldering. Make sure the prongs have a good connection. Sorry that I haven't taken any pics, but it's pretty much straight forward.
Yeah, I know my atar is big, but I put it in at normal size & it keeps blowing up to the huge size. Yeah, I've resized it, lower resolution. I'll play with it some more later when time permits.
Intermediate
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: Pismo Beach California
Must be Xmas time. I figured out the issue with the famous key fob problem of it loosing sync with the cars. Turns out it's a problem with one of the chips coming detached from the circuit board.
When you open the key fob with the board facing you, look near the top right hand corner. There's a rectangle shaped chip, check the prongs. I checked mines both times when each of my remotes wouldn't keep sync with the car, each time it was loose.
I resolder it or you can even use permanent glue between the chip & board to hold it firm if you're not comfortable with soldering. Make sure the prongs have a good connection. Sorry that I haven't taken any pics, but it's pretty much straight forward.
Yeah, I know my atar is big, but I put it in at normal size & it keeps blowing up to the huge size. Yeah, I've resized it, lower resolution. I'll play with it some more later when time permits.
When you open the key fob with the board facing you, look near the top right hand corner. There's a rectangle shaped chip, check the prongs. I checked mines both times when each of my remotes wouldn't keep sync with the car, each time it was loose.
I resolder it or you can even use permanent glue between the chip & board to hold it firm if you're not comfortable with soldering. Make sure the prongs have a good connection. Sorry that I haven't taken any pics, but it's pretty much straight forward.
Yeah, I know my atar is big, but I put it in at normal size & it keeps blowing up to the huge size. Yeah, I've resized it, lower resolution. I'll play with it some more later when time permits.
Cruising
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 10
Likes: 2
For disbelievers, here are actual photos of the stress cracks taken from my DIY repair on my 2000 C5 ragtop keyfob. I resoldered all 4 corners, and the contacts on the adjacent chip too. Sync now keeps. Note that this problem connection is right under the lock button. My theory is as the battery gets weak, people keep pressing the button harder. This places physical bending stress on the circuit board. That repeated stress causes the solder joints to crack. I've seen this before on other products. Sometimes you have to reflow the solder on an entire circuit board because the crack is not visible. On my other FOB, I had to solder the battery spring contacts to the circuit board because they wouldn't stay connected. That fixed the other FOB.
