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Key fob gradually stopped working... $4-500 for repair or DIY?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Edwardius, Dec 15, 2016.

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  1. Edwardius

    Edwardius New Member

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    Hi all,

    My 08 Prius has a key fob that gradually stopped working over the course of a year. It kept losing more and more range until SKS died, then the fob button unlock/lock wouldn't work either. I now have to use the pull-out key to unlock (which is a pain in winter because everything freezes and makes it hard to turn).

    Dealer charged $99 for a diagnostic and then said $4-500 to reprogram the system or something (I can't remember, it was a while ago.) At the time I was short on cash and decided not to, but now I'd like to.

    Any way I could DIY? I don't think chicken dance would work because I would need to have a working smart key right? Just looking to save $$ if possible.

    Thank you for reading.
     
    #1 Edwardius, Dec 15, 2016
  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Get a second opinion at a professional locksmith (not a place that just duplicates metal keys).
     
    #2 fotomoto, Dec 15, 2016
    priuscatprimeguy likes this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcome! do you only have one? did you test the battery voltage, as well as your 12 volt battery?
     
    #3 bisco, Dec 15, 2016
  4. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The battery in your fob ought to be closer to the $4 end of that range. :)

    -Chap
     
    #4 ChapmanF, Dec 15, 2016
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Dealer diagnostics? Did they suggest a new battery beforehand?
     
    #5 JC91006, Dec 15, 2016
  6. WilDavis

    WilDavis Senior Member

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    Welcome to PriusChat!
    See my previous comments on similar threads. The SKS on my 2009 Gen II started getting very flakey, and to make a long story short, the problem was the 12V AuxBattery (5+ years old) was starting to fail. Perform a load-test on your AuxBat, you might be surprised! Good luck!
     
    #6 WilDavis, Dec 15, 2016
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