Key Fob Programming in Reading, PA

Battery, damage or programming?

A fob that stops working has not always lost its programming. Coin-cell batteries lose output in the cold, so a fob that works indoors but fails on an icy morning usually needs a fresh battery of the right size, not programming. A fob dropped in slush or left in a wet coat pocket can corrode inside. Dry it, open the case and look for green or white residue on the contacts before assuming the car has forgotten it.

Check it before winter sets in. During a declared snow emergency, Reading's snow emergency routes, Franklin Street and Perkiomen Avenue among them, have to be cleared of parked cars, and a car you cannot unlock or start cannot be moved. A fob that only works some of the time is worth dealing with early.

Where the car sits

The car has to learn each fob, so the car's whereabouts belong in the request. In Reading that may be a curbside space or a level of a Reading Parking Authority garage. For the curb, give the block, the nearest cross street and which side of the street. For a garage, give its name, the level and the space.

What to have ready

• Every fob you own, working or not. Some vehicles clear the other fobs from memory when a new one is added, so a fob left at home may need programming again.
• The VIN, which is printed on your registration card.
• Photo ID and registration in your name.
• Year, make and model, and whether the car starts with a push button or a turned key.
• Any spare blade that belongs with the fob, if it has a mechanical key built in.

If every key and fob for the car is gone, start with car key replacement instead. The key fob programming page describes the service.