A key fob takes a beating: dropped on concrete, sat on in a back pocket, swung on a heavy key ring for years. Sooner or later the case cracks at the key-ring loop or the two halves split apart, and you are holding the buttons and a small circuit board in your hand. The good news is that the electronics inside often survive. If they do, I move them into a new case from $120. If they don’t, it is a new fob. Here is how to tell which one you need.
First, check whether the electronics still work
Before you buy anything, find out whether the board is still alive:
- Hold the halves together and press lock and unlock near the car. If the car answers, the remote side works.
- Try to start the car with it. If it starts, the chip the car checks is still there and working.
- If nothing responds, put in a fresh battery first — the battery often shifts or a contact bends when a case breaks.
- Look at the board. A crack, a part knocked off, or green corrosion from water means the electronics are damaged.
Electronics still work: a new case from $120
If the fob still locks, unlocks and starts the car, the fix is a shell swap. I move your board into a new case, together with the chip if it sits loose in the head, and a new case usually comes with a fresh rubber button pad, so buttons worn through on the outside are fixed too. On a flip key or a key with the blade in the head, the blade either moves across to the new case or is cut new to your lock. The car already knows your board and chip, so in most cases nothing needs reprogramming. A new case starts from $120 all-in, taxes included, and I tell you the exact price for your key before I set out.
Electronics damaged: a new fob from $160
If the board is cracked, a part has come off, a button does nothing even when pressed straight on the board, or water has got into it and corroded the contacts, a new case won’t bring it back. Then it is a new fob: I supply it, cut the blade if it has one, and do the key fob replacement and programming at your car, from $160 all-in. A smart (push-to-start) fob is from $180: I program the fob to the car and cut the emergency blade hidden inside it. A new fob I supply carries my 1-year warranty, and a second one at the same visit is half price.
One more case to watch for. On some keys with buttons in the head, the chip is a small separate piece, and it can drop out when the case breaks. If the remote still works but the car won’t start with the key, the chip is probably gone, and you need a new key programmed to the car, from $160.
Tape it, don’t glue it
Electrical tape or a rubber band is fine to get you home. I’d skip glue: it can seep onto the board or under the buttons, and a glued case is hard to open without damage, which can turn a $120 case swap into a new fob. Keep every piece, including any small loose part, until I have seen them. And if the fob stopped working when it cracked, try a fresh battery before anything else; if that doesn’t bring it back, here is why a key fob stops working and what to check.
- Electronics still work? A new case from $120, usually without reprogramming
- Board, buttons or chip damaged? A new fob from $160, smart from $180
- Tape, not glue — and keep every piece
- You pay only once the key works
What to send me
Your year, make and model, a photo of the broken fob (both halves and the board), and whether it still locks, unlocks and starts the car. From that I tell you whether a new case will do and the exact all-in price before I set out. Send it on WhatsApp or Messenger.
I am a mobile locksmith, so I come to you at home, work or the roadside across Winnipeg and the surrounding area, including Selkirk, Lockport, St. Andrews, West St. Paul, Headingley, Stony Mountain, Stonewall, Oakbank and Niverville, 8 AM to 9 PM, seven days a week. The drive is free inside Winnipeg; outside the city a distance-based travel fee is part of the all-in price I give you before I set out. Before any work I check your vehicle registration and a matching photo ID to confirm the vehicle is yours.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a key fob that broke in half be fixed?
- Often, yes. If the electronics inside still work, I move them into a new case from $120 all-in, taxes included. If the board or buttons are damaged, you need a new fob from $160, or from $180 for a smart (push-to-start) fob.
- How much does a new key fob case cost?
- A new case for a fob whose electronics still work starts from $120 all-in, taxes included. I move your board, and the chip if it sits separately, into the new shell, and because the car already knows them, in most cases nothing needs reprogramming. You get the exact price for your key before I set out.
- How do I know if the electronics still work?
- Hold the halves together and press lock and unlock near the car, then try to start the car with it. If the car answers and starts, the board and chip are fine and a new case will do. If nothing works even with a fresh battery, or the board is cracked or corroded, it is a new fob.
- Should I glue my broken key fob back together?
- I’d use tape instead. Glue can seep onto the board or under the buttons, and a glued case is hard to open without damage, which can turn a $120 case swap into a new fob from $160.
- What should I keep from the broken fob?
- Everything: both halves, the board, the battery, the blade and any small loose piece. On some keys the chip is a small separate part, and if it is lost the key needs a new chip programmed to the car, which is priced as a new key, from $160.
Broken key fob in Winnipeg?
Mobile auto locksmith — I come to you, 7 days a week.
Save my number to your phone — so it is there next time.
No Fix = No Pay · exact all-in price up front · 1-year warranty on a new key or fob I supply
Send a photo of the broken fob on WhatsApp or Messenger for an exact quote.