Remote Key Fob working only inside the car (close to receiver)

Question

I am struggling to get my Peugeot 308 2-Button Remote Key back to work. I noticed first issues when my Remote Key unlocked / locked the car after several attempts. Then one day it suddenly did not work anymore.

NEXT STEP: Change battery & Reinitialize the key

So that's what I did, I bought a new CR1620 battery and replaced the old one. I realized soon from the Car Manual that I will have to reinitialize / reprogram the key in order to get it to work. So I also did that, with following my Car Manual's instructions:

Switch OFF the ignition

Switch ON the ignition and immediately press and hold LOCK button on Key

Hold it for few seconds ( I held it for 15.. and on next attempt for 25s)

Release the LOCK Button and turn OFF the ignition

Take out the Key and it should be working now

However, it was working only inside the car and ONLY if I brought it very close to the receiver (which is located, I think, near the manual lock switch inside the car). If I tried it a from distance, while still sitting at the driver's seat, it did not work. If I tried it from outside of the car, it did not work.

Does anyone know what's going here?

I sounds like a weak battery - but impossible, because I bought a brand new one and in next 10 minutes put it inside my Key and reprogrammed it.

EDIT:

After additional tests, I recognized that my key is working also on 5-10m! But the trick is, that I need to take off the cover of the Key Fob, to get to the circuit. And now, if I manually (with my hands) apply pressure on the Circuit towards the battery contacts, remote lock / unlock works! Unfortunately, as soon as I pack it back and close it with cover, the remote key is not working.

What do you guys think? Could it be something with battery contacts? I cannot see any faultiness / corrosion on them. Only the ones on Circuit board where (+) is going to look like they are a bit "scratched", but I don't know how to fix that?

Answer 1

This sounds very much like a 'dry' solder joint on the battery connector. If you're a dab hand with a soldering iron, go to and re-solder the battery contacts. If not, go see your local watchmaker or IT hobbyist who should be able to solder for you. If it's just a surface carbon buildup, try a cleaner like 'CO Contact Cleaner'

Answer 2

Just solved my problem with weak key fob range… As seen on another forum, that was my FM transmitter/received used to listen to my iPhone on an FM frequency… That was that transmitter/receiver that was causing interference… just unplugged it and I gained back the original range for the key FOB !

Answer 3

I had the same problem - only worked very close to the ignition column. I soldered two thin wires from the battery to the board, and hey presto - fixed! The problem seems to be worn out pads on the board where the battery spring make contact.

Answer 4

After a long research I was pretty sure that the problem was the electric contacts: I tried conductive gel, then I tried to fold the metallic plates more than the previous state. Every try was working for few times, then stop working. I finally solved soldering small wires for + and - battery contatcs. Now it works perfectly. Cheers Fabio

Answer 5

The board in the key fob is prone to a little moisture And the component contacts develop a green oxidisation which i think is a condensation issue.. Use a dry, babys toothbrush to brush the oxidised matter off very gently and you should find it works normally. It's essential that you keep the key dry especially if you have bought an aftermarket replacement outer casing from the likes of ebay as they aren't made to the same exacting standards as the OEM Citroen ones and remember to be gentle with the brush. You don't need any chemical cleaning agents just a dry soft brush.