If you think putting your car key through the washing machine is bad...

[Rolfe]

Still unsure. On Sunday afternoon the key was still working, but when I clicked on the buttons the centre one wasn't clicking cleanly. I became concerned that the plastic tab was still sticking. I opened the key and sorted it so that it was clicking cleanly, but that was nearly at the point where I would have been expecting a failure, time-wise.

Monday morning the key wasn't working. So I decided to sacrifice another battery to see what happened. The button is certainly working correctly now. I'm going off road-tripping tomorrow, leaving the dodgy key behind, obviously, so the jury will stay out for a bit longer.

 

[Rolfe]

I've had and implemented another idea, hopefully not too late this time . I've removed the piece of white plastic with the tabs on it completely. The key still works otherwise, if it's in my pocket the car opens. So if the battery drains this time it's definitely not that.

 

[Rolfe]

I suppose I ought to confess that the key is still draining the battery so it must be some issue with the PCB. Can't think of anything else to try. Might have to shell out for a new one.

 

[decrep]

Have you left it in a hydroscopic environment?
There's a few ways of drying stuff out, silica gel amongst them.

 

[Rolfe]

It was never wet. I think it's mechanical damage.

 

[decrep]

Throw away then unfortunately

 

[Rolfe]

Looks like that's the verdict.

 

[Everest]

Have you left it in a hydroscopic environment?

I suspect that @Rolfe doesn't even own a hydroscope, let alone put her key in it

 

[Rolfe]

I do own a jar of rice! But the seal on the fob seemed to be intact, it was only the physical key that had come away, and when I opened the fob there was no sign of moisture inside. Anyway, a bit late now.

 

[Rolfe]

I have an update on this.

Believe it or not, I actually put the other key, the good one, through the washing machine as I was getting ready to go on the road trip! I only realised when I emptied the machine. Instant panic, as obviously it was my only working key. However.

Knowing now how to dismantle the key I did this immediately, and there was definitely some water inside. So much for my opinion that water hadn't entered into the other key when it was lying on the wet road, because it hadn't come apart. I blotted the PCB dry-ish, carefully, then put it into the rice jar overnight. I towel-dried the rest of the bits and left them to air-dry overnight. In the morning I blew off the residue of the rice powder and reassembled the key.

I was leaving for at least a fortnight, so I was apprehensive. I packed the first key, the faulty one, without a battery in it, but with a strip of five batteries in case I needed them. I knew I would get three days of use from a new battery in the first key if everything went south. However I didn't need to worry. The key that had been through the washing machine was absolutely fine and still is, over three weeks on. I think the immediate dismantling and drying headed trouble off at the pass.

I have now revised my opinion about what went wrong with the first key. There was some water staining inside the key, in hindsight, and I think water did get in. But it was three days before it failed, and in that time I think the damage was done and the evidence had evaporated. I think it was too late for that PCB by the time the battery went flat and I opened it up.

Moral of the story. Know how to disassemble the key fob, and do this immediately if there's any suspicion that water has got in.

 

[Alb]

I'd say the moral of the story is to not let your key go through the washing machine in the first place!

 

[Archev]

I have an update on this.

Believe it or not, I actually put the other key, the good one, through the washing machine as I was getting ready to go on the road trip! I only realised when I emptied the machine. Instant panic, as obviously it was my only working key. However.

Knowing now how to dismantle the key I did this immediately, and there was definitely some water inside. So much for my opinion that water hadn't entered into the other key when it was lying on the wet road, because it hadn't come apart. I blotted the PCB dry-ish, carefully, then put it into the rice jar overnight. I towel-dried the rest of the bits and left them to air-dry overnight. In the morning I blew off the residue of the rice powder and reassembled the key.

I was leaving for at least a fortnight, so I was apprehensive. I packed the first key, the faulty one, without a battery in it, but with a strip of five batteries in case I needed them. I knew I would get three days of use from a new battery in the first key if everything went south. However I didn't need to worry. The key that had been through the washing machine was absolutely fine and still is, over three weeks on. I think the immediate dismantling and drying headed trouble off at the pass.

I have now revised my opinion about what went wrong with the first key. There was some water staining inside the key, in hindsight, and I think water did get in. But it was three days before it failed, and in that time I think the damage was done and the evidence had evaporated. I think it was too late for that PCB by the time the battery went flat and I opened it up.

Moral of the story. Know how to disassemble the key fob, and do this immediately if there's any suspicion that water has got in.

I rarely clean the innards of the Berlingo let alone the keys. That’s fastidiousness on another level
Cleanliness never locked so good

 

[Rolfe]

I'd say the moral of the story is to not let your key go through the washing machine in the first place!

True, Einstein. But some of us, in a hurry to get packed, sometimes shove our jeans in the machine without checking the pockets. Ironically this would not have happened if the key had been in the bra as usual. But I had become wary of the bra parking place because it was that that indirectly led to the initial disaster.

 

[salty]

True, Einstein. But some of us, in a hurry to get packed, sometimes shove our jeans in the machine without checking the pockets. Ironically this would not have happened if the key had been in the bra as usual. But I had become wary of the bra parking place because it was that that indirectly led to the initial disaster.

To much information.

 

[tsedge]

What about a key pouch or key box, so that you always put the key away securely when you get in?

That is the reason this has never happened to me.

 

[Ian Key]

What about a key pouch or key box, so that you always put the key away securely when you get in?

That is the reason this has never happened to me.

Also you don't wear a bra.....allegedly

 

[GaryMG4]

Many years ago I accidentally washed my Nokia(?) smartphone after drying the only thing that didn't work was the micro SD card, a replacement sorted that out.

 

[tsedge]

Also you don't wear a bra.....allegedly

What makes you so sure..?

 

[Ian Key]

What makes you so sure..?

Hmm...that could explain the careful framing when you are hosting the podcasts

 

[Archev]

I’m thinking about buying my very first bra. It’s not for me of course you understand.
It’s for the Berlingo

Modelled here on the Peugeot clone but I didn’t want too be seen as a Rifter so I sought out the Citroën version.