Keyless Entry Remotes

If your original keyless entry remote suffers from water damage, corrosion, circuit board failure, a cracked case or other problems, find repair and/or replacement solutions listed under "Electrical" in the RockAuto catalog. Replacement brands and options include:

• ACDelco: ACDelco builds GM original equipment remotes. ACDelco remotes range from simple two-button designs (lock and unlock the doors) to the more advanced six-button designs (door lock/unlock, panic button, liftgate/trunk/liftglass buttons, remote start button).
  
  
• Dorman: Dorman’s keyless entry remotes are as easy to program as they are to use. Professional technicians and special tools are unnecessary. In the event that your remote is simply cracked, Dorman also offers the outer case instead of the entire electronic assembly as an affordable and convenient option. Additional case colors, including green, gray, and pink camouflage, are available for select vehicles.
  
  
• Standard Motor Products (SMP): SMP's line of TechSmart Keyless Entry Remotes are engineered to be complete OE-style replacements for certain Ford and GM vehicles. They match their OE counterparts in case fit and signal range (all are FCC and IC approved). SMP remotes are easy to program; just follow the relearn instructions in the OE service or owner’s manuals.
  
  
• Üro Parts: Üro offers new plastic cases, as well as the buttons separately, for European vehicles such as Volvos, Volkswagens and Audis. New buttons are a big help if the symbols on the remote have rubbed off or if the old buttons have ripped or worn out.

Whether you're looking to replace an early model remote with two buttons (such as the remote for a 1997 Pontiac Trans Sport), a modern six-button remote (such as for a 2013 GMC Savana 1500), or simply need to replace the buttons or case on a key fob (such as for a 2001 Volvo V40), we have what you need.

Forum of the Month

TDIClub is a website dedicated to the VW TDI (Turbo Direct Injection Diesel) engine. Most of the action is in the forums, but many members have compiled "How to..." and other helpful items in the "Articles" section.

Come and join the discussion with a unique crowd of friendly TDIClub members! Where else can you say economy and performance in the same sentence?

Repair Mistakes & Blunders

My 2001 Buick LeSabre was pushing 200K miles and needed a lower intake manifold gasket. Having done this job before, I wasn’t looking forward to it, but at the same time knew I could save a couple hundred dollars by doing it myself. So, I put aside a Saturday afternoon and got to it. The repair went fine, and I was finished in a couple hours. Took the car for a test drive, and it ran fine, except the VOLT indicator light was on. "No problem," I thought, the connector is a little loose and I’ll look into it tomorrow. Well, tomorrow came, and I drove into work, the indicator light still on. "No Problem," I thought, I have a new battery (eight months old) and will look into it later.

It was interesting to see how my Buick went into "Battery Save Mode," and started shutting down all the electrical systems, the last being the gauges shortly before the engine stalled. After getting a ride home to pull the battery out of our spare vehicle, put it in the Buick and drive it home, I decided that it was past time to fix the problem. As it turns out, it was the alternator connector, but it was not loose; it was not connected at all. When I reinstalled the alternator, the connector and wires had fallen underneath the alternator. When I did a final check, all the loose connectors that I could see appeared to be re-attached. As the alternator connection was underneath, I didn’t see it and didn’t think to look at it.

I learned two things: (1) That even newer batteries can drain very quickly and (2) Double and triple check all your electrical connections after doing an engine repair. Though I am somewhat familiar with what the connections and their systems are for, I still failed to check them all. Even if you don’t know exactly what the system is or does, at the very least count the connectors you disconnect, write down that number, and make sure you connect the same number that you disconnect. I will not make this mistake again.

John in Michigan

Tell us about your most infamous auto repair blunder or unconventional fix. Use your woe to help others avoid similar mistakes or share off-the-wall solutions that worked (at least for a while!). Please e-mail your story to flamur@rockauto.com. Include your mailing address and if you would like a RockAuto T-Shirt (please let us know your shirt size) or Hat if we publish your story. See the T-Shirts and Hats under Tools & Universal Parts in the catalog. The story will be credited using only your first name and your vague geographic location (state, province, country, continent, etc.) so you can remain semi-anonymous!

Automotive Trivia

Some popular vehicles built in the early 1900s had this material covering the surface of the clutch for the manual transmission.

A. Lead
B. Leather
C. Rubber
D. All the Above

Answer below

When the Sparking Wires Appear

When I went to see this summer’s blockbuster earthquake movie San Andreas, I was ready to believe in helicopters that can hover in crevasses, motor boats that can outrace tsunamis and other action film high jinks. Too bad they had to dampen the mood with that lingering movie faux pas, the hot-wired car scene.

On the big screen, a couple of bare wires are dangling from under the dash of a new Ford pickup truck. Touching the wires together generates some impressive sparks, the truck starts and the hero drives it away. This hot-wired car cliché started becoming silly back in the 1970s when steering wheel locks became standard anti-theft equipment. After 40+ years, the hot-wired car scene ignores the work of generations of automotive engineers and underestimates the intelligence of movie viewers worldwide. The Lone Ranger fed hay to his horse Silver, but Steve McQueen was never shown shoving hay under the hood of his Mustang in Bullitt.

starter switch for new Ford trucks

The photo from the RockAuto catalog ("Electrical-Switch & Relay" category) shows the starter switch for new Ford trucks. It is plastic with a seven-pin connector and was clearly not designed to withstand physical assault from a car thief’s tools. Vehicle security is more complex than just one switch and a couple of wires. The Chilton repair manual (sold under “Literature”) reveals the starter switch is connected to the body control module (BCM). If the BCM computer (listed under the "Electrical" category) does not receive the correct signal from the Passive Anti-Theft System key or Keyless Entry Remote (also under "Electrical"), then the BCM will not tell the Power Train Control Module (PCM) to start the truck. Yanking wires out of the starter switch or from under the dash and touching them together would accomplish nothing. Maybe a big spark could blow a fuse or damage a computer, but it would never start the vehicle (nor allow it to be put in gear and driven away).

Gun enthusiasts would raise a fuss if a movie action hero ever tamped black powder and a musket ball down the barrel of his high tech machine gun. It is time for automotive enthusiasts to rise up, write to important movie people and demand an end to the "hot-wired" car silliness. Or, just take comfort in knowing you are not the only person in the theater rolling your eyes when the sparking wires appear on the big screen.

Tom Taylor,
RockAuto.com

This is my 1992 Toyota Paseo. I bought it in 2008 as basic transportation to and from work (as rising fuel costs to drive my truck were eating me up). It gets 35 mpg and it takes less than $30 to fill up at the gas station. It is a fun little car and I am happy to have it.

I bought the car from an older couple who were getting rid of it because they were having problems getting in and out of the car. It is kind of low to the ground. There were some mechanical issues that had been neglected, but it still ran OK. Because of the easy access to parts, I was able to do a lot of this repair work myself. I have replaced the radiator and hoses, distributor cap, spark plugs & wires, rear wheel bearing, ac condenser, ac evaporator, struts, and the heater core. RockAuto has made it easy to get the parts I need for the Paseo.

I have also purchased parts through RockAuto for my Dodge Dakota and my wife’s Nissan Juke (and her Toyota Avalon before it). It has been great to have access to those parts and have a choice as to what to buy.

Keep up the good work and thanks for great service!

Warren in North Carolina

Automotive Trivia Answer

Some popular vehicles built in the early 1900s had this material covering the surface of the clutch for the manual transmission. A. Lead Answer: B. Leather (#3 in diagram below) C. Rubber D. All the Above 1. Cones: female cone (green), male cone(blue) 2. Shaft: male cone is sliding on splines 3. Friction material: usually on female cone, here on male cone 4. Spring: brings the male cone back after using the clutch control 5. Clutch control: separating both cones by pressing 6. Rotating direction: both direction of the axis are possible Back up to trivia question

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