key fob unlocking C/L issues

[twozerosix]

Dear all

I have an issue I just can't solve and its driving me crazy! so here goes. ( I will put as much info as I can)

car: Peugeot 206 1.4 zest 5 door
year: 54 plate
mileage: 68000

car belongs to a dear friend of mine.

18 months ago, the rubber on the key fob started to wear away. eventually the rubber wore off completely and exposed the micro switch. user ended up "poking" the unlock button whenever needed. for some reason the unlocking function stopped working. that is when the issue was shown to me.

in my naivety, I thought the microswitch must be faulty as the fob functions correctly. I removed the micro switch and soldered a new one. this however did not solve the issue. I reprogrammed the FOB as per instruction in the manual, which still did not work. at this stage we also changed the fob case to a newer one. but even if I take the PCB out of the case, it will still not unlock. so at this stage, car and fob work as it should except that it does not perform the unlock function from the fob. if you insert the key into the door it opens all locks. if you sit in the car, the CL works with the button to lock and unlock.

thoughts

considered buying a used PCB board, and programme it. the internet said this would work, and also that it wouldn't. after searching the internet for the past 4 weeks and talking to sellers on ebay, I cannot get confirmation that this actually works. Peugeot dealer do not comment as they want you to bring in the key and PCB board for entire replacement

so, question 1, are PCB's reprogrammable?

maybe microswitch was not soldered properly. well, I took a multimeter and checked both switches.
when I touched the probes on the Locking micro switch, there was no reading, however when the button is pressed, it shows a reading. when I touch the probes on the unlocking micro switch it shows a reading, but when pressed the reading goes to 0.

question 2 is this correct?

BSI. this gets thrown around a lot in my research lately. I have not done this as I am not sure if this would help. it seems that this is the popular answer for any error. as its not my car, I really don't want to risk it as I've read that it could go wrong. I will only try this if its recommended by users of this forum who have tried it themselves and report successful outcome and maybe not as scary as it sounds.

so as you can see, im stumped as to where to go now.

will appreciate any info, advice etc

thanks

[Capncol]

Maybe you used wrong replacement microswitch? If you are handy with soldering iron, why not get another fob and if you cant reprogram, use one of the microswitches to repair yours instead?

[twozerosix]

thanks Col, for taking the time to read the problem.

do you think the microswitch is that sensitive?

have you ever had to reprogramme a PCB?

do you think resetting the BSI is worth a try?

thanks

[IanL]

I have seen kits on EBay to refurbish fobs - typically they provide the plastic shell with rubber pads, and the microswitches. Note: if you replace the shell, be sure to move the transponder chip (a small oblong device clipped into one of the shell halves. It is programmed to the car and is essential for starting.

There is no risk in doing a BSI reboot if the procedure is followed. It is what you have to do to change the battery, so no big deal.

There are statements around about reprogramming the fob module , primarily to use one from another car. Allegedly, someone developed the means to do it, but declined to make it available for no payment, and the secret has remained with him. To all intents and purposes, the module is "write-once".

To program a new module to the car, Peugeot Planet 2000 system is required. It cannot be done with generic car diagnostic equipment. If you want one, search for "Lexia 3" on EBay. It must be run on a 32-bit Windows system (XP SP3 is favourite), but if you have a 64-bit PC, you can use a Virtual Machine - e.g under VMWare Player.

If you do go for a new fob, be sure to get the right one - there are 4 flavours, depending on car age and whether it has front fogs or not. Post the last 8 digits of the VIN if you want the correct Part No for the car. There are a few online suppliers who provide the fobs by Part No. Do not buy on EBay - they are 3rd party fobs which may not be of the correct flavour, and the sellers have no idea of the issue, or pretend ignorance.

[twozerosix]

thanks Ian!