Just got my car back from the dealer after it's 75K mile service. Along
with the car, we brought in one of the remote clickers because one of the
four buttons (door-open) didn't work while the other three were fine. "No
way to repair", the service manager says, "we'll have to order you a
replacement."

"How much, we ask?"

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

I'm definitely in the wrong business and I suspect most of us are as well.
I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later this
year.

Norm

You can try to open a refurbishing for car remotes. You will have the
problem that there are no parts. The cost of analysis equipment required to
service the wireless part of them would make the whole business not worth
the setup costs.

These may not be expensive to manufacture, but there is a complete structure
of administration, and operating costs to keep these in inventory, keep
track of them, and to be selling them. This is the reason for the high cost.
In the end, I doubt very much if the dealer is making more than about 15% on
it at the very most. It is the same for all these spare parts.

--

Jerry G.
======


"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
...
Just got my car back from the dealer after it's 75K mile service. Along
with the car, we brought in one of the remote clickers because one of the
four buttons (door-open) didn't work while the other three were fine. "No
way to repair", the service manager says, "we'll have to order you a
replacement."

"How much, we ask?"

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

I'm definitely in the wrong business and I suspect most of us are as well.
I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later this
year.

Norm

"Jerry G." wrote in message
...
You can try to open a refurbishing for car remotes. You will have the
problem that there are no parts. The cost of analysis equipment required
to
service the wireless part of them would make the whole business not worth
the setup costs.

These may not be expensive to manufacture, but there is a complete
structure
of administration, and operating costs to keep these in inventory, keep
track of them, and to be selling them. This is the reason for the high
cost.
In the end, I doubt very much if the dealer is making more than about 15%
on
it at the very most. It is the same for all these spare parts.

--


Does anything fail in them aside from batteries, solder joints and maybe the
pushbutton? I would expect 90% of them would be simple to repair with off
the shelf parts.

What off the shelf parts? Almost all use a rubber remote control type
of membrane and it is not available as a part. Most use melted plastic
rivets to hold the pcb to the front half of the case. To take it apart
to where you can even get at the button part of it makes it impossible
to reassemble as the board will no longer be mounted to the front case.

There are much less expensive places to get those than the dealer.

Norm Dresner wrote:
"How much, we ask?"
"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

Must be a Lexus.

Try eBay.

Norm-I agree, $300 is nuts. It's impossible to imagine any plausible
combination of "inventory factors" that can justify this, they're just
screwing you. Another one of those "got ya by the short hairs" things
like that earlier HP battery cover post. Check here
http://www.keylessride.com/. I've never used them, just found them
googling. Out of curiosity, I looked up the 2 button remote for my own
car (2003 Mitsu) they have the OEM unit for $59, they claim the MSRP is
$151.

Dan


Norm Dresner wrote:
Just got my car back from the dealer after it's 75K mile service. Along
with the car, we brought in one of the remote clickers because one of the
four buttons (door-open) didn't work while the other three were fine. "No
way to repair", the service manager says, "we'll have to order you a
replacement."

"How much, we ask?"

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

I'm definitely in the wrong business and I suspect most of us are as well.
I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later this
year.

Norm

Norm Dresner wrote:
I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later this
year.

The local AutoZone has a poster advertising that they can get factory
keyless remotes. You might try there. Also, Google up "cadillac parts"
(or whatever make your car is). You should be able to find a few
dealers who have an online parts department and are willing to discount.
I recently needed a part for my Toyota. Local dealer wanted list price,
$95. A dealer three states away sold it to me for $70 plus $5 shipping.

One caveat: you may have to do a certain procedure to "marry" the new
remote to the car. Typically, it's something like "put the key in, turn
the ignition on and off seven times, operate the old remote, then operate
the new remote twice, then turn the dome light off and on, then you're
done". There might be directions with the new remote, or it might only
be in the factory service manual. You might ask at the place you buy
the replacement remote if they can advise you of the correct procedure.

Matt Roberds

Hi!

I don't know how well that will work...when one of the remotes on my '03
S-10 quit working and would set the alarm off randomly, I just pulled the
battery and threw the remote in the glove box.

It seemed silly (even the vehicle is under warranty) to fiddle around with
replacing it. I can turn a key in a lock and if I don't want to, there is
always the one remaining remote.

William

Big city Ford dealer wanted $125--small city Ford dealer wanted $75 and
got the sale.

"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
...
Just got my car back from the dealer after it's 75K mile service. Along
with the car, we brought in one of the remote clickers because one of the
four buttons (door-open) didn't work while the other three were fine. "No
way to repair", the service manager says, "we'll have to order you a
replacement."

"How much, we ask?"

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

I'm definitely in the wrong business and I suspect most of us are as well.
I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later this
year.

Wait till you price an overhaul on a computer for any car.

N

"NSM" wrote in message
news:nK7Zd.56186$fc4.36996@edtnps89...

"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
...
Just got my car back from the dealer after it's 75K mile service. Along
with the car, we brought in one of the remote clickers because one of
the
four buttons (door-open) didn't work while the other three were fine.
"No
way to repair", the service manager says, "we'll have to order you a
replacement."

"How much, we ask?"

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

I'm definitely in the wrong business and I suspect most of us are as
well.
I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later
this
year.

Wait till you price an overhaul on a computer for any car.


And just think how many of those "non-repairable" computers could have been
fixed by resoldering a few joints, I've fixed a couple injection computers
by doing just that, and one that had a blown power transistor.

"James Sweet" wrote in message
news_7Zd.2293$Z07.1751@trnddc02...

And just think how many of those "non-repairable" computers could have
been
fixed by resoldering a few joints, I've fixed a couple injection computers
by doing just that, and one that had a blown power transistor.

Sometimes the mechanic can't get a replacement computer at any price. Car is
toast.

N

NSM wrote:
Wait till you price an overhaul on a computer for any car.

Ooh, the big scary computer in the car! They've only been putting
electronic computers in every car on the road for about 20 years now.
I wonder when people will stop being afraid of them.

The rebuilt computer for my '89 Chevy was $100 exchange in about 1998 and
was in stock on the shelf at the chain parts store. I drove up to the
store with my intermittently failing computer, went in and got the new
part, and went back out to the parking lot. I unplugged the old one,
swapped the PROM from the old one to the new one, and did some resistance
and voltage checks as specified on the sheet that came with the new
computer to make sure I wasn't about to fry the new one. I plugged in the
new one, drove around the block a couple of times, and came back to the
parts store to turn in my old one for the core credit. I put about
30,000 more miles on that car before selling it, with the replacement
computer still running fine. Yes, it was probably $10 worth of electronics,
but having to spend $100 and an hour on a car with over 120,000 miles on
it seems like a reasonable deal to me.

Matt Roberds

Interestingly, the link I posted earlier to the place that specializes
in these door openers sells REFURBISHED examples, so it would appear
SOMEONE is already IN that business.

Dan

James Sweet wrote:
"NSM" wrote in message
news:nK7Zd.56186$fc4.36996@edtnps89...

"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
...

Just got my car back from the dealer after it's 75K mile service. Along
with the car, we brought in one of the remote clickers because one of

the

four buttons (door-open) didn't work while the other three were fine.

"No

way to repair", the service manager says, "we'll have to order you a
replacement."

"How much, we ask?"

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

I'm definitely in the wrong business and I suspect most of us are as

well.

I think I'll open a car clicker refurbishing shop when I retire later

this

year.

Wait till you price an overhaul on a computer for any car.



And just think how many of those "non-repairable" computers could have been
fixed by resoldering a few joints, I've fixed a couple injection computers
by doing just that, and one that had a blown power transistor.

"Travis Jordan" wrote in message
...
Norm Dresner wrote:
"How much, we ask?"
"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

Must be a Lexus.


Close -- it's an Infiniti

Norm

Norm Dresner wrote:
Close -- it's an Infiniti

Thought so grin. Yep, check eBay.
http://search.ebay.com/infiniti-remo...itemQ3AUSQQfro
mZR7QQnojsprZyQQpfidZ0QQfsopZ1QQfsooZ1QQfclZ3QQfrp pZ50

wrote in message
news:GaaZd.10683$Fy.2548@okepread04...
NSM wrote:
Wait till you price an overhaul on a computer for any car.

Ooh, the big scary computer in the car! They've only been putting
electronic computers in every car on the road for about 20 years now.
I wonder when people will stop being afraid of them.

When they stop putting them in unique European import cars?

N

$300 is insane for a keyless remote. For the entire system I'd understand,
but just a simple keyless remote!?! I have a 2003 Grand Prix and I think the
dealer wants around $30. They also sell on Ebay for well under $20.

"Norm Dresner" wrote in message
...

"$300!" he replied with a smirk on his face.

On 13 Mar 2005 19:15:51 -0800, "electroninja"
wrote:

Big city Ford dealer wanted $125--small city Ford dealer wanted $75 and
got the sale.

I've gotten the black boxes for Fords for much less than that.(NOT at
the Dealer of course!)
Last one I replaced was for a F150 and cost me around 20 bucks at my
local parts house.