JustTracy

We have a 2006 Uplander. Recently the remote key fobs became sporadic in their functioning. We replaced the battery in each of them. We cleaned the contacts on the circuit board, etc.
Just recently, they stopped working altogether. I think we are dealing with a loose wire internally in the van rather than malfunctioning fobs.
I really don't want to take it in and spend money that we just don't have to have the dealer look at it.

Anyone have enough knowledge as to where the wiring is in the van for the remote unlocks? I am not so concerned with the remote start.... I can live with that, but locking/unlocking and opening doors is quite a pain!

Thanks for any help that anyone can provide!

ice777

Suggestion: Go to www.keylessfix.com and you will find detailed information about the problems and fixes for the remote fobs. The website has both USA and Canada outlets.
Checkout the Support aspect of the website to get some idea how to diagnose the problems with your fob.

I have a 2005 Uplander and some of the buttons on my fob were not working. For just a few dollars, they sent me a repair kits and now they work perfectly. The fix works as advertised. I will say that after installing the kit you have to push firmly on the buttons for them to work, but they do work without fail.

I would suggest that the problem with your van and the fobs are with the remotes and not any wiring in the van.

Let us know how you make out.

JustTracy

I totally left that out of my first message. Sorry. I did try that. I just got the inserts yesterday and tried them out. I was sure to place them correctly in the fobs with the metal contacts down on the circuit board. No go.
That's what prompted me to do some more googling on the issue and brought me to your forum.

We found out about the keyless solution from friends that had the same problem. It fixed it for them. Unfortunately, not the solution for us.

ice777

If you are absolutely certain that the FOB is not the problem, then I do not have any further advice except to have someone like a technician look at your van.

Let us know what you decided and of the results. Thanks.

jcbecker28

Take your keyfobs to the auto parts store. They have a place to test to see if your fobs are producing a signal or not. Mine were not, but fixed them with tin foil and silicone. Works like a champ now.

fscoles

If you have ever dropped the fob's onto a hard concrete or institutional floor, it's possible that its battery contact spring has come loose from the circuit board foil. I've had that happen twice in two years with my uplander fob, where I had to resolder the two battery contactor prongs into the circuit board again. If you're not into doing electronic repairs, then have it tested as advised above. Also, sometimes when the fob buttons stop working, it may be a matter of opening up the fob and carefully cleaning (wiping) the (conductive) bottoms of each push button and the foil traces they touch with a wetted Q-tip (use alcohol or trichloroethylene ckt cleaner; the alcohol can be either ethanol, methanol, or Isopropanol; trichloroethylene is available as (CRC is one brand) electrical cleaner spray or as disc brake cleaner spray....do not use the "environmentally friendly" brake cleaner which is acetone or toluene which will destroy the fob's plastics. If the thin carbon film is worn off the button bottoms, then the repair kit listed above will be needed. I've tried repainting the carbon film onto the buttons, but standard graphite paint (Dag154) wears off too quickly. If your fob's are covered by an extended warranty, then of course just get them replaced. The coin batteries are available for little; so I replace the coin cell whenever the fob is opened for servicing. JCBecker, may I assume that your "tin foil & silicone" repair is a matter of glueing small aluminum foil circles to the bottoms of each button?

jcbecker28

Yes. Aluminum foil siliconed to the back of the buttons. They work just like new now.

niceguy88

Good to know...the remote key fob on my '08 Uplander Cargo just quit working it seems yesterday after being slightly erratic over the last few weeks. However, part of the case is also missing as it appears to have been dropped in the past...or it was broken while someone tried to open it up.

I may get a new one off ebay but I've read conflicting info on whether or not you can program it yourself...

jcbecker28

I would try the silicone and small bits of aluminum foil first. I know for a fact the 2005 uplander can't be programmed without a GM scan tool. I have tried in the past every concieveable way including the pin shorting (there were no pins where the pins should have been).

I have fixed 2 remotes for the uplander and 2 remotes for a 2005 malibu. The erratic behavior was exactly what I was experiencing before the fix. 2 of the remotes I had to solder the batter holder back on it three points, but it was super easy with a soldering iron.

niceguy88

Thanks for the tip....I just popped the fob open and indeed, the battery holder is broken away but even holding the battery against the contact and pressing the buttons, nothing happens.

I'm going to grab a new battery and go from there. But what solder did you use? Lead core? Rosin core? Flux core?

I have some 60/40 Rosin core and 60/40 Clear Flux solder on hand. I was soldering some wiring for some headlight projectors and the clear flux was the only one of the 2 that would work. That's why I want to see what kind of solder you used...

Thanks!

Jeremy