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Renault Laguna?

I have a Renault Laguna 2002 and the key/fob/ignition card has been bent and it will not lock or opn the doors but still works the ignition. Is there anything i can do?
Dave Hills, March 2009
You will see on the card there is a little red light on the key card that illuminates when you press the buttons, the switches that these buttons operate are assembled using very little and probably weak solder, they go for a past time just through general use but if its been bent I think it has probably had the same effect and has broke the solder on both or maybe just one of the switches, try pressing both buttons and obviously any switch that is still intact and working the light will illuminate, on my one the lock switch lit the light but the unlock did not, in my case I shook the card by my ear and you can hear the switch rattling round inside.
Now comes the fun bit, these cards are not supposed to be repairable as they are a sealed unit but with a sharp blade you can go right round the key and cut it open, I can't emphasise enough the need for caution here as I nearly cut myself a couple of times, the first time I done it I absolutely knackered the key because although I had thought of this before I started I was digging the blade in to far and ended up cutting another chip off the circuit board inside ! then it was beyond repair, then we had one at work that exactly the same thing happened so not being one to be defeated I took the challenge got it apart and re-soldered the switch back on, The orientation of the switch is very important, the wrap around lugs MUST be to the sides. You have to have small gauge solder and a fine tip soldering iron even better if its a gas one with a fine tip once re-soldered check the switch is illuminating the light before glueing the card back together I used mitre fix glue with activator that you can get from wickes etc or just use araldite or something and hey presto it works, best to take your time with it not like I did the first time.The key had to be ordered from France as Renault dealers do not stock them it was lucky I had a spare but have since replaced it.
Hope this helps Good luck

Gareth, April 2009
link Click here to see other fixes for Renault.