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Fixing a keyfob for a '97 BMW 740i

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
My car is 17 years old. My keys are also 17 years old and look every bit of it. I got tired of looking at these shabby keys as well as having to push the buttons down so far to get them to work.

Here is a quick pic tutorial on fixing a key fob. It is easy and gives a well-worn key a quick and easy facelift. I watched a vid on youtube and thought: "hey, even I can do that." :eek:

Ordered a pack of 5 keypads off of Amazon (about 5 bucks) and here is the result...

Obviously, the key on the left is the "before" and the key on the right is the "after".

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The back of the key pops off to reveal two tiny screws which are removed. Then the battery is taken out and the old rubber keypad is removed. You do have to be careful not to break the molding around the interior of the button holes as the new pad will be fitted around them. Also there is a tiny transponder chip (not pictured) that will fall out. Make sure it doesn't get thrown out or else the key will not function.


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Before putting the new keypad in, you have to cut off the little part of the pad that protrudes off the main lock button. I used a scissor. Then you fit the keypad into the key and replace the battery over it and close it up. It takes all of 10 minutes for both keys. :thumbup1:

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Once everything is closed up you now have new keys for your old car. :biggrin:
IMO, certainly a better option than spending hundreds of dollars to get a new key from BMW. :yesnod:
It's also nice not to have to depress the buttons so deeply.

If you have some beat up keypads and want to give them an inexpensive facelift, give it a whirl.
 
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Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
BOOM! Never knew it was that easy. I would have been one of the guys to order completely new keys.
 
I guess you don't have pets...

:laugh:
True story, I was working at a vet clinic at the time we decided to get my male cat fixed. I wasnt the one cutting and tying, but I had to give the premed injections, "prep the area" and hold the feet.
It was also the only time that I got light headed and nauseous during a procedure. And they still charged me full price.
 

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
Thats awesome, my theory is if you cant take it apart and fix it yourself, then you dont really own it.

:thumbup1:

After the keys got a facelift, another item that needed a quick fix to spruce up the interior a bit was new floor mats. Something that is easy and really makes a big difference in the appearance of the interior.


DRIVER SIDE

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PASSENGER SIDE

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BACK SEAT

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johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
Last upgrade/repair for now. For awhile now, the display pixels on my speedometer have been out. After searching around I found a company in CA that would do the repair for a reasonable cost. I removed the speedometer from the dash and packed it up and sent it off to Cali.

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No driving for a couple of days...

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A few days later...

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packed nicely

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Reinstalled in dash and it lit up like its Christmas... :thumbup1:

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Admittedly, there were a few kinks during the reinstallation but after some research and some anxious moments :)rolleyes:) everything worked out fine and I am pleased with the results.
 
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johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
You're a braver man than me on that last one. It ain't corned beef.

You're right. Corned beef is much more complicated. :lol:

It does appear to be a daunting task at first but 2 screws, 3 plugs and some choice curse words, it was a breeze. :biggrin:
 

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
Another repair. I noticed that the trim on the outside of the dash console was starting to pucker. After doing some research on a BMW site I found a nice fix it. The repair I read about used fancy clamps which I did not have but I did have large paper clips and popsicle sticks. :biggrin:

I removed a portion of the trim and removed some fasteners and a couple of screws in the footwell so that I could lower the bottom portion of the dash.

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I put glue between the portion of the trim that was coming apart. I used the popsicle sticks (cherry flavored, if you must know :wink:) so that the clips would not damage the trim.

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After a couple of hours I removed and re-assembled everything and it worked out pretty nicely. When removing the trim I did break one of the fasteners (after 17 years, plastic can get a somewhat brittle) and I went to a local BMW dealer and replaced it. The fastener cost $1.69. It was worth it. :yesnod:

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Awesome, my wifes dash on her ford focus had some interment instrument lights flashing (even while in park and off) i took the dash off and cleaned the back with some electrical contact cleaner. Most of the flashing lights went away.

Was going to do a whole new dash but ford and other manufactures store the vehicle mileage in the digital dash itself and I would have had to get the new dash reprogrammed with the old mileage.
 

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
I was bored this morning so I decided to clean the engine bay of my car. I lightly hosed down the engine compartment after covering up a few items like the alternator and the fuse box and a couple of exposed connectors. Then I sprayed it down with a degreaser (Simple Green) and brushed as much of the compartment as I could reach. I rinsed the engine and dried any free standing water with some towels and then let the engine run for about 5 minutes to dry up any water left in the bay. After everything cooled down, I did a little detailing with a spray called 303 Aerospace Protectant which gives life back to all of the black vinyl and plastic pieces under the hood. Besides looking nice, cleaning the engine bay is a good way to get rid of the grime and grease that builds up and is part of the overall maintenance of your automobile. Trust me, I never did it before and when I leased autos, I rarely, if ever looked under the hood. After all, the car was just going back to the dealer and was under warranty.


Before:

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After:

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johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
This car is a process. The car be exhilarating when it performs as intended or it can drive you bananas when things fail.
So far the former has exceeded the latter so we continue on down the road. :thumbup1:
 
303 is good stuff. I use it on the vinyl interiors on the insides of my cars. It's brought some life back into my wife's neglected dashboard and is keeping my new car looking brand new.
 

johnniegold

"Got Shoes?"
303 is good stuff. I use it on the vinyl interiors on the insides of my cars. It's brought some life back into my wife's neglected dashboard and is keeping my new car looking brand new.

After reading several engine detailing articles, 303 was recommended because dust didn't stick to it (or something like that :rolleyes: )

I'll give it a try on the dashboard.
 
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