4G Infra Red Key Battery Replacement

11891952 · Post by **11891952** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:12 pm

Has anybody done it and is willing to offer guidance?

I have the system, I'm pretty sure the charging circuit is functional as the key generally works once or twice, as long as it's not too long after it was in the ignition. So my current money is on the rechargeable battery having outlived its useful life.

If anybody can tell me what battery it needs and how to take the key apart without breaking it that would be great. I might even stick some photos up

Joe.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:20 pm

The housing of the key pulls off mate. Hold the metal bit, hold the plastic bit and pull. It's probably stuck together with years of grime etc.. The battery will be marked with its code inside.

11891952 · Post by **11891952** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:33 pm

I did wonder

Though I did also try and it didn't move easily, so I thought I'd ask before damaging something.

Anyway, thanks for the reply. I'll give it a go later.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 1:36 pm

It will be tough to get apart.. good luck.

11891952 · Post by **11891952** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 11:40 am

Well, you weren't wrong. It was tough, mine had been glued together

Anyway, I though I'd stick up a few pics as I failed to find any (and even remembered to take some while I was doing it

) when I was looking for confirmation I wasn't being a k-nob.

So it comes apart (eventually, after much cursing and scoring with a scalpel and prizing with a screwdriver) like this

Now I suspect Honda didn't want this to be user serviceable/weren't expecting it would need it. The pins of the cells are soldered to the board

So a quick whiz with the soldering iron and de-soldering gun and we have separate board and cells.

The cells are Panasonic VL1220/1FC, but that tab configuration seems tricky to get hold of. RS stock them with straight tabs so it may be a case of a little modification.

Anyway hopefully this might proof useful to somebody. I'll try and remember to update it if I make any more progress.

Joe.

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 1:39 pm

Thanks for the pics - need to do this on Lisa's.
I expect the soldered tabs were largely because of reliability rather than not intending it to be serviceable.

11891952 · Post by **11891952** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 5:14 pm

No problem. That's entirely possible, and they may well be the originals, so I'm not complaining. If I get anywhere with finding the cells with the correct tabs, or ones that haven't and I change them, I'll post it up.

bb1boy · Post by **bb1boy** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 11:29 am

Mine needs doing too but mine has a broken external charging leg. I don't know if that can be fixed.. unless I get an old intact spare key from somewhere perhaps?

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 11:31 am

My breaker has the same problem (one of the charging legs broken). I'm hoping I can sort it so I can use it on the BB4 (which I has remote c/l but I don't have the remote key for

)

Incidentally, on the search for the replacement cells... Have you tried cpc?

EDIT:
Or here...

http://www.partmaster.co.uk/vl12201fc-c ... pid=499948
Or here...
http://www.buyspares.co.uk/vl12201fc-ca ... 1220%2F1FC

Post by **Vtecmec** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 7:28 pm

wurlycorner wrote:I'm hoping I can sort it so I can use it on the BB4 (which I has remote c/l but I don't have the remote key for )

Can these be reprogrammed? That is if I can find a key, can I match it to the car? Please say yes.