Renault Megane Card Reader fail

jezzer · 28-08-2014 08:22AM #1

Folks, at the moment when i place the keycard for my renault megane in the slot it says keycard not detected, i have to wiggle it about a bit and eventually it detects it and starts, as the keycard is locking and opening the car i presume the issue is the keycard reader, any idea what i should do? can it be fixed or will i have to get a new one? if so any idea of cost? how can i check for definite what the issue is? i am afraid i am going to get stuck somewhere, last time i ever buy a renault, many thanks

:(

cml387 · 28-08-2014 08:30AM

I have never used them, but there is a company in Cork that claims they can fix them.
I had a Megane once. I won't buy Renault again.

naughtysmurf · 28-08-2014 09:52AM

cml387 wrote: »

I have never used them, but there is a company in Cork that claims they can fix them.
I had a Megane once. I won't buy Renault again.

Used them, quick turnaround, excellent job, think the solder joints go dry in them

jezzer · 28-08-2014 10:19AM

thanks guys, anyone similar located in dublin?

anonanymore · 28-08-2014 10:37AM

There's a crowd on the Naas Road between Long Mile and the Red Cow, used them myself, cat remember the name.

jezzer · 28-08-2014 10:42AM

thanks anonanymore, do they fix the keycard readers or just the keycards?

Kimbot · 28-08-2014 10:44AM

anonanymore wrote: »

There's a crowd on the Naas Road between Long Mile and the Red Cow, used them myself, cat remember the name.

Autokey? They moved up to where the Renault garage are at newlands cross. There is a fella at Ballyfermot/Palmerstown there, he is an auto electrician that does alarms and all im sure he can sort you out.

slimjimmc · 28-08-2014 11:51AM

OP, it's far more likely to be the card itself than the reader. Cards tend to get flexed over time and this can eventually break a soldered joint inside the card. If your spare card (the one without the integral emergency door key) works without problem then your reader is ok.

I got my card repaired by Autokey, professional repair and usually ready next day. They don't do collection so you have to get the card to them.

jezzer · 28-08-2014 12:41PM

the spare card wont work in it either, but i dont think it ever worked, the card moves around too easily in the slot as if there is something missing, i have a feeling its the reader that is the issue

slimjimmc · 28-08-2014 08:46PM

The "Card not detected" occurs when the key is faulty too so it may or may not be the reader. I have read that readers can fail although key card damage seems more prevalent.
I'm not sure what you mean by the key moving around too easily, can you explain more. The key is not meant to be a tight fit but neither should you be able to wiggle it more than a few mm from side-to-side, even less vertically. Is there anything in the slot stopping the card from being fully inserted?

BTW the card's circuitry for the ignition is separate to the door lock remote control buttons on the card. For a start it's not normally powered, the batteries are only for the remote control. When you insert the card into the reader the card depresses a micro-switch which triggers the reader (the display changes to "press start"). An induction coil in the reader sends a current into another induction coil inside the card, powering the card's security circuit. Only then does the card transmit it's code to the reader which then forwards the code to the immobiliser ECU for validation. So you see, the fact the remote control buttons work doesn't mean anything. What commonly happens is that a solder joint which connects the card's induction coil to the circuitry breaks inside the card so the card can't transmit it's ID. Bending or squeezing the card while in the reader can temporarily reconnect this break and allow the card to start. The only remedy is a repair or replacement card. A repair is preferred since it doesn't require recoding, therefore doesn't need the car on hand and is cheaper.

cml387 · 28-08-2014 08:57PM

jezzer wrote: »

the spare card wont work in it either, but i dont think it ever worked, the card moves around too easily in the slot as if there is something missing, i have a feeling its the reader that is the issue

It's likely that you have two faulty cards. The slot is only a slot, theres no actual connection made, as if you were connecting a sim in a phone for example.

jezzer · 29-08-2014 07:21AM

thanks guys, slimjimmc, when i insert the card into the slot i can put it in at an angle, i can veer it to the side a little, i did this yesterday and it started, a couple of times the error message on the dash read card reader fault when i was wriggling the card around, although this may be just because the reader cant read the card after numerous attempts to start the car, i see what you mean regarding the card working on locking the car, again the same problem yesterday, after wriggling the card about for a few minutes i eventually got the car started

slimjimmc · 29-08-2014 04:57PM

On my early model Meg II there is no way I can put the card in at an angle, the card fits in neatly. It's possible something has broken or become dislodged in such a way that the card is not being presented to the reader correctly, eg. if the card is angled downwards it might not be in range of the reader until you wriggle it back into range.
If you're handy at DIY you could remove the centre dash facia and see if everything is in it's place.

galwayspur · 29-08-2014 05:07PM

Same thing happened to mine a couple of weeks back, it would eventually start after 5-6 attempts. I sent it off to KC Systems in Watergrasshill, Cork and they had it back to me a couple of days later, e70.00 is what it cost me and now works perfectly.

ImDave · 29-08-2014 07:26PM

I had the same issue when I had a Megane earlier in the year. I fixed it myself having watched a YouTube video detailing the repair for the most common fault. Only took about an hour to get sorted and worked perfectly thereafter.

The cards are a poor design, as I have heard of plenty of people having trouble with them. As another poster here described, there is a small induction coil inside the card which is what the card reader detects from. There are two small contacts from the circuit board attached to this coil. What happened in my case was one of the two contacts had just broken at the soldering point, so was very easy to put right. It is quite frail, so I would guess it originally broke off from being in my pocket or something like that.

If you are looking to save cash and have a soldering iron handy, it might be something you could look at doing yourself.

goz83 · 31-08-2014 10:04AM

This can easily be resolved. Petrol and a match. Goodbye Megane :cool:

jezzer · 01-09-2014 09:26AM

got it sorted, it was the card, although i'm still not happy that the card is going in at an angle, its working perfectly now anyway! last time i will ever even look at a renault, who the heck thought it was a good idea to design a card to start a car with...

Renault Megane Card Reader fail

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