5 Tips to Extend the Range of Your Key Fob

Keyless entry is a convenience when you don't have to be on top of the car to use it.

David Gluckman | 

Dec 12, 2024 | 3 min read

Manuel Carrillo III | Capital One

Remote keyless entry is one of the great advancements of the modern automotive era. Locking and unlocking a car without turning a key or even touching the vehicle can add convenience to our daily lives. It allows for control of your vehicle from a distance.

If this function on your key fob stops working from the range it once did, here are some possible solutions.

Replace the Key Fob Battery

This may seem obvious, but remote fobs work best with a healthy battery. If your fob fails to work from the distance it used to, the most straightforward remedy is to replace its battery.

Replacements are usually coin or button cell batteries. You can find them at most hardware and grocery stores. Your owner's manual or an online video can tell you how to open your fob, remove and replace the old battery, and then put everything together again. Battery replacement is also a good idea if your fob is working intermittently.

Hold the Fob Higher

Most key fobs work over ultrahigh-frequency radio waves, which don't require a direct line of sight between transmitter and receiver to work. Still, those waves can travel farther when there is no obstruction because radio waves reflect, diffract, and refract when they encounter various materials. Holding the key fob up high when you press to lock or unlock can give the signal a better chance of reaching its target: the antenna on the vehicle. The less stuff in the way, the farther the signal can travel.

Manuel Carrillo III

Use Your Body as an Antenna

An easy way to extend the range of a radio transmitter doesn't require any special tools. It works with something you undoubtedly have with you: your head. Though it seems like a joke, using your body as an antenna is an effective range-extending method that is verified by fact-checking website Snopes.

Try holding the key fob to your head. Your chin is a good, somewhat inconspicuous place. Your cranium will act as an antenna. Your head will conduct the signal thanks to the fluid in your skull. That's using your head.

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Add a Range Extender to the Vehicle

You can attack poor signal transmission at the destination rather than the source. Some car manufacturers and aftermarket companies sell key fob range extenders that equip the vehicle with a bigger antenna.

These antennas are usually aimed at extending the working range of remote-start systems, sometimes up to 2,500 feet.

Crack Open the Contents

If none of the above solutions solve your problem and you're up for it, you can crack open the fob and make some alterations. A misstep here could be expensive; fobs can cost hundreds of dollars and often require special programming by a dealer. However, if you know your way around a soldering iron, you can connect a small piece of wire to the antenna on the fob's circuit board, effectively increasing its size.

Approach any modifications to your key fob carefully, as a wrong connection can quickly render it useless, and your manufacturer warranty may not cover damage from an attempted key fob hack.

David Gluckman

David Gluckman has over a decade of experience as a writer and editor for print and digital automotive publications. He can parallel park a school bus, has a spreadsheet listing every vehicle he’s ever tested, and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest gimmicky foodstuffs that America has to offer.