Any tips on removing a key blade with clip from an OEM fob?

[Bolin]

As titled

I want to remove a key blade from an OEM fob, keeping the small black plastic clip intact in the process.

These can often refuse to come out, yet the metal blade and roll pin do come out, thereby ruining the clip and fob shell.

A search has come up with a few tips so far:

- Pull straight out sharply
- Wiggle side-to-side as you pull
- Use pliers to pull the blade as you wiggle
- Use a fair bit of force but not too much (so.... how do I judge this?)
- Apply a hot and cold treatment (I guess run under hot tap and then put in freezer?)
- Hold the blade in a vice and gently prise the fob shell away

Has anybody got any more advice or tips before I try removing another one?

I think hot water without any freezing did perhaps contribute to my clip softening too much and the blade pulling out but the clip already appeared to have a crack, and the blade was already very slightly bent so might have been abused in the past. Given the crack in the clip and the missing buttons I haven't ruined anything good, but obviously want to avoid any further damage to good fob shells and clips.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks, Bolin.

[Dallas]

The blade should just pull out quite easily, unless the key blade has been glued in.

Some people glue the blade in, the only way of getting the blade out is by damaging the casing and the little black collar that sits at the end of the blade. If you end up doing this, you can just buy another blank key blade and casing, and just use the little black plastic collar and pin. You can then fit the newly purchased black collar and pin to your old blade, once you safely remove the old black collar and pin that is.

[chipsceola]

here you go, how to with pictures

[Bolin]

Originally Posted by Dallas

The blade should just pull out quite easily, unless the key blade has been glued in.

Some people glue the blade in, the only way of getting the blade out is by damaging the casing and the little black collar that sits at the end of the blade. If you end up doing this, you can just buy another blank key blade and casing, and just use the little black plastic collar and pin. You can then fit the newly purchased black collar and pin to your old blade, once you safely remove the old black collar and pin that is.

Thanks - the problem may then be when the blade has been glued in, rather than any particular removal method.

I have a good second-hand OEM fob with traces of glue, but the clip hole is otherwise perfect (purchased without the clip/blade), so I wonder if it is factory glue that wasn't too strong and if some other s/h keys have been previously glued in by owners using stronger stuff.

I want to use the second-hand OEM fob mentioned above, so need an OEM clip/collar as fake ones are a slightly different size (so buying another blank blade/case to get a collar won't help as these are all fakes) - I have a couple of second-hand fobs to get collars from BUT need to remove them without damage. I guess I just have to hope that, using the methods above, I am lucky and there is no damage, and if there is just buy more used fobs until I get lucky?

Originally Posted by chipsceola

here you go, how to with pictures

Thanks, the advice there is also to pull the blade with pliers - I had managed to damage one key just be using my hands, but seemingly the clip was broken before.

[T-Cut]

However you do it, I'd say there's an 80% chance of some damage to the 'clip' part. These keys aren't designed to be 'serviced'.


TC

[Bolin]

I did think that the idea of the clip was that if your leg hit the key fob in the steering lock, it could detach from the blade and clip to prevent leg injury and just be pressed back together. But maybe not!

[marinabrian]

PM me your address Colin and I'll stick one in the post for you

Brian

[Bolin]

Hi Brian, that is a very kind offer, many thanks indeed

PM incoming