P-reg Vectra Central Locking Remote (round type)

[Tony Whitmore]

Hi,

I've got a P-reg Vectra (1.6L) which has a key and separate central
locking remote (it's round). I have one central locking remote which has
recently stopped working (probably a dry-joint or bad contact - past
posts suggest that this is not uncommon).

I went to the local Vauxhall dealership in Southampton and asked for a
replacement remote, and was sold one for about 35 quid. It looks to be
the same, with the exception of having little logos on the buttons to
show which one is for locking, which one for unlocking.

I asked the guy at the counter if it needed to be set up or coded to
work with the car, and he said that I just needed to follow the
instructions in the manual.

The manual says to put the key in the ignition, turn to position II and
press one of the buttons on the remote within 30 seconds. The central
locking is supposed to trigger as a sign that the remote has been set.
However, all the illustrations in the manual show a key with integrated
remove, so I'm not sure they are even the correct instructions.

Other posts I've found on the net suggest to try this with the driver's
door open, which I've done with no success.

Is there a different way of setting up a new remote for the round
keyfobs than those integrated with the key? Was the vendor correct in
saying that the remote didn't need any configuration other than that
which I can do?

Thanks in advance,

Tony

 

[mikeFNB]

if its the type i have
i think you hold both button in together till the horn goes

mike

 

[Tony Whitmore]

if its the type i have
i think you hold both button in together till the horn goes

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the tip - I tried it but it didn't work. In the end I took
it back to the parts department and fortunately got a different clerk
this time. This guy went away and made some enquiries and said that it
"probably did need registering". Not being able to find a card with
codes on it anywhere in the car, it was going to be a service job, and I
got referred to the other desk.

The guy at the service desk was very helpful. He said that he wasn't
sure if my car was new enough to require the code card, so he hooked it
up to the computer and the mechanic was able to register the new remote
with the car. Then it worked like a dream.

So it looks like the original parts guy was wrong and the round type of
central locking remote does require registering with the car before it
works. (At least, cars of this age.) Had I had the card with the codes
on it I could have (possibly) registered the new remote myself dialling
the code in using the lock.

As I didn't, it cost 25 quid (plus the 35 quid for the purchase of the
remote) to get it working with the car.

Hopefully this wil be Google-able in the future to help out people like
me.

Tony