Default Help-Both Key Fobs Stopped working properly-1998 Buick Century-Keyless Entry

[jimtmcdaniels]

Hi any suggestions?:  
1998 Buick Century 3.1 105,000 miles. Factory keyless entry, anti theft chip in ignition key, no alarm system.
Owned the car for a year now, came with one key fob. I bought a second new key fob on ebay, right after I got the car. It looks just the same as the other one and synched and both key fobs have been working just great with the vehicle.
Now recently recently the car battery needed replacement, put a new battery in. 
Shortly after, both key fobs stopped working at all or intermittently and when working required very close proximity to the car. 

Replaced both key fob batteries and cleaned all contacts in key fobs with a damp rag and reassembled. No change.

Re-synched both key fobs to car, using both the technique of holding unlock door button on driver's door while pressing unlock lock buttons on key fob one at a time till chirps are heard. Also then tried the place key in ignition three times and pressing both unlock lock key fob buttons till chirps heard. Chirps confirmed ok but key fobs still not working most of the time. It's like the pickup antenna on the car is broken or ....a corroded fuse or...

Any ideas to try? thanks

 

[digitaloutsider]

Welcome! The Regal and Century have the RKE box located behind the instrument panel (maybe directly adjacent, either way, you have to remove the gauge cluster). It has a flat copper lead for an antenna, if i recall correctly. It's possible the box itself got a bit fried when the new battery was put in. 

The range on my '01 Regal is less than stellar, and the 01+ system is better than the 98-00 one. Basically, that is to say, they kinda sucked in the first place. But if they truly did get worse, you might want to try just swapping the boxes out and reprogramming. Another 98-00 box should work. I don't recall where they are in the Grand Prixs, but it does interchange between them. 

98-00 Regal, 98-00 Grand Prix, 98-00 Intrigue, 98-00 Silhouette, 98-00 Trans Sport/Montana, and 98-00 Venture all use the same box.