Programming Multiple Keyless Entry Remotes to Work with a Vehicle

We received a contact inquiry from a woman named Tish who wanted to buy a second keyless entry remote for her vehicle. She asked if her original remote would still work when she programmed the new one.

This is a perfectly logical question. Many people do not know how programming a new replacement remote may affect previously remotes.

Here is our response:

“Every keyless entry system we know of will allow you to have at least two remotes programmed to work with the same vehicle. Many allow as many as 4 or even more remotes to be used with a single car.”

“As a security feature, some systems clear out the programming for previously programmed remotes when the system is put in programming mode. (This way, if a remote is lost or stolen and you want to prevent the finder or thief from gaining entry to your vehicle, you are able to disable that lost or stolen remote). Because of this feature, when you program a new remote, you should also have with you all of the old remotes that you want to continue using with the vehicle. Then, you program the new remote and all of the old remotes at the same time while you are in programming mode.”

We hope this explanation is helpful to Tish and others who are wondering about this topic.

For more information about programming remote controls, please see the section regarding Programming Issues on the Frequently Asked Questions page of our website.