Key Help

We are occasionally avid readers of your column. We happened to find your radio program amid the noise so here’s the question now that we found the web address:

It’s a '97 Catera that, after six hours of cleaning off the honey bees, looks good but the remote doesn’t want to work. The owner says the car is mad for getting parked outside in a Cleveland snow storm. I say it isn’t so, the Pittsburgh honey bees gummed up something I haven’t found to clean yet. Is it really a battery? Is there some secret rite of passage in how to install a battery? Please help. The owner doesn’t like fiddle with the key because it occasionally sets off an alarm. Thank you.

WHAT??

Are you asking how to put a battery in your remote? in your car? or how to program your remote?

The car really was a mess from the honey bees. But, the real problem seems to be the remote door lock. We couldn’t test it till we could clean off the car enough to get inside. Really. I think there is probably a battery inside the remote, but I’ve heard there is some reset that needs to be done to get it to work. I really don’t want to screw something up by taking it apart only to find there is something else to do to make the new battery allow the remote door lock to work. Now, any better. Still, please help. Thanks.

I’ve put a new battery in a Catera and it’s a hassel. They are gift wrapped and there’s a junction box right beside it. I could do that again, if I had to but not with a lot of joy on my part. So, yes how do you get a battery into the remote door lock and get that to function? Catera is a Opel and the owners manual is all in German. A tuff read. Is there something else other than dropping a new battery in the remote door lock key fob? I have been led to believe there is some reset but that sound odd. Thanks for your reply and looking forward to getting it operational.