Finally got the 2 fobs (made in China) I ordered from bang g**d over 2 weeks ago.

Closest Chevy dealer in Miami says they will program the fobs for $135.00; I thought you guys said it costs $45. LOL. I have been using the key to enter the vehicle, and using the L-U switch to lock the doors when exiting; no problemo so far. Based on other posts and problems owners had with the remote entry fobs, I am wondering if I should get those fobs programmed. Will activating the RKE cause more problems down the road?

I am planning on changing the OEM battery terminals soon, so I would hate to accidentally activate the theft deterrent system when I reconnect the battery and have no programmed fob to turn it off.

 

 

Don't go to a dealership for anything ever. Take it to a local lock company who can program it for a reasonable price

 

Anyone with a Tech 2 scan tool can do it. Just did one for myself.

 

Careful with some Chinese FOBs. Some are too heavy, and will pull your ignition to “OFF” while driving, similar to the big airbag recall (our rigs should have been part of the recall).

 

The issue I had is that the buttons on my original fobs were worn out and sometimes didn't work or required too much pressure. So I bought two key fobs from ebay (cost me like $10) and they look identical to my original GM ones even though they're probably fake. I went to the dealer, they wanted $75 each to program...whatever! All I did was remove the small internal circuit board from my original fob (there's a small tab at the bottom of the fob you need to pry to open), cleaned the contacts on the board where the rubber buttons touch since they were pretty dirty and placed them inside the new fob. It works perfectly and now I essentially have two "just like new" key fobs with no programming required.

 

Forgot to update you listers on this:
Got the FOBs programmed a few months ago at the dealer because it was convenient. They worked fine when standing close to the driver's door, but no other area consistently. Well, I was caught in a thunderstorm last week and went into a hardware store for shelter. While there, I bought new batteries for the FOBs. Now they work perfectly from several feet away from the vehicle, and from all angles.

Sometimes the solution is simple!!!

 

Anytime that I had a problem with the fob, I change the battery and clean the circuit board and button contacts.
Weird thing this morning, I went to unlock the truck, nothing. I replaced the battery, still inoperative. I checked voltage on the battery: 3.1vlts. I cleaned the board and button contacts.Still not working.
I decided to wait until later to diagnose, since I had work to do on a house I own across the street, while the tenants were at work. I parked in that driveway behind the house, and checked my fob. It's working.
I walked back to the house I live in, and looked out the front window, while testing the fob, the lights were flashing on the truck when I hit the unlock button. (I was 150ft away from where the truck was parked).
Something could have jammed the signal this morning?
Recently, there was a news story about this happening to a neighborhood close to me: