I have a 2000 Nissan Maxima. My keyless entry is broken which prevents me from starting the car. The dealership wants over 200 dollars for a new one. Can I buy one online and program it myself or do I HAVE to have the dealer program it.

 

They key fob, or the key is broken? Reads like the remote.

 

The buttons on the remote are messed up. When I bought the car a few months ago, the previous owner was having trouble with it and it looks like he used a pen or something to press it. It is really damaged.

 

I don't understand how the remote prevents you from starting the car. Is the car stock or have you got some 3rd party alarm system installed?

You can take the remote apart, remove the printed circuit board and clean the muck and yuck from around the little switches on the printed circuit board. Use isopropyl alcohol. If you are lucky, there is no real damage. You should be able to hear a faint click when you press the switch.

Otherwise you will just have to buy a new remote. Make sure that it has a FCC id of NHVWBU43.

A new remote will have to be programmed to the car, but it is a simple process that you can do yourself.

 

The person I talked to at the Nissan dealership said that it is the original remote.

The previous owner poked it so much with something sharp that he damaged the circuit under the rubber part of the button.

The dealer said that it is equipped with an immobilizer. So if I don't press the unlock button, it won't start or do anything.

I looked at a youtube video on programming these keyless entry remotes and the guy said that if it is standard, anyone can program it but if it is a 'smart(?)' keyless remote, the dealer would have to do it.

Also, the door tag says that it is a 1999 but the title says 2000.

Can you tell based on the year of the car which it is?
The guy at the parts department at the dealership didn't seem to know.

 

I'm failing to see the problem here.

Until you get a new keyfob, unlock the door with the key. Then start your car as normal.

You have a 2000 Max. It was built in 1999.

Get the same keyfob off of ebay with the FCC ID DennisMik mentioned. It's not expensive at all.

 

I had the exact problem like yours. My Maxi is a 2000 SE, previous owner broke the remote. I bought one from Ebay and reprogrammed it, and that's it.

Sorry has no input to "smart remote", never heard.

 

I have bought 5 fobs off Amazon. Less than 10 bucks shipped, comes with instructions, and a link to a video. Takes 15 seconds to program. Good Luck.

 

Is NHVWBU43 on the remote? When I opened mine it has a sticker with 905CB4A on it. Mine is a 2000 also. Thank you.

 

Sometimes the key fobs can also start acting up and only working intermittently due to the need of a simple battery replacement which is probably all it needed before the previous owner started jabbing the buttons with sharp objects.

 

True, but mine is the broken button switch.

 

Just bought one off of ebay for $28 with the printed programming instructions for my 01 se

 

The FCC ID is NHVWBU43. This number is molded into the plastic on the outside back side of the remote. I don't know what the 905CB4A number is for.

If you look on the back of the remote, on the rounded end, the 2nd line of tiny print starts with FCC and the id # follows. You'll probably need a magnifying glass and bright light to read it.

 

$200 bucks for a keyfob remote???