Resolving Renault Issues: Keycard Not Detected/Recognised
Reported Issue
A lady rang us in a stressed state saying that her Renault Captur 2015 would not start in a Tesco carpark in Bristol. When trying to start the vehicle, the vehicle displayed “keycard not recognised”.
First Impressions
This is a common issue with Renault keycards and we have carried out many card replacements over the years. Sometimes there can be a fault with the card reader, but more often than not, a new key card is needed to resolve this fault. Sometimes the dash will say “key card not detected” others will say “key card not recognised”.
How We Reacted
We arranged to meet her at the Tesco carpark, giving notice of how long it would take so that we could tally up arrival times. On inspection of the vehicle, we were able to supply and programme a new keycard for the vehicle, which solved the issue.
The Outcome
Our customer was happy to be on her way again as she was concerned about parking fees at the supermarket and needed her car for work. She was very grateful she didn’t have to catch the bus home! At Lock City, we always carry Renault keycards to help motorists with this common issue. Although this vehicle was a Captur, this problem has been seen many times for the Megane and Grand Scenic, along with other Renault models that use the keycard system.
The Key System Behind the Fault
The 2015 Renault Captur does not use a conventional key at all: it uses Renault’s hands-free keycard — a credit-card-shaped card carrying a transponder and remote that the car reads to authorise entry and start. When the card’s internal electronics fail (or, less often, the card reader), the dash throws keycard not detected or keycard not recognised, and the car will not start. Supplying and programming a fresh keycard to the vehicle on-site restored it. The same keycard architecture runs across the Clio, Mégane, Scénic and Grand Scénic, which is why we always carry the blanks and the software to code them.
If your Renault shows a keycard error, see our Renault Captur key replacement page, our wider Renault key replacement service, or our car key programming service, where we cut and code a replacement to your car at the roadside.