Kwikset acting possessed after a battery change? Re-run door handing

What this error means

Kwikset's SmartCode locks learn your door's swing direction through the 'door handing process' — and their own battery instructions bundle it: press and HOLD the Lock button while installing the battery pack, keep holding until the bolt starts moving on its own (it runs a full extend/retract cycle). Skip it and you get the classic symptoms: bolt moving the wrong way, beeping refusals, solid red LED. If the bolt doesn't self-cycle, Kwikset says pull the pack, wait 15 seconds, retry.

Symptoms

• Bolt extends when it should retract (or vice versa) after new batteries
• Solid red status LED
• Keypad unresponsive right after battery change

Try this first (safe DIY steps)

1. Remove the battery pack
2. Press and HOLD the Lock button; insert the pack while holding
3. Keep holding until the bolt begins moving by itself — that's the handing cycle; let it finish with the door OPEN
4. No self-cycle? Remove pack, wait 15 seconds, repeat

Safety: power off before any physical intervention. Never bypass covers or interlocks — fuser areas run hot enough to burn.

When to call a technician

If handing repeatedly fails with good batteries, the lock's motor or board is failing — SmartCode hardware is ~$100–$200 to replace.