Key FOB Battery time.

[FARWEST]

Hi guys...evic has been letting me know the battery was low in the key fob...3 or 4 weeks of me ignoring it and another 'symptom' appeared....vehicle wouldnt lock with the lock button on the fob...would unlock with fob and lock and unlock with the door handle sensors and buttons...its finally raining in the driest part of the one of the driest continents on Earth, so off to the Auto store to replace the battery...new battery installed...lock button still wont work...have both fobs so home I go to swap the new battery into the 'spare' fob and see if that works...tried the 'spare' fob and worked fine without a new battery....attempted to swap the new battery into the 'spare' fob and have a fob with a faulty lock button as my new spare....nope...'delicate' prying n twisting wasnt 'splitting either fob....DONT want to destroy a fob so back to the Auto store....Owner had a laugh and re-iterated his disdain for the brand I drive...swapped batteries and now NEITHER fob works on the 'field tester'....hmmmm.....we had a very close look...read: used a magnifying glass....at the contacts.....ASSESSMENT RESULTS :
The contacts on the fob I had been using showed signs of 'wear and tear'...ie: if you compressed the top of the fob...end where 'spare get of jail free key' is located...the fob worked fine...the 'erosion' on the contact caused tge fob to be faulty as NO contact from battery to circuit board was being made...compress fob spare key end and contact was made and fob operated.
Have 'swapped' new battery into what was my spare fob and all good....when initial swap was done the fob had not 'clipped' sealed correctly and same point of contact was not being achieved...reseal/cip and all good.
FYI....for those that experience a fob that wont operate to lock the vehicle via the lock button...CAREFULLY open the fob and check the small contact pad located above the battery and look for erosion/wear and tear....using 'backyard engineering' I'm sure a tiny shim/piece of rubber/spacer could be used to ensure the contacts make contact....try this BEFORE purchasing a new fob...which comes with its own dramas, apart from the cost.
Any queries reply to this thread and I'll be a bit more specific with pix attached....as long as I can pry open the spare fob !!!

[drover]

Just in case for others info to open the fob case, first pull out the key then insert key into slot next to key slot, hold key at an angle and twist key, fob should pop open....

A wipe of the terminals with metho using a clean cloth and a possible very gentle lift of the tab will improve contact, also make sure new battery doesn't have a light plastic film over it as I had a battery with it, took a lot of swearing before I discovered it, I had peeled the plastic off but it had left some on the battery ....

CR2032 needed.

[layback40]

& if you are going to the beach, put your fob in a ziploc plastic bag. Salty wet hands & fobs dont get on well.
Saw it happen to a Honda owner many years ago. Had to wash it under a tap & dry it in the sun.

[drover]

Originally Posted by layback40

& if you are going to the beach, put your fob in a ziploc plastic bag. Salty wet hands & fobs dont get on well.
Saw it happen to a Honda owner many years ago. Had to wash it under a tap & dry it in the sun.

Was going out in the Kayak once using the Jeep to get there so vac sealed the key fob so it wouldn't get wet if we went over.... phone had a special sealed case.

[FARWEST]

Should have given you a call (Drover) when I was holding my tongue at all varying angles imaginable as I 'grappled' to split the fob open....didnt want to look as stupid as I am to you...sharing my lack of knowledge with thousands is much more relaxing...thanks mate....cheers...

[Grippy]

Have had to replace both of mine a few times, the batteries don't seem to last too long, but the fob pops open with ease.
Remember, if it does go flat, you can pop the key out to get in,vpop the start button out and you shove the end of the fob in there and turn it like a key, had to do it a while back

[drover]

Originally Posted by FARWEST

Should have given you a call (Drover) when I was holding my tongue at all varying angles imaginable as I 'grappled' to split the fob open....didnt want to look as stupid as I am to you...sharing my lack of knowledge with thousands is much more relaxing...thanks mate....cheers...

One of my sons has a Jeep, after 2 years or so he asked me about how to get in if FOB dies, I pulled mine out and showed him the key, his jaw dropped as he had no idea ..... I then showed him the book in his glove box.......

I pulled the key out trying to find how to crack the thing open, saw the slot but too lazy to go get a screwdriver so used end of key, then later I noticed it mentioned in that glove box book............ ............... changed my batteries once so far....