Key fob low battery message

[nu11eaf]

After 30 months of exclusive use of my waterproof buttonless key fob I have just had a message pop up on driver display saying "key fob battery low" glad to know you do get a warning it is getting low. It's a shame you can't replace the battery without cutting it open.

[Lexman8]

It'll be interesting to see how much difference there is between using it all the time versus only occasionally given that the fob must be constantly active even if you seldom/never use it.

My guess is that using it a lot means it transmits more often which will use more power than when it's simply receiving/listening. However, I guess too that it only transmits for a few milliseconds while it passes the code to the car.

After 27 months of partial use mine is still okay.

[nu11eaf]

My fob is still working ok but I did have to touch the door handle a couple of times this morning before car unlocked, the warning light came on when I started the car, it did not come on durning serveral trips after that and car unlocked with first touch of handle.
May be having fob in my trouser pocket warmed it up giving battery a small bit of boost, this is what we used to do when I was a kid to get more life out of batteries when they were flat. Not in pocket but buy the open coal fire.

[gaby]

Originally Posted by nu11eaf

It's a shame you can't replace the battery without cutting it open.

If it can't be used anymore, perhaps you can try to open it,
probably nothing to loose but perhaps something to learn!

[Whyman]

If it is less than 36 months old then it should be covered by warranty.

There is another post on here about the same subject and the original poster has been quoted £160 for the fob and £100 to code it to the car. In the posts there is also a picture of one broken open showing that it uses a standard battery so if you take it apart carefully you could change the battery and glue it back together. Might not be waterproof though!

[nu11eaf]

I have seen the photo of the fob that was cut open, when mine no longer works I will be cutting it open and replacing the battery, if I get a few more low battery warnings I will ring the dealer and see if they will replace it.
I can't understand why they do not have a rounds screw on battery cover on the back like a waterproof watch does.

[Roosterb]

Our car is same age. Both mine and wife’s fobs reporting low battery since last week. Maybe they’re programmed that way.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Roosterb

Our car is same age. Both mine and wife’s fobs reporting low battery since last week. Maybe they’re programmed that way.

It is the recent cold weather , battery voltage goes down in cold weather whether it is a key fob or a car battery , If you were in Australia it would last another year probably .

[Roosterb]

Originally Posted by Clan

It is the recent cold weather , battery voltage goes down in cold weather whether it is a key fob or a car battery , If you were in Australia it would last another year probably .

Maybe.. but we do keep the keys in the house.

[Philip Fisher]

Originally Posted by Roosterb

Maybe.. but we do keep the keys in the house.

I keep my keys in the house too. Or maybe in my pocket which I estimate at a fairly constant 26c all year round.....

Anyway, both my fobs were displaying the low battery warning at pretty much the same time. About 32 months since delivery.

One fob is used all the time, one was virtually never used. I just switched fob when the first displayed the error message and within a week or two it was also displaying.

Which leads me to believe that batteries fail with time rather than usage.....