Key fob battery question (2014)

[stw]

A month or so ago, my wife started seeing an error on the dash. Something to the effect of "fob battery low". I replaced the battery in it. The error went away and everything seemed to be fine.

This past weekend, we couldn't use the button on the door handle to unlock the car. Hitting the unlock button on the fob worked. Also, putting the fob right next to the door handle button worked. My wife said she got an error this morning on the dash - key not found. She was able to hold it right up to the start button and it worked. We'll try the second fob tonight.

What is happening here? I doubt the new battery would die that quickly? If so, I would have expected the fob battery low error would show up again.

 

[wlong01]

Replace the battery. You may of replaced the last one with a marginal battery. The batteries don't last as long as they used to because the fob is always transmitting.
I replace my 2 every 10 months to be safe. They're cheap. You can get 2 from a hardware store for about $3.00, in bulk you can get them for less than a $1.00 from some of the online battery outlets.

 

[stw]

Thanks...I suppose the battery I bought was bad. I'll replace it - got a two pack. Frustrating, as the battery I replaced was the original from when we got the car in March of 2013.

 

[MikeM.]

Thanks...I suppose the battery I bought was bad. I'll replace it - got a two pack. Frustrating, as the battery I replaced was the original from when we got the car in March of 2013.

That will probably fix it. Your profile doesn't say what part of the USA you live in but, if you have been experiencing cold weather lately it will affect battery voltage.

 

[hersh]

I was able to get 18 months on the original battery but then had to replace it in the key fob. Constant transmitting from the fob plus cold weather here (Canada - Toronto) doesn't help much.

 

[GP 2004]

Look on ebay - some vendors are listing batteries with expire dates like 2020. I found a 5 pack of lithium batteries CR2025 shipped from the USA for less that $3.00!
https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)

 

[MikeM.]

Look on ebay - some vendors are listing batteries with expire dates like 2020. I found a 5 pack of lithium batteries CR2025 shipped from the USA for less that $3.00!
https://www.ebay.com (commissions earned)

I would avoid those. This type of battery is manufactured with expiration dates of at least 10 years. That means they were manufactured AT LEAST 5 1/2 years ago! Voltage gradually declines through their shelf life and our CX-5 remotes quits functioning due to low voltage when the battery still has considerable energy still left. That's why the price is so low. Last I checked, fresh ones were not much more $.

 

[chriscabob]

I was able to get 18 months on the original battery but then had to replace it in the key fob. Constant transmitting from the fob plus cold weather here (Canada - Toronto) doesn't help much.

3 years minus two months here in Calgary. Range in now like 10 feet from the SUV haha, time to replace.