Sporatic Issues with Key Fob?

[buyingconstant7]

I got the key battery replaced about a month ago, and all of a sudden it's giving us issues, like a dead fob battery symptoms, but weird. Sometimes, it won't unlock/lock the car on the 1st press, or sometimes even the 5th press. Yet while the car isn't responding to the key presses, the fob light is flashing bright red each press, so the battery seems okay. And today, I was driving it home and the red key light came on the dash because it didn't detect the key. I jiggled the key if it was a bad connection and pressed buttons on it to confirm that the fob has power, and it did, yet the car wouldn't stop flashing the red key light on the dash. What should I do?

 

[paris1]

Change the battery again. Sounds like you may have gotten a bad one.

 

[GP 2004]

Did you get a lithium battery?

 

[buyingconstant7]

Did you get a lithium battery?

No idea, it was a complaint on the last service at Mazda, and they replaced it. Who knows what they'd put in it.

 

[mazdadude]

I would try the other key fob to help determine if it is indeed a FOB problem, or a Car problem.

 

[yrwei52]

No idea, it was a complaint on the last service at Mazda, and they replaced it. Who knows what they'd put in it.

Sounds like your dealer gave you a crappy battery. Try to get a name-brand 2025 lithium battery from a reputable source. There're many counterfeit batteries around with inferior quality even from Amazon!

The battery life for those key fobs with push-button start system is a lot shorter than traditional key fobs. I have remote key fob used for 18 years still with original battery!

 

[craigo]

I agree, its probably a battery. The little light can come on but it may have a weak signal. Or, it could be that the battery isn't sitting well in the fob. Perhaps open it up, take out the battery, clean the contacts, put it back together and see if it improves.

 

[buyingconstant7]

Got it replaced. Both fobs are performing identical, which is to say, perfect. No more issues. I just find it odd that the battery is only 3 months old and is dead, and it was a high quality Panasonic battery.

 

[Anchorman]

It can be the way it's handled. Those little cell batteries are best handled across the edges. If somebody walks around with it in their fingers with sweaty hands across the flats, it can discharge it almost instantly.

 

[Scythe024]

Try the other fob. Mine was doing similar stuff. Battery replaced twice within a month and issues where it didn't detect it to start the car. I switched to the other fob and it has been flawlwss

 

[yrwei52]

... I just find it odd that the battery is only 3 months old and is dead, and it was a high quality Panasonic battery.

Or a low quality counterfeit Panasonic CR2025 battery.

 

[joloriquelme]

The same problem here. I was at the beach months ago, and the key stopped working. So I had to brought a new battery in a little shop there.

Now it's falling again.

I think I'll ask the dealer to change the battery again on the next oil change service.