A couple of weeks ago when I started having trouble with my normal key fob (wouldn't open the doors, trunk, or start the car), I made an assumption that it might be a bad battery, so I went out and bought a new one, but no luck. After fiddling with the contact points a bit, I was finally able to get it to work, but was nervous enough to get my spare and make sure it was working, as it hadn't been for a long time. Again, after fiddling with the contact points and bending them out some, I got it to work. And that was a good thing because when my normal everyday fob stopped working again, I bent one of the contact pins back so far it broke off at the circuit board and is no longer operable. Since I knew it had a 2 week old battery in it, I decided to put the new battery into the spare fob but within a few minutes the Low Battery warning appeared on the dash. Nervous that I would get stuck without a working fob and be stranded, I went and bought two new batteries, and installed one yesterday. Warning disappeared after I turned off the car and locked it, and I thought, it must have just been a new battery that did not have a full charge. Today, car starts with no warning but within a few minutes the warning comes back on the second new battery. Since I bought a 2 pack, I am installing a third battery right now, and when I go out later on this evening, we'll see what happens. I went ahead and ordered another key fob that I will need to program, when it arrives, which I've had done before, but it makes me uneasy not knowing whether or not there is enough juice to start the car. Is there a reset procedure for clearing the Low Key Fob Battery warning that I don't know about? Or is something else going on? Anyone have similar experiences?

 

Well, I found we had two new Duracell batteries in the tool drawer, so I decided to put one of them in instead of the second battery from the same pack that only lasted 5 minutes. Just went out to the car started it up and the warning is gone. Tonight when I have to drive for about an hour, we'll see if it returns, but for now you can mark me "Resolved." What are the odds of getting bad 3 batteries within 2 weeks?

 

What brand CR2032 battery did you buy and what was the "best before" date on the package?

Brand name batteries sold in Amazon, Ebay and other websites are often old stock with little or no remaining useful life or cheap copies. Local big box stores are a better bet, since you can check the date before you buy.

Check Ebay for a used Smartkey fob Make sure that the seller has a money-back guarantee that his fob has been "unpaired" from its parent vehicle and can be reprogrammed. It's too risky to have only one key. Here's one: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F332257874272

 

I have just returned from an hour long drive and am happy to report that I had no Low Battery warning on the dash. I don't remember the brand of the battery I bought 2 weeks ago, but the ones I bought yesterday were from CVS pharmacy and branded with their label CVS Lithium 2032 with a BEST IF USED BY JULY, 2025. They didn't quite make it. The brand that I found around the house that seems to have alleviated the problem was a Duracelll 2032 Lithium Battery BEST IF USED BY MARCH 2026. Oh well, I will feel a lot more comfortable when I get the new fob that I ordered on ebay yesterday due to arrive in a couple of days and then off to be programmed.. Just a little tip: the little vinyl "fingers" that hold the battery in place are notoriously fragile and don't hold the battery in place very well. Therefore, the contact to the metal prongs coming off the circuit board aren't always making contact creating the problem I originally had. I took a hot glue gun, put a dab of hot glue on the little rim under the battery to hold it in place more firmly. Hopefully, end of story.

 

Remember, even if your keyfob battery fails you can still insert it in the slot in the armrest. My 2014 has one and I assume youra will too.

Dont sweat it, I had a new battery installed by main dealer in March that failed today. So there are two options:

1) Have a ready supply of $/£/€ store cheap 2032's which will last 6 months, or else

2) Spend 10 x as much for a battery that lasts a couple of years.

Thanks for advising to be careful with the contacts

 

I have had the same problem. You might want to put a simple volt meter on to the battery and check the output voltage. These are 3 volt batteries. Not sure what the minimum battery volts needed for proper FOB functioning. I guess you could check the battery reading when the low battery FOB indicator appears on the dash.

 

Checking the battery volts won't do it. You need to ceck the voltage under load. The problem is that the load the key fob places on it is very light so if you want to check a cell like this properly you need more than a simple voltmeter - you need a proper cell checker. Additionally - the current drain is very low in the fob so contact resistance is key (excuse the pun). I make a point of cleaning both sides of the cell with IPA or contact cleaner (and the contacts in the fob) before fitting and then NEVER touch the contact areas with my fingers while fitting (very carefully as it is easy to distort the side cell contact if you force the two halves closed).

Last note - buy cells carefully. As others have commented - buying cheap cells is a false economy. There are also a lot of fakes and end-of-life cells out there. You don't need to pay megabucks but do pay enough to get something decent. My favourites currently are Panasonic, a good quality cell for reasonable money (no affiliation). I always avoid Duracell as they are one of the most faked and if genuine aren't worth the premium they carry.

 

If your CR2032 Smartkey battery has been replaced at least once, it's possible that the prongs have been spread a little bit and now aren't making good contact with the battery. Instead of bending those prongs and risk breaking them (which means that it'll cost you big bucks for a new Smartkey plus programming), try a CR2035 replacement battery. It's identical to the original CR2032, except for the thickness. They're both 3V and 20mm in diameter, while the CR2032 is 3.2mm thick and the CR2035 is 3.5mm thick. That additional 0.3mm of thicknesses might be all you need to keep it working reliably.

https://www.ausbatteries.com/cr2032-cr2035-difference

 

Very good idea
Thank's

 

Very good idea! Great thinking.

 

That's what this button is for:

 

is that the main and/or only purpose of the slot in the arm rest. does it charge the battery, or should you place it in there every now and then, or is it JUST meant to start the car if the battery is low or bad? does it have any other purpose?
also, which direction does it insert. I assume with the buttons facing the passenger seat?
facing me should be the back of the fob, correct?

 

The only thing it does is allow the car to start, nothing else. The alignment to insert is to follow the directions ON the slot, it shows the red embossed Triangle that is on the remote. That's the only way it inserts. Press again to remove (I think, been awhile)

 

Would a CR2032 LITHIUM battery work? If so, it should last longer, right?

 

Aren't all CR2032 (and CR2035) batteries lithium?

 

"CR2032, which tells you that it is a single cell, round lithium battery with a diameter of 20 mm and a height of 3.2 mm."

 

As I now see, yes they are. I guess I fell for some battery site that was offering it as some special feature

 

Yeah Like! Thanks Stewart.
BTW, I was chiming in to provide a rear glass failure update and saw this post. Checkout my rear cvt glass failure post.