Popular Post Mark J Posted June 6, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 So the other day my wife and I get into our Honda to run an errand. I push the Start button and the car comes to life with a bunch of binging and bonging and a message on the dashboard that the fob battery is low. Bummer. But despite all the hoopla from the dash, I manage to forget about the fob when we get home. The next time I slide into the driver's seat there's no alert. Maybe it was something in my pocket that "blocked" the signal. Anyway, all good. Untill the next weekend, when we're headed out on multiple errands and sure enough the alert is back. Since we make multiple starts and stops on this trip, the alert is repeated. So this time I do remember to take the fob to the shop and change the battery. Now while I don't find this as onerous as changing smoke detector batteries, this is not one of my favorite jobs. But here's a tip. When opening the fob, be sure that the side with the buttons is against the worksurface. Those little rubber buttons are not attached to the case. We won't discuss how difficult the bouncy little things can be to find on the floor, but the search will give you time to hope that they only fit back in one way. Finally kitted out with a fresh battery, all was right with my world for about a week, when the blasted alert is back! Did I get a dud battery or something; now these CR2032's are not cheap, so I'm starting to get seriously unhappy. Returning with the fob to the workshop I open the fob (with the button side down), remove the alleged dud, set it aside and install another new battery. I trudge back out to the garage and restart the car several times. I try all the fob buttons. It all works. Good. Glad that's behind me. Few days later we're leaving for a road trip so I back out of the garage and get the AC running while we load up. Then off we go and all is again right with my world. Until the first stop and DANG! That insane fob alert is back!... Well maybe it will stop; nothing to be done about it now, and anyway my wife has the spare key, so we're good, right. The alerts don't stop and it doesn't matter who is driving. After 800 miles I'm thinking I may end up having to go to the dealer. Then something occurs to me. I stop into an Ace and pick up a battery, and change out my wife's car fob. Sure enough problem solved! The car has been detecting a weak signal from her fob not mine! In retrospect the problem had only been occuring when we've been driving together. Geez, if it's not one fob it's another. 2 2 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 I have never regretted just abandoning the fobs for my car entirely. The dang chip keys are bulky enough, the last thing I want is another cubic inch of plastic in my pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted June 6, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 I'd be happy to have a key ignition switch again, but then I'm the founding member of the Bring Back Dial Phones Club. For better or worse, the fob is the "key" on this 2018 Honda. If you have the fob on (or near) you, then when you press the start button on the dash the car starts. No fob, no start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 No joke, it took me 8 minutes to figure out how to turn on and start my in-laws Hyundai with a similar RF fob system. I'm not a luddite, but car UX design has been going downhill for years, ever since they started moving everything from nice intuitive buttons/switches/knobs to everything being jammed into a touchscreen or made wireless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnG Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 I had something similar happen when I had my Mazda CX-5. My spare key was not close enough to unlock/start the car, but apparently was close enough to flag the low battery alert. Later on I got some water inside a wiring harness and it caused all sorts of gremlins in the fob system. Nowadays the only keys I ever carry are keys for work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post curlyoak Posted June 6, 2022 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 It took me 8 minutes just to figure out what was a fob... 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 6, 2022 Report Share Posted June 6, 2022 If they can make chip-controllerd bank cards that are flat enough to fit in a wallet, why not keys? I drove my last truck 350k miles, mostly because it didn't require a stupid remote to operate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted June 7, 2022 Report Share Posted June 7, 2022 I just had this same thing happen with my wife's Jeep. When we were both in the car no problem but just her and it was beeping at her. FWIW thanks for the post I feel better knowing its not just me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted June 7, 2022 Report Share Posted June 7, 2022 17 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: If they can make chip-controllerd bank cards that are flat enough to fit in a wallet, why not keys? I may be wrong on this but my Jeep key is just that. It's an RFID tag that gets pinged by the car to start the engine. The remote aspect is just to lock and unlock the doors away from the car. I believe the battery could die in my fob and I'd still be able to operate the vehicle as long as I could get inside. Not difficult with a Jeep i guess. That said it's making it pretty easy to spoof RFID tags and allow criminals to steal cars quickly and easily. Gone in 60 seconds needs to be remade into gone in 15 seconds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 Yeah, there is really no increased security from an RFID key..Now thieves can unlock the car without even touching it. My beef is that the stupid fob things are so bulky. I can't keep my truck and my wife's "keys" on the same ring anymore, it won't fit in my pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 11 hours ago, wtnhighlander said: Yeah, there is really no increased security from an RFID key..Now thieves can unlock the car without even touching it. My beef is that the stupid fob things are so bulky. I can't keep my truck and my wife's "keys" on the same ring anymore, it won't fit in my pocket. Funy you say that, a company with some 3d printers is making aftermarket fob holders for jeep to solve the bulky problem. https://mythreedom.com/pages/fobs-for-sale First mod i made. Worth the very expensive cost for some bits of plastic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 On 6/6/2022 at 2:30 PM, BonPacific said: I have never regretted just abandoning the fobs for my car entirely. The dang chip keys are bulky enough, the last thing I want is another cubic inch of plastic in my pocket. This would be me as well. The 'super cool' switchblade keys and built in fob monsters are not pocket friendly if you are an active person. This leads me to setting the keys down somewhere which I don't care for either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted June 8, 2022 Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 @Mark J you should get a basic multimeter and use it to test your batteries. It will save you money and time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted June 8, 2022 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2022 I have one. Never thought to use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted June 26, 2022 Report Share Posted June 26, 2022 On 6/6/2022 at 3:32 PM, Mark J said: In retrospect the problem had only been occuring when we've been driving together. No comment on so many levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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