Key Battery Life

[thom4782]

Hi everyone:

I'm looking for some guesses.

I have two keys. The batteries in both die about two weeks after replacement. I've gone through several rounds of this replace-fail-replace-etc.

If it were just one key, I'd guess the key was broken and needed replacement. But I see the problem with both and seems like a low probability both would fail at the same time.

The only other thing I can add to the story is the problem occurred shortly after I replaced the radio with a double DIN unit. It's hard to imagine that the two are related.

Any ideas as to what might be going on

Thom

[Boxtaboy]

Did you replace the batteries with a no name brand? Strange that they go out so quickly. I hadn't changed my key battery in my key for 15 yrs and they were still working fine.

[thom4782]

Always used name brands and my experience was like yours - replaced 1 or 2 batteries over more than 10 years until this stuff started happening

[Boxtaboy]

Strange. A contact inside must be touching something that drains the battery. Maybe the buttons are worn? I doubt it has anything to do with the radio install.

[Fintro11]

Same thing happened to my key and spare ended up buying a new one. I am going to replace the microswitch on the circuit board on the other too.

[fanguy]

Being that both Batt are having a similar life expectancy are the being use the same or different. Do you use one as the spare and stick it some somewhere and carry the other for daily use. Looking for something that may have some commonality. Have you tried to buy batt’s in single pack from different locations or manufactures. Just some simple troubleshooting.

[jakeru]

Did you verify the old battery is actually depleted by measuring the voltage with a voltmeter?

Symptoms of bad solder connections on the circuit board can give "unreliable lock/unlock operation" (but with reliable led blinking on the key fob itself), which can easily trick casual observer into thinking it must be a weak battery or poor antenna or something (all the wrong conclusion when the solder joints just need to be reflowed to restore reliable lock/unlock operation).

I'll bet if you actually measure the voltage of your week old battery, you'll find that it's still good. But - please let me know if I'm wrong. Best of luck!

[mikefocke]

3 to 4 years of infrequent use. I always left the car unlocked, heck even the top down in a Walmart parking lot.

[DrCactus]

Strange, I had my car like 12 years and I have not ever replaced my batteries. Mind you I use my car only 8 months a year.

[BirdDog]

Sounds like a bad batch of batteries.

I'd go to a different store and buy just one battery there. Install it, and if it holds up, I'd try returning the other two wherever you bought them. I can't believe that two remotes would have something fail inside them at basically the same time. It's possible, but I think it's unlikely.

[Pdwight]

Originally Posted by mikefocke

3 to 4 years of infrequent use. I always left the car unlocked, heck even the top down in a Walmart parking lot.

Same here, if they want to get into the car they will. A cut up roof is expensive to replace

[Pdwight]

Originally Posted by Boxtaboy

Did you replace the batteries with a no name brand? Strange that they go out so quickly. I hadn't changed my key battery in my key for 15 yrs and they were still working fine.

Many years ago I worked in a actual Camera Shop / Photo Lab. We only sold name brand batteries for this reason...some of the cheap imports are not alkaline and are not sealed well and can leak or may be almost bad when you get them. If their seal is not good the battery can develop resistance at the seam and "run itself down"

People use to balk at the price of a Silver batteries opting to go with a cheaper substitute....invariably they would be back in the shop in a few months with a dead camera and sometimes with damage due to leakage.

Ebay batteries are dangerous.....these things just do not cost that much.....buy a new fresh one from Lowes, Walmart, Batteries + etc.

[thom4782]

Thanks everyone. These are Duracell batteries, bought at different stores; use one until it wears out and then I switch to the other key. Next time one dies, I'll measure the voltage and see what I get. BTW: at one store I bought a blister pack of two batteries - one worked and the other seemed dead.

[particlewave]

All these posts and only Martin got it right?

This is a very common issue, as Google would tell you.
You have a bad switch(es). When they fail, they make intermittent contact and drain the battery. Replace them.