200 Series - Key fob battery life is abysmal... (1 Viewer)

[cbang]

The CR2032 battery in the 200-series key fob for my 2010 LC has been needing replacement WAY too often. The last battery only kept up for about4-5 months. The current batter just went dead today after 3 WEEKS of use. My LC only has 31k miles (unicorn). The key is stored away from magnets/other electronic devices, not left in vehicle, etc.

I'm curious if anyone else is experiencing this with the battery life. Maybe the key fob at 12 years old is simply failing internally and it's not just the battery?

Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[bloc]

Do you have another fob to use daily to compare to?

How far away from the vehicle does it get stored at night?

Range and everything else seems the same as before?

Using brand new batteries not ones that have been in the kitchen drawer for 13 years?

My 2013 go over 2 years typically. Same key as yours, if I remember correctly.

 

[Killacaviar]

If you have cheap led bulbs being used anywhere in the interior….your fob won’t work. It’s hit or miss, but does feel like the battery is dead.

Not sure if this is relevant, but a lot have solved the problem with leds that don’t interfere.

 

[gaijin]

The CR2032 battery in the 200-series key fob for my 2010 LC has been needing replacement WAY too often. The last battery only kept up for about4-5 months. The current batter just went dead today after 3 WEEKS of use. My LC only has 31k miles (unicorn). The key is stored away from magnets/other electronic devices, not left in vehicle, etc.

I'm curious if anyone else is experiencing this with the battery life. Maybe the key fob at 12 years old is simply failing internally and it's not just the battery?

Thanks in advance for any input!

I think your 3 week battery life cas is simply an old battery.

Do you keep your truck locked when it's in your garage? I heard somewhere that if the key fob is kept in range of an unlocked truck, the fob battery will drain faster because the truck is attempting to keep in contact with the fob - if locked, it does not do this. Don't know it f it's a fact, but I keep my truck locked and I've only replaced the battery in the fob for my 2013 LC200 3 times in 10 years.

HTH

 

[KLF]

I change every battery in the house (including the vehicle fobs) once a year, on my birthday. Never had one go dead.

I suspect something is wrong with your fobs, the way you are storing them, or you're buying cheap old batteries on Amazon.

 

[Leelanau]

I agree working through the ideas mentioned above and hope they solve the drain problem for you.

As a secondary issue, Is your 2010 fob like my 2020 fob where you can use a key sequence to put the fob to sleep? Turning off that signal broadcast would be useful for saving battery life, but more importantly, in preventing relay car theft attacks.

 

[Leelanau]

I just searched for the old thread about turning fobs off and at least one user said his 2013 fob could not be turned off. Here’s that thread for anyone interested:

Turning off key fobs

 

[bentonrover]

Both of mine don't last no more then 4 months. Only vehicle i ever had issues with . 08 LC

 

[fullybalanced]

That problem stopped for me when I started carrying my phone in the opposite pocket. Dealer told me that trick

 

[LCH21]

Bought my LC in May of 2021. Still on the original batteries for both fobs. Now my 2016 VW GTI? I get a low battery warning about every three months. Test the battery and the tester states "Good". Rather annoying.