Toyota Key Fob Battery: What To Know

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You may not think it, but your key fob is a very important part of getting into your vehicle and driving to your next destination. For a lot of us drivers, our key fob batteries get used just as much as our vehicle’s battery, leaving it to eventually run dead. Read this article to learn more about your Toyota key fob battery: what to know and how not to get stranded.

Don’t Get Stranded with Your Dying Toyota Key Fob Battery

A lot of times, people get stranded with their dying key fob because they don’t know a couple of key important things. Let’s take a look at some of those important things that can mean the difference between getting to your next destination or calling someone for help. 

Your key fob has a physical key in it: Just because you always use the key fob button for entering your vehicle doesn’t mean there’s not another way in. On the side or on the back of your key fob, there should be a small little slide or button that says push. This button will release a key that can be slid out of the key fob. This key will unlock your doors, trunk, glove department, and more. If you have a keyhole for ignition, this will start your vehicle as well.

No keyhole for ignition? If you just have a push-button start, and that’s it, you still probably have a way to get your vehicle started. Toyota has planned for this type of inconvenience. The push-button start has a coil behind the button that will recognize your key fob’s transmitter.

Note: This will only work if your key fob isn’t completely dead.

First, press on your brake pedal or clutch pedal as you would when you are starting your car regularly. Then take the key fob and position it with the Toyota sign facing the start button real close (either in front of it or right beside it), then you should be able to start up your vehicle with the start push-button. Don’t take this little trick for granted; it will not keep working! So make some plans to get a new battery for your key fob or a new key fob altogether.

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OTHER CAR SHOPPING APPS ARE OUTDATED

You won’t realize how outdated other car searching apps are until you try the CoPilot car shopping app. CoPilot does the hard work for you by searching all of the listings in your area and intelligently creating a personalized list of the best buys in the area that match what you’re looking for.

What Could It Be If Not Your Toyota Key Fob Battery?

Your key fob battery might be the likely culprit, but that’s not always the story. If your key fob isn’t working, there could be some other problems you want to chase down.

  • Damaged key fob: The buttons on the key fob get pushed day-in and day-out, and the key fob itself gets shoved in and out of our pockets, purses and even gets dropped on the ground and countertops with no thought to the key fob’s survival.
  • Take a look at your key fob, is it cracked, are the buttons worn out? Your key fob battery might not be the issue; it might be your key fob has just seen its last days. If you think this is the problem, you might be able to do some quick manipulating of the key fob to get it to function for a little bit, but you will have to get the key fob replaced eventually.
  • Your vehicle’s battery: If your vehicle’s battery is dead, then your key fob is surely not going to be of use to you. As explained above, slide out your physical key hidden inside of your key fob. Open the driver’s side door and check for signs of life. If your door chime and dome lights don’t work, then you’re probably looking at a dead battery. 
  • Bad actuator: This probably won’t be the problem in most cases, but it does happen. The actuator is a part that sits inside of each door that has power locks. This part controls the gears, cables, and mechanisms that unlock and lock the doors. When this goes bad, the only way to utilize the lock on your doors is manually. This is probably not a project you want to do by yourself, I would take your vehicle to the dealership.

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Signs of a Dying Toyota Key Fob Battery

The biggest thing you want to do is to pay attention to signs that your key fob battery is going to die. If your battery is getting ready to go, your key fob won’t act the way it usually does. You probably won’t get the same amount of range from the key fob. You might experience clicking or pushing the buttons more often than you should for it to function properly. Or you might run into the problem that the key fob only works when it wants to.

If any of those signs present themselves, getting a new key fob battery should go way up on your list of things to do. If you wait until the battery is completely dead, you will have to spend money for a battery, and a possible reprogram, which can sometimes cost upward of 200 bucks.

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How to Replace Your Toyota Key Fob Battery

This is a repair/replacement that just about anyone can handle. Online parts stores, your local parts store, or your dealership can help you locate the correct battery for your application. When it is time to replace the battery, take these simple steps to change your Toyota key fob battery: what to know.

  1. The first thing to know is these are small plastic pieces, so being gentle with the key fob is important. A very small flathead screwdriver or something similar will work.
  2. You will want to locate the little slot on the side of the key fob and insert your tool of choice. Finagle your way around the key fob, separating it until you have two separate pieces.
  3. You will then want to look at the side that has the funny-looking circuit board in it and carefully remove that part.
  4. Underneath the circuit board will be where the shinny round battery seats. Use the small little tool you used to separate the key fob apart and wiggle the battery out of its position.
  5. Now take the replacement battery and snap it back in the place the old one came out of with the positive side facing up.
  6. Carefully snap the two pieces of the key fob back together and then test and make sure it works.

Hint: Push the buttons before you put the key fob back together to make sure it works. The less you have to take apart the fob, the less chance it will have to crack or break on you.

Take Precautions, so You Don’t Get Stranded

CoPilot makes a few suggestions to make your life easier when it comes to Toyota key fob battery: what to know. Batteries are fairly inexpensive, and they will seem even more expensive when the spare battery saves you from being stranded. CoPilot suggests you buy more than one at a time, so you have them handy.  

You can also opt for a spare key fob. Key fobs may be a little more on the expensive side, but they can come in handy. You can leave one at your home base, with a trusted friend or family member, work, the gym, etc. Just make sure that not everyone has access to them if you like your car. 

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