Key fob battery dies again

I have replaced my key fob battery 2 weeks ago and now it has died again. I was wondering if this is evidence that someone is using a radio device to steal my car.

I park in front of the house about 20 feet away. I have heard that the car may be pinging the key fob continuously but it doesn’t make sense to have the battery drain so quickly.

 

I don't know about any effort to steal your truck, but my original FOB battery is 18 months old and still working.

Do you have a second FOB to try?

 

Not a solution to your issue per se but you can always disable to key fob (hold the LOCK button and push the UNLOCK button three times). This would be one sure way to eliminate any communication between the truck and the remote. See if doing this after every trip (certainly not ideal) prolongs the life of the battery.

 

I put my fob literally in a foil lined box every night i.e. faraday box. Keeps it from talking to the truck and also keeps anyone from being able to pick up the signal to steal it that way. Can't open the door standing right next to the truck, so I know that low tech solution works. My spare I wrap in foil (works the same as the box) and put it in the gun safe. I have had to replace my battery once in my main fob in the last two years.

Now that I talked about the battery I'm sure I'll have to replace it now.

 

Of course it's possible the new battery is just a dud......

 

FACT... the newer

$19 CR2450 Lithium Battery, 3v ECR2450, 12 PK

CR2450 batteries are JUNK, twice as big as the normal (dime/nickel) sized mini Fob batteries, as I've replaced MANY on NEW Toyota's... quality is CRAP anymore

 

I had to replace the battery in my remote as well about 5 months after the trucks manufacturing date

 

If you got the battery from Amazon, their brand, that could be it. I only use name brand fob batteries & they work fine. Cheap batteries don't work fine.

 

Do this every night and after getting to work ..I'd say it prolongs life which to me is just an added bonus to save the ((waves)) from being intercepted !

Edit: also have some OEM panasonic replacement batteries in center console just in case.

 

Most dealers would 'Goodwill" a battery, they need the small dollar warranty tickets actually, so I hope you didn't have to PAY for that 5 month old battery ?

 

They might, but batteries are pretty cheap. I live about 7 blocks from my dealership, drive by it at least twice a day, and I still don't think I would deem a free battery worth my time. My original battery lasted about 15 months, but I'm pretty sure I still would've bought my own had it failed a week after purchase.

 

I was actually there to ask about a password my screen kept asking for. The service tech gave some bs crap about deleting and downloading the app again which I had already done before. For the remote he said the battery can drain if it’s left close to some other electronics and wanted me to buy a new battery. Just nonsense.
I said I’ll speak with the manager.

Service manager came and changed the battery, no questions and he showed me how to set a new pin for the screen.

 

Yep, doesn't surprise me... usually customers don't talk with the techs without the Service Writer being involved, because as they say... Techs aren't always 'people persons', Lol.
That being said, I'm happy the Service Manager was able to help you, that's the proper channels to go through at a Dealership

 

My '23 has 29k miles on it and I'm on my third fob battery. Even though I store the fob inside, away from my truck, I still tried putting the fob in "sleep mode". That didn't seem to make a difference as the range/sensitivity on my third battery is now starting to fade.

 

Agree. Got a name brand one on AMZ and it only lasted 6 mos after my OEM got weak after 12 months. Trying a diff brand now. Spare fob is asleep in a metal box.
*** I use my fob to start my truck remotely at least once or twice a week. Was wondering if that’s causing shortened life??

 

That might be why mine died after 8 months. I have three sets of car keys that use Mag Nuts from Keybar. I wonder if that could have been it…

 

I have used 3 batteries in just over 2 years. Decided to carry a few spares in the truck. My wife’s 2016 Subaru is on its original battery in both keys and my old GMC I had for over 7 years I changed only once after like 5 years.

Oddly, my salesman must have known, as he said I could get free fob batteries anytime I wanted, but I am not going to drive 35 minutes (1 way) for a $2-3 battery.

 

I have a '22 and my key fob batteries in both fobs lasted about a month shy of 3 years. I keep my fob overnight far from other electronics (not intentionally) and the truck is probably 40-50 feet away at night on my driveway.

 

I must have skipped that part of the manual. My keys sit under my TV, and I finally got the low battery notification at just shy of two years.

 

I know I keep my FOB away from the electronics listed at night (closest of any would be about 5 feet). Though during the day I'm at work I'm ~2 feet from... 2 monitors, 3 iPhones, 3 iPads, laptop, cyberkey, etc. Maybe I kill mine at work versus home.

Does being beside another FOB hurt battery life? Being "the driver" of the household, I keep both Tundra and Highlander FOBs with me at all times. The wife only carries the Highlander FOB, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't know where "her" Tundra FOB is if she needed it.

 

Had that problem with my "22". Was told not to use anything but name brand batteries. Swapped my who knows what they are cheap bats for an expensive name brand and that solved my problem. Lasted well over a year. Battery in my wife's remote never had to be changed, go figure.

 

Name brand batteries is the "key" & I have always changed mine every spring around time change. Just replaced batteries in every fob I have last week.
The only time I've had issues with dead batteries is when I used a cheaper brand, only lasted a few months.

 

My FOB spends 90% of its time sitting in the center console sliding tray. I only take it out of the truck when I run errands in town.

19 months on the original battery.

 

My original battery lasted a little over two years before I had to replace it

 

I need a pair of pants with pockets that are at least 1 m apart

 

Yes, the battery died on the other one as well and I put it in storage after replacing the battery

 

Mine died almost a year after manufacture date. I turn off the fob each night so no one steals my truck. So I bought a 12 pack off Amazon ($1.90 per battery). Link for anyone interested:

$19 Energizer CR2450 Lithium Battery, 3v ECR2450, 12 PK

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NFUFKSY