I've been noticing that my door hasn't been as quick to sense my key and unlock lately. Just today, as I shut the engine down I got the notification on my screen that the battery in my key fob is low. Pretty cool to get notification from the car! Bought my Gen III in June of 2009, so that's pretty darn good! Has anyone else had to replace their fob battery yet or am I the first?!?
There are a bunch of threads on this subject. The best one has a video showing what to do if it dies. You can open the car with the real key. Put the FOB up to the start button for a short period for it to inductive charge the FOB, then start the car.
My GII fob battery got weak after the first 3 years. Previous car also had the fob battery die after 3 years. When Pearls fob battery got weak I checked around. Most places wanted around $10 for two (blister pack). Found Mountain Equipment Co-Op had them for $1 each. I bought a bunch (they have a 10 year shelf life and some other stuff I own also uses them). The GII doesn't warn you, other than getting an intermittent amber key light on the dash while driving as the battery gets weak.
Our 2007 Touring Prius fob batteries are 4.5 years old and still working well. I'm of the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" persuasion.
I also bought mine in june of 09, still haven't got the message. Did you have any trouble replacing the batteries?
Nope, very simple. Pop the metal key out, use the tip to pry the fob open (you'll see a slot for the tip of the key), use a tiny screwdriver to pop the battery out, put a new one in, snap it back together and slide the metal key back in. Very painless.
Do you know whether Gen3 uses the same battery? And . . . what is that battery? Thanks for starting this little thread and giving the basic instructions. I just received the warning on my 2010 (bought in May '09). I'm on the road and don't have the second fob with me, so I'm looking to find a place to pick up the battery soon. Do you have info on the battery and whether it may be available at major retailers?
Not sure which battery it is, but I'd suggest going to a CVS, Walgreens, etc. (major drug store chains typically have a large selection of these types of batteries), pop open the fob in the store to get the battery number, and replace it in the store--should take a minute or 2.
For the GIII you will need a CR1632. Radio Shack should have them. After you remove the key the end of the key can be used to pry apart the case. The battery is on the bottom of the PC board. Watch out as most of the parts are not held together so work over a table. For the GII you will need a CR-2032, also available at Radio Shack and most larger stores. In this case, actuate the key removal slider and remove the key. Holding the key removal slider fully "unlocked" slide the case apart (it slides in the longer direction). You will find a panel held with four screws. The battery is under this. You will need a #0 or #00 (can't remember which) phillips screwdriver. A Jewelers set will work.
Perfect! I think my choices are limited to WalMart and a local hardware store. Hopefully, one or the other will have this in stock.
Mine has actually just ran out as well, after three years. I ordered a replacement online. You can get it for $2.00 and free shipping from here. Reviews say it came quick and worked fine! edit: As others have said, if you don't want to order it online you can go to Radioshack and get one there for 5-6 dollars. The only reason I ordered mine online was because it wasn't completely dead yet. It is now, but my battery should be here soon.
Just a quick update - I got my battery in the mail from the link I posted in the post above and it works perfectly. $2 and free shipping (got here in 3 days). Can't beat it! What a difference a new battery in a key makes. I can finally lock my car from a distance and don't have to press the button 3-5 times, haha!
I, too, picked up a replacement battery. Mine came from Radio Shack, and it cost better than $5. This was offset by receiving a coupon for $5 off of my next purchase at Radio Shack, so I guess the battery for the other fob will be a freebie! Thanks for the help, everyone.
Craziest thing is, I read this thread yesterday and this morning my display showed FOB battery low. I went to Radio Shack and picked up two batteries for each FOB. If one is bad the other is close. Oct 2009 is when I got the car. Close to 3 years. I did notice the car taking longer to start the last 2 days. I bet it was looking for the FOB.
2x $5 FOB batteries bought today, since I picked up the car when she was 2yr 3mo old I figured it would be a good proactive maintenance item. Walgreens has everything and then some.
I replaced my fob batteries at the 3 year point in July. I consider it preventative maintenance just like changing the oil at or prior to 10,000 miles. No sense waiting for the battery to fail for such a cheap fix. The 12V battery? I figure I'll take it through one more winter before I replace it with a yellow top.
Thanks for the heads up guys! Mine is coming up on 3 years this month so I need to find a couple of batteries and go ahead and change mine out.
