Spare keyfob not working

[RogeKB]

I have a Corolla Touring Sport Excel 2020 and it seems that my spare keyfob simple does not want to play ball.

I have replaced the Battery with a new Duracell 2032 Battery but still no go and it I use the manual key the alarm goes off.

What am I doing wrong?

Fortunately, my 'main' keyfob is still working but I intend to use my spare when I hand over my car for a service or MOT by the dealer

[Red_Corolla]

Have you ever tried it before? Just wondering if someone could have forgot to pair it with the car before it was delivered?

I think the fobs have a unique code so each one has to be paired individually.

[Hadrian1]

When we bought our Yaris new in 2021, it came with a key fob plus another key, which my

wife always carries in case I lose mine. The only problem being, if I lock it using the fob the

alarm will go of is she tries to unlock the car with her key.  If I lock it with the key on the fob

there's no problem.

 

[Parts-King]

1 hour ago, Hadrian1 said:

The only problem being, if I lock it using the fob the alarm will go of is she tries to unlock the car with her key.  If I lock it with the key on the fob

there's no problem.

 

Correct, thats how it works. If you lock it with the fob you need to unlock it with a fob, unlocking with a key will set the alarm off 

[Rhymes with Paris]

The system has not changed then, I remember when my keyfob Battery went dead on a road trip in my old 2001 lexus during a stop at Sam "n" Ella's road side cafe.

And yes, the alarm duly went off, when I tried to unlock using the key.

 

[Cyker]

5 hours ago, Hadrian1 said:

When we bought our Yaris new in 2021, it came with a key fob plus another key, which my

wife always carries in case I lose mine. The only problem being, if I lock it using the fob the

alarm will go of is she tries to unlock the car with her key.  If I lock it with the key on the fob

there's no problem.

 

Have you checked if you're eligible for a free 2nd key? You only got one because of the chip shortage, but should have gotten another one at a later date...

[TonyHSD]

The key fob has been disabled by the car ecu. You need to reprogram it. 
This can happen after long time no use of the remote , low fob Battery or low 12v Battery of the car. 
Seat in drivers seat with key fob push start button twice and then push again to turn the car off. Repeat that again immediately and then open and close the drivers door twice within 40 seconds, your key fob should work afterwards. 

[Trewithy]

I keep my second key at home in a Faraday pouch and also turn the key off. I change the keys over every 6 months.  I also change the fob batteries every two years.  If one key is not used for a long it can get out of sync with the codes generated by the immobiliser and will not start the car. 

[50p]

4 hours ago, Trewithy said:

If one key is not used for a long it can get out of sync with the codes generated by the immobiliser and will not start the car. 

I did not realise that

[Cyker]

11 hours ago, Trewithy said:

I keep my second key at home in a Faraday pouch and also turn the key off. I change the keys over every 6 months.  I also change the fob batteries every two years.  If one key is not used for a long it can get out of sync with the codes generated by the immobiliser and will not start the car. 

Do you know how long it takes? I never use the spare key and it'll sortof defeat the point of having it if it goes out of sync just from non-use...!  

Maybe I should start giving it to the dealer instead of my one during servicing...

 

[Mjolinor]

Keys change a lot. Most cars now will disable a key if it is not used for a long time but they can generally be re-synced with one of those abstract methods like open door three times, sit on your finger, spin round open a rear passenger door, insert key etc etc.

I know that on my Smart if the active key gets more than 100 numbers away from the car it will not work without re-sync, that's why you should not press buttons on the key in your pocket, find something else in there to play with.

 

[Trewithy]

10 hours ago, Cyker said:

Do you know how long it takes? I never use the spare key and it'll sortof defeat the point of having it if it goes out of sync just from non-use...!  

Maybe I should start giving it to the dealer instead of my one during servicing...

 

I think it is quite a long time and probably depends on how often you start your car.  I used to alternate the key at service time and never had a problem.  I read the advice on rolling codes probably 10 years ago and I know things move on so I don't know if it is still relevant but I think it is a good idea to make use of both keys for the reassurance they both continue to work.

[ignorant]

In the past I have tried a Duracell Battery in my keyfob it was the correct Battery number and had the correct voltage,the keyfob would not work. By replacing the Battery with a Panasonic battery the keyfob worked.My 21 plate Corolla was supplied  with a Panasonic battery New by Toyota.I will only use Panasonic battery now.

[Dylanfan]

17 hours ago, ignorant said:

In the past I have tried a Duracell battery in my keyfob it was the correct battery number and had the correct voltage,the keyfob would not work. By replacing the battery with a Panasonic battery the keyfob worked.My 21 plate Corolla was supplied  with a Panasonic battery New by Toyota.I will only use Panasonic battery now.

Agreed, Panasonic batteries fitted in one fob and supplied for the other that was still out home at last service.

[Red_Corolla]

On 7/15/2024 at 4:28 PM, ignorant said:

In the past I have tried a Duracell battery in my keyfob it was the correct battery number and had the correct voltage,the keyfob would not work. By replacing the battery with a Panasonic battery the keyfob worked.My 21 plate Corolla was supplied  with a Panasonic battery New by Toyota.I will only use Panasonic battery now.

That's very odd. Should work as long as it's the usual 3V CR2032 model. We must be  extremely careful about provenance when it comes to items like small batteries and memory cards etc., because there are so many highly-plausible fakes out on the market.

I've had a quick check inside my own fob and it's actually an unbranded Battery, apart from a small logo depicting two stick figures - an adult and a child. Don't know who's logo that is but I'm fairly sure it's not Panasonic. Whatever it is, it's always done the job OK and is getting on for 3 years old now, unless the dealer has been replacing it for me as a service item (doubtful).

 

[Cyker]

Yeah, we always try and buy stuff that at least has a manufacturer logo on the cells, as you've no idea what you'll get with super generic stuff, but even then it's amazing the lengths they go to to fake stuff; We got bitten by that once with some seemingly legit duracell cells.

The packaging looked a bit sus as the print wasn't as sharp as you'd expect but the cells themselves looked okay until they were used, whereupon it was discovered they were all virtually dead!

I can only assume someone got a load of dead cells and repackaged them!! 

 

[forkingabout]

On 7/15/2024 at 4:28 PM, ignorant said:

In the past I have tried a Duracell battery in my keyfob it was the correct battery number and had the correct voltage,the keyfob would not work. By replacing the battery with a Panasonic battery the keyfob worked.My 21 plate Corolla was supplied  with a Panasonic battery New by Toyota.I will only use Panasonic battery now.

Was the Duracell Battery one of these new " child safety " supplied ones that has the sticker over it that requires removal before its fitted in to a device?

 

[ignorant]

The Duacell Battery was purchased to power my tyre pressure gauge.

After I had a problem putting my Corolla into READY mode. I thought a new Battery in the keyfob would help. There was a sticker on the Battery I removed the sticker and cleaned both surfaces with methylated spirit, handling the battery with a tissue so no oil from my skin could cause a problem with contacts ( as recommended when changing a watch battery).The keyfob would not work with the Duracell battery.According to my volt meter the voltage was correct. Changing to a new Panasonic battery the keyfob worked,and has continued to work ever since.

I would recommend to you all to carry in your glovebox a spare battery for the keyfob as when you are unable to bring the car to a READY mode it makes life a bit difficult.

Toyota recommend Panasonic battery in the car handbook for the keyfob.

Changing the battery is easy to do.There are u-tube videos showing how.