Mazda Key Fob Battery: What To Know
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If you use your key fob to get into your vehicle day-in and day-out, chances are you will have some problems with it eventually. Most of the time, the issue is the battery dying; luckily, it’s not a major issue and can be handled pretty easily. Read on about Mazda key fob battery: what to know.
Recognizing when your key fob is dying is important for a few reasons. One of those reasons is, for a lot of new models, your car will not start if your key fob is completely dead. And when the key fob completely dies, your key fob very much so could have to be reprogramed, which will take a lot more effort and money than just replacing your key fob key.
Signs of a Dying Mazda Key Fob Battery
It’s not hard to notice when your key fob is starting to have problems, but we use them so often, sometimes we neglect the obvious.
- More clicks than usual: You may not notice it because sometimes we might just click and click until what we want to happens does. But if you notice you have to click X amount of times more than what is recommended, then that’s a good sign that the key fob battery is wearing down.
- Doesn’t work consistently: There might be times when the key fob doesn’t want to work for you, and you think to yourself, that’s odd, but it probably isn’t as odd as you think. It’s probably your battery struggling to work, and if you don’t get it fixed, it will die completely.
- Signal strength is not as good: There might have been a time when you could start your car from across the parking lot or further, and now you have to be right on top of it to unlock the doors and start the engine. This is a common Mazda key fob battery loss problem.
- Dashboard Warning: Your dashboard pops up a lot of different warnings and cue-ins, but if your key fob is dying on most cars, it will let you know on the dashboard. It’s easy to ignore these dashboard warnings, but they are there for a reason.
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How To Get Into Your Car When Your Key Fob Doesn’t Work
Your key fob has a hidden key inside the key fob. All you have to do is flip the key fob over to the backside, and there is a small release latch for that key. You can pull it out and use the provided key to open the car doors, trunk, glove box, and more.
Other Reasons Your Key Fob Might Not Be Working
If your key fob doesn’t work and you’re not sure if it’s the key fob that’s the problem, you can always try a secondary key fob programmed for that car to see if it works. If it does, great, you need a new battery; if it doesn’t, you might have a bigger problem.
- Vehicle battery: It’s quite possible your battery for your vehicle could be the reason your key fob doesn’t work. Just like the battery in your key fob, the vehicle battery gets used every time you start up your vehicle. Use your spare key in your key fob to access the inside of your car, and if the interior lights come on and the door chime works, then it’s probably not your vehicle’s battery.
- Your vehicle’s actuator: It’s unusual not this part, but it does go bad sometimes. The actuator sits inside each door that has power locks and controls the pulleys, cables, and gears that work the locks. If this part goes, then the only way to assess your locks is manually. This isn’t a rush to the dealership type of problem, but make sure to notify the service writer of the problem when you take your car in.
- Check key fob condition: Sometimes, it might not be the battery that is causing the problem but the key fobs condition in general. These pieces are only made of plastic, and they tend to take a beating. We toss them, push them around, and push the buttons; who knows how many times a day. Do a general inspection of your key fob and see if it looks damaged; you might need a new one. You can try to fix it, and if you can, great, but a temporary fix should be all it is.
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Don’t Get Stranded with a Dying Mazda Key Fob
If your key fob is dying, you can still start your car up and drive to your next destination. Mazda has prepared for this type of situation, so you don’t get stranded.
First, heed all of the warning signs of a dying key fob battery because this trick will only work if you have a little juice left in your battery. If your battery is completely dead, it’s a no-go.
When you get in your car to start your vehicle, do just like you would if the vehicle had no key fob problems. Press on the brake, take your key fob and push the start button with the key fob, and everything should start up just fine. This is another temporary fix that will only work for a short period of time.
Replacing Your Mazda Key Fob Battery
Replacing your key fob battery is not that hard. If you do have problems with it or just don’t want to attempt the issue, you can always go to your local Mazda dealer to have it replaced for you. But if you want to save some time and probably money, here’s a quick look at how to replace your battery.
- First, locate a new battery for your Mazda keypad. You can find out what kind of battery you need by accessing your owner’s manual, consulting a parts man at your local parts store, or visiting your Mazda dealership.
- Once you’ve done that, pull out your physical Mazda key from the key fob, use a small flathead screwdriver and slip in the provided corners to pry the key fob apart. Try to pry it apart as evenly as possible, so the plastic doesn’t break on you.
- Take off the battery protection cover and access the battery. The battery should come out pretty easily and the new one needs to go back in the same way the old one came out (positive side up).
- Snap the key fob back together carefully and make sure it works on your car.
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Being Prepared Ahead of Time
Batteries wear out; that’s what they do. To avoid a problem with your Mazda key fob battery: what know. You can prepare for this situation in two very fruitful ways.
- Always have a working spare key fob in places like your home, work, gym, or with someone you trust.
- Buy a pack of compatible batteries instead of just one at a time and keep some in your car, purse, house, etc.
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