FOB, SKS, and the Birds and the Bees

Possibly. I am a year into ownership, keep my keys in my purse with 2 cell phones and have no problems with it. It would be good to get some estimation on battery life from some folks with 04's....

 

If the Smart Key is becoming more and more sensitive, you need a new battery. They don't last forever. You can get the battery anyplace that sells button batteries. I believe it is a CR2032, quite large in diameter.

 

We're closing on our second year (2005 purchased in Nov. 2004), and the only issue we have that could be related (but we've always had this) is that I have a tendency to expect a little too much of it and try to open the door too quickly for the system to unlock the door, and I have to let go and try again.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jeromep @ Aug 11 2006, 02:56 PM) [snapback]301637[/snapback]</div>

It is indeed a CR2032. If you open up the fob, Toyota was good enough to print the battery type on the cover, before you unscrew everything. You will need a very small Philips screw driver (like a jewlers) for four screws inside the fob.
I definitly agree you need a new battery. I have a March purchased '05. I was recently experiancing lack of range for the fob and the remote lock button. The car was also complaining about using the grey lock button on the door handle. I would have to reshut the door at least once to get it to lock. Switched out the fob battery, and no more of any of those problems. I got my battery for a dollar or so at Walgreens.

 

I've noticed that if I have my fob in the same pocket as my Sprint PCS Palm Treo 650 (work phone), that it tends not to work. But it's OK if it's in the pocket with my Cingular Motorola Razr (personal phone). I figure it has something to do with the fact that Sprint is CDMA and Cingular is GSM.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(OtterGuy @ Aug 11 2006, 10:10 PM) [snapback]301885[/snapback]</div>

If the fob is exposed to RF from other sources, such as cell phones, it will reduce the batter life. The SKS is a transponder type of system, which means it transmits a response each time it gets querried by the Prius (or thinks it is querried), and each transmission uses a bit of battery power.

Tom

 

I don't know if this applies to the PRius, but my fob battery ran down for my Subaru and it was replaced under warranty.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hawkjm73 @ Aug 11 2006, 03:16 PM) [snapback]301651[/snapback]</div>

Kind of a silly question... but how do I open the fob? I see no visible way of separating the (two apparent) plastic halves. I've been experiencing the same issue, and I'm going to buy the battery to change it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(luiset83 @ Aug 29 2006, 06:02 PM) [snapback]311313[/snapback]</div>

Here's a link to a page that illustrates how to change the battery on the fob:
http://www.vfaq.net/mods/keyfob.html

It shows it on a 2004, but it's still the same on the 2006. The replacement battery is a CR2032 battery.

It also tells how to replace the battery in the owner's manual, but this 'illustrated' set of instructions is so much easier to follow!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeannie @ Aug 29 2006, 06:37 PM) [snapback]311325[/snapback]</div>

excellent thanks much! figures an electrical engineer can't open a damn keyfob by himself