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FOB Issues on my 2006

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by jrod81, Jun 9, 2010.

  1. jrod81

    jrod81 Member

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    Hey guys
    Okay so for about 3 weeks now everytime I turn off the prius the key icon appears on the top panel and then one single tone sounds. No idea what that means... never has done it before... Now for about the whole time we have owned it the FOB has been lacking- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't... especially hitting the black button on the driver's door...
    So at my last oil change they checked the battery and they said it tested strong and no issues, but tonight, at a hotel, I went out to get something out of the car and the FOB would not work at all. I hit it over and over and nothing... so I had to pull the key out of the FOB and use that, but anyone have any advice since the battery is supposedly fine? Is this a warranty issue- supposing I can actually get it to do it for the dealership...
     
    #1 jrod81, Jun 9, 2010
  2. justlurkin

    justlurkin Señor Member

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    Sounds like maybe your Fob's battery is dying.

    Fortunately, the Fob's battery is easy to replace.
     
    #2 justlurkin, Jun 9, 2010
  3. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    The battery is CR2032 and should be available at your local drug store, Radio Shack, Wal Mart, Target, etc.
     
    #3 firepa63, Jun 9, 2010
  4. Eoin

    Eoin Active Member

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    It costs a few bucks. Easy to replace - just remove a few screws at the back of the fob.
     
    #4 Eoin, Jun 9, 2010
  5. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    There are no screws on the outside of the fob. The screws are on the inside and you need an eye glass type screwdriver to remove the screws. Not that hard though...
     
    #5 firepa63, Jun 9, 2010
  6. Eoin

    Eoin Active Member

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    I used the sharp pointed end of a knife. Worked great.
     
    #6 Eoin, Jun 9, 2010
  7. jrod81

    jrod81 Member

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    in the original post i mention that the battery was just checked at my last oil change about 5 days ago... it was tested strong... i guess for a few bucks i will give it a whirl but it has never been that reliable of a fob to be honest (we bought it used and the seller only had one).
    my other fear is that i kept a jump drive or flash drive on the key chain for about 2 weeks before reading that it can cause issues so i took that off and wonder if i did some damage to it somehow with that...
    anyway, i will try the battery and let you know how that goes.
     
    #7 jrod81, Jun 11, 2010
  8. djasonw

    djasonw Active Member

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    The drive should not cause problems but make sure it is kept separate in the future. I sometimes have my iPhone and my FOB in the pocket and there is interference and the FOB will not work. I just distance the iPhone from the FOB and it works.

    I doubt they checked the battery. I can't see the service center taking the FOB apart and putting that little battery on a tester. They probably just said it was okay to make you happy.

    In the future, buy a half dozen of those CR batteries on eBay and they will last you the life of the car.
     
    #8 djasonw, Jun 11, 2010
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