[raveesh_k]

Hi,

I am suffering from a peculiar problem - for some reason, the coin cell battery (3V) in my car key fob does not last even for a week. I have tried all brands ranging from Maxell to Panasonic's but all go dead in 3-4 days. This is the case with my standby key fob which I took out six months back to replace my original key which has undergone some wear and tear. What could be the possible cause and solution.

I too continue to work out a solution on this. Will update on the results if I am able to pull this one off.

Rgds
Raveesh

[GTO]

Just a hunch - is one of the buttons permanently pressed from inside?

Is the key old? Try cleaning the contacts? Checking for broken connections? Some switches sticking?

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by raveesh_k

I too continue to work out a solution on this. Will update on the results if I am able to pull this one off.

Rgds
Raveesh

Hi - In all probablity, they button (metal contact part inside) is not going back to the off/circuit break position after the button is released / depressed.

If you are DIY guy, clean the contacts to remove any rubber residue left behind by he switch and also clean the metal part for a better electrical contact. The FOB being such a small piece of electrical board, the switch is the only point of electrical contact. Having a multimeter will help (Costs 150/- nowadays)

IF you do not have the time for this at home, go to any car audio service guy and he could identify and fix the problem in 5 mins.

[joybhowmik]

hi
In addition to trying the ^^^, and if all else fails, there's the possibility that the circuit board has developed a fault.
Is this FOB an after-market one? You may want to get a new set made.

[raveesh_k]

Thanks for the possible solutions.
This is a brand new original Hyundai spare key that I took out after 2.5 years after my first key set showed signs of initial wear and tear on the button rubber.

In case the metal was always in contact, the red LED on the key FOB would have always been on, which apparently was never the case. Or maybe the red LED indicator comes on only in case of a button press which was not the case here when the battery continued to drain behind the scene due to some contact on the IC.

I am taking it to the service station tomorrow. Will update on the findings.
Cheers!

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by raveesh_k

I am taking it to the service station tomorrow. Will update on the findings.
Cheers!

Hi - if your key fob is covered under warranty, they would replace it. If your car is not under warranty and are taking it to the authorized service station, they would recommend a paid replacement as they do not repair anything.

- My Santro silencer had a hole and A.S.S told that it needs to be replaced costing 6000/- . I got it "welded" outside for 200/- and am more than satisfied with it. Since the silencer is not a "visual" part, welds should be okay.

[dhanushs]

Hi,

This might happen if the keyfob is in the pocket for long time, and accumulates sweat/moisture. This wrecks havoc on the circuit board, probably short circuiting and causing the excessive battery drain.

Take it to a chip level servicing guy and sort it out, if Hyundai replacement doesnt work or is too expensive.

[raveesh_k]

Hi,

I just came back from the ASS. They reviewed the condition of the key from inside and suspected some moisture being the culprit. Nonetheless, they have cleaned the key with a circuit cleaning spray and provided me an additional battery. As per them if it lasts, well and good, else the key would have to be replaced. On checking the cost of a new spare key, they embarrassingly said 12k! Also they were 'kind' enough to refer me to some contact on JC road, Bangalore who could simply work around the chip/sensor inside without having to go for a new key at a much cheaper price.

So its all a wait game now, I doubt the spray will solve it though.

I feel that I have been handed a lemon spare key at the time of car purchase 3 years back. One important lesson learnt: You should always rotate your keys and use - it helps sustain the longevity of the key in addition to possible identification of any issues within the warranty period.

As for my original key with worn out rubber keypad, I have ordered a new keypad from ebay for 199/- and will be posting a DIY this weekend.

Just hope the problem with this key is solved!

Amen!

[raveesh_k]

Hi all,

Just as I suspected, the treatment by Hyundai ASS on my car key FOB battery drain issue did not work and as usual the battery drained completely in 4 days. So now with the spare key taken out of the picture, I had to search for options to repair my original FOB keypad. On searching, I found two options:

Option 1 (the one I opted for, later realizing option 2 was more economical and better):
http://www.ebay.in/itm/Hyundai-i20-K...item3f3ff24210

Option 2 (more economical and better because if you compare the two, boot opener button pad has missing text - 'hold' in option 1):
http://www.ebay.in/itm/PACK-OF-TWO-2...item418a8d4ef3

I would suggest that one should always keep a spare keypad in stock, because they might become obsolete/unavailable with new face lifted models being released almost every other year.

Now because I will be using two keys as references in my DIY below, let me define a glossary so that its easier to follow:

Key 1 - original key FOB with worn out keypads, the one that is being repaired.
Key 2 - lemon spare key FOB with battery drain issue.

Ok so shown below is Key 1 - the condition being primarily due to rubber quality used in the keypad worsened by the 'manicured' thumb nail of my wife which by default rests on the close keypad button when carrying in hands and occasional fiddling between the boot opener and close button. Alongside the key FOB is the purchased keypad from ebay.



Now, its very important to realize that using the key in such a condition poses danger to the IC circuit and sensor beneath the keypad, being exposed to dirt and water/moisture. So best option is to look at replacement of the keypad.

Pic below shows the only tool required for doing this job. The screwdriver blade should be thin enough to go in, without damaging the surrounding plastic of the key and should be wide enough to take out the keypad without tearing it out (in case you just want to clean the metal contacts underneath and replace the keypad after cleaning)





Now using the screwdriver, gently try to pull out the keypad as depicted in the pic below





In my case because of the extreme worn out condition of the keypad, it gave in, when being pulled out. The pic below shows the exposed metal contacts beneath the keypad frame.



Now ideally the keypad frame has to be taken out too, in order to fix the keypad jacket over it. It can also be removed in the same manner as the keypad using the screw driver. The pic below demonstrates that:



However, please note that it might not really be needed to do the above step. In my case I was easily able to nudge in the new keypad over the frame using my finger nails to slide in the edges of the keypad over the attached keypad frame. It was done in less than a minute. Avoided a lot of effort and time if removing the frame, fixing the keypad jacket over and then fixing back the frame. After sliding in the keypad, Key 1 looked as shown below. Key 1 is the left one and the Key 2 is on the right. Is there any difference you note? Yes there is one, check out the description of option 1 and option 2 mentioned above. But hardly makes a difference does it?



Lastly moved my LTD keychain from Key 2 to Key 1.



Key 1 is as good as new, and working like a charm.
Now, need to figure out how to get the Key 2 IC repaired in Bangalore. Pointers anyone?

References:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWo2RcemrLE

Cheers!

[Aditya]

Nice to know you managed to solve the problem. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial. It will surely help other enthusiasts.

[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by raveesh_k

As for my original key with worn out rubber keypad, I have ordered a new keypad from ebay for 199/- and will be posting a DIY this weekend.

Just hope the problem with this key is solved!

Amen!

Hi Ravèesh,

Were you able to solve the initial IC problem for battery drain and if so how. I have the same problem with one of my Verna keys. One just got worn out suddenly and the other key FOB has the infamous battery drain issue. Pathetic key FOB quality to say the least.

[raveesh_k]

Hi John,

No, apparently the IC issue still persists, the new battery replaced by HASS drained out exactly in 4 days time. I will take it to some local key guy and try getting it fixed. Till that time, I have my original FOB repaired and working fine.

Cheers!

[Jeep]

I too faced this problem (of getting battery drained) Hyundai Accent 2003.. Stopped using it. The spare one also has gone kaput when my son puked on it .. Any JC road contacts for this would be helpful

[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by raveesh_k

new battery replaced by HASS drained out exactly in 4 days time.
Cheers!

Just out of curiosity how much did the new battery cost and what is its model number?

I ask because the fake versions of button cells are available plenty in the market. In my case the original CR1620 that worked cost Rs.150 while the fake one that did not work at all cost Rs.40. The fake was purchased from a local store while the original was picked up from a reputed watch service center.

[rajeev k]

I had this problem in my Swift. The OE battery lasted for six and a half years and the replacement got fully drained off within a few days. Ultimately, I had to change the unit.