Chuck Gongloff

When I bought the 06 about 8-10 weeks ago, the PO gave me both FOBs and told me he had recently replaced both batteries.

I had owned the car for about two weeks when both FOBs started acting up. I opened them up, and found 2025 batteries in both. Without checking, I bought a pair of 2025 replacements and put 'em in.

I should have checked. I learned later that the FOB should use a 2032 battery....same size with more oomph.

Well, today, about a month later, both FOBs with the 2025 batteries acted up again.

I got the "NO FOB DETECTED" message a few times. When I shut the car off and got out, the interior lights stayed on, the the green light around the ignition button stayed on too. Did this several times with the same result, using both FOBs I might add.

Well, I replaced both batteries again with the proper 2032 model, and things are working "as designed" again.

Which brings me to a question:

The car is in the garage. There is a wall between the garage and the laundry room of the house. You walk from the laundry room into the kitchen. I keep the FOBs in a basket on the kitchen counter. It's about 20' from the car to the basket where I keep the FOBs stored.

Some have told me that this is too close, and that the FOB keeps transmitting....thus the reason for the rapid battery drain.

Thoughts?

TIA

Chuck

talon90

You are fine. That's actually an old wives tail spun by dealers trying to explain a phenomenon which caused 2005 manual transmission Corvettes to have their batteries go dead in 48 hours from a full charge and seemingly nothing left on to cause it. Proximity of fob to car is irrelevant unless you are trying to use the fob to gain entry or start the car.

The car does not actively search for a fob nor does the fob actively search for a car. The car will only seek the fob if a button (on the car or on the fob) is pressed, ie door button, hatch button, lock button, start button.

You could leave the fob in the car and it would have no bearing on the life of the fob battery or car battery.

Chuck Gongloff

Hmmm. Interesting.

I've had several C6 owners in my club mention that they keep the FOBs WAY far away from the car to prevent drainage of the FOB battery.

Chuck

R&L's C6

Well, now you can educate them and let them know it's not needed.

speedlink

Listen to talon90. He knows of what he speaks. He works at the plant.

Chuck Gongloff

How can you 'splain the low battery situation in both of my FOBs after only about a month of use?

BTW, the car is a "toy", used for Corvette Club functions, etc. It's not a daily driver. Gets driven once/week maybe.

Chuck

R&L's C6

Maybe I'm not understanding your first post but I thought you explained it, by putting in the wrong battery......

HD_Rider

Talon is correct. Neither the car nor the FOBs are actively sweeping the area trying to establish communication with one another. Communication does not occur until one of the buttons on a FOB are depressed or one of the door buttons on the car are pressed. Only then is a communication link established as the car attempts to determine if a valid FOB tied to that car is being used or is within range.

I keep my FOB #1 in a basket that is about 10 feet away from the car as the crow flies. I've never had any issues with either of the two C6's I've owned.

The 2032 is a 240 milliamp hour battery whereas the 2025 is a 170 milliamp hour battery. As you've already found out, the 2025 will not last as long as the 2032.

Chuck Gongloff

That could POSSIBLY be it, but I read that by using the 2025 battery as opposed to the 2032 would cut the life by a bit................

But certainly it should last more than a month.

Maybe I'm wrong..... I'll certainly find out if these new 2032's give up the ghost in a month or so.

That's why I asked about the proximity of the FOB to the car during "storage". I'm parroting what my club guys said....

Obviously, that's wrong.

Chuck

Tim Coltrain

Here's what happened to me. I went to start car it said NO FOB DETECTED. Of course I thought battery so I went and purchased new batteries in Both. Again, No fob detected. I called Chevrolet Dealer and they asked if I had changed car battery. I said yes last spring and it stays on a battery tender when not in use. Of course he said Oh. I was told to put FOB in by pass hole crank it and bring it in. I was told they had to reboot the fob system. Took them 10 minutes no problem. They said I needed to come around the car every so often. Well I had been out of town for two months. Problem solved for now.


TIM$VETT

Chuck Gongloff

Could be, BUT............. here's a "cut and paste". The question was/is "can a 2025 be used in place of a 2032".

I'm NOT saying that using the wrong battery is the correct thing to do.

I'm just sayin' that something drained those batteries in a month. The 2032's are supposed to last ~3 years IIRC.

If the 2025 was only 10% as powerful/long lasting, I should have gotten 3.6 months out of it. (10% of 36 months).


Yes but the device may not operate as long or as brightly. The 2032 is a 240 milliamp hour battery whereas the 2025 is a 170 milliamp hour battery. The 2032 is slightly thicker than the 2025 but that will probably present no problem.


2032 Battery 3 volts, lithium, 230 mAh, Height: 3.2 mm, Diameter: 20, Weight: 3 grams

2025 Battery 3 volts, lithium, 170 mAh, Height: 2.5 mm, Diameter: 20, Weight: 2.5 grams

R&L's C6

I'm not saying you don't have some other problem going on but I am saying it's not the proximity of the fob to the car. I can second that Talon90 knows what he's talking about when it comes to the function of the fob, he knows his stuff......

I do think since both fobs failed at the same time and both had the wrong battery in them it stands to reason the batteries should be the first suspect. FWIW I also store my fob within 10 ft of my car and have never had any problems either.