SonnyIs350

Excellent! Can u explain why it beeps when you leave the car i have always been curious?

tex2670

To remind you the key is no longer in the car. Say it's in your passenger's purse, & you drop her off somewhere. The car wont shut off, but once you do turn it off, you cant start it again w/o the key.

Buds

The key (and the car) use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to communicate with each other. The car is constantly transmitting an encrypted radio signal looking for the key. This signal is very limited in terms of distance traveled (there is a diagram in the Manual but I dont have it on me). Since the car is constantly searching for the key, the instant you go out of range, it knows that the key is no longer present inside the vehicle, thus starts beeping and displaying the Key Not Detected message.

I believe only the center/main transmitter located inside the car can allow drivers to start the car. Thus if I was standing next to the passenger door, I would be able to unlock the doors but if someone was in the driver seat they would not be able to start the car (but don't quote me on that).

Make sense?

tex2670

That's right. It depends where the key is. If the key is outside the car on the driver side, you cannot open the passenger door. The car can tell if the key is inside.

kevinmscs

Sorry guys i have been bz and just got replaced the battery yesterday... Yes its the battery that ran out. I put new battery in and it works fine now.

Its an CR1632 so if anyone needs to know. Hard to find it in store since its not a very popular one.

Also, for all purpose, i think everyone should buy one battery and place it into the glove box when your car reaches more than 1 year. Just in case you cant start the car while away from home.

Thanks all.

Bichon

While it's not a bad idea to keep a spare battery (or two) on hand, you don't need to worry about getting stranded.

You can start the car even with the battery completely removed from the fob. Just hold it directly in front of the start button, and thanks to passive RFID technology (an electromagnetic field in front of the start button induces a current in a coil in the fob, which powers it), you can start the vehicle.

bagwell

I'd leave a spare battery in the trunk -- that way if you can't get in your car you don't have to pop off the lock covers, just open the trunk with the metal key and install the new battery in the remote.

Nuster

Good idea!

My first keyfob just died on me a week ago.

I was so used to the SmartAcess so when my battery actually died on me, I still pull the handle and expected the door to be opened, but it didn't. It was sort of an embarassment moment there.

It made me look really dumb especially when I stand next to my car and reach to get my remote just to open the door.

I knew for sure when the battery was dead cuz it no longer detected by the car when I try to start so I had to held it close to the start button.

Currently, using my second keyfob now and even the second one is running low on batter. My car was manufacted 10/06.

Just bought 5 Panasonic from fleabay. Will install it this weekend and hope everything will be back to normal.

SF228

I drove from SF to lake tahoe last weekend, and my smart key battery promptly died when I arrived. After this trip, I have two gripes about Lexus' design with the smart key:

1) The replacement battery (CR1632) is very difficult to find. In fact, unless you're in a major city, it's impossible to find. There were NONE in all of Lake Tahoe - trust me, I went to 10 different shops to find one, and was blanked at each spot. Even when I got back to the Bay area, I found that it was STILL difficult to find one - I finally found one online, and ordered it there. Lexus - why the heck did you pick such a hard to find replacement part that a customer will need to replace relatively often???

2) The manual doesn't tell you not to stress about the "alternate" method of starting the car. i.e. - you have ample time to find a replacement, and shouldn't stress if you can't find one immediately. The manual, instead, is written stating that you need to replace the smart key battery immediately - implying that you will not be able to start your car unless you replace the battery soon. As you can imagine, this is very stressful, and places immediate pressure on one to find a replacement. If one is not to be found, as in my case, you can drive yourself nuts looking for one, as I did, which totally ruined my weekend. (imagine starting your car to go somewhere, everytime wondering if you will ever be able to bring the car back)

FiveOhNine

Telephones have batteries too, you could have called around first, saved some time?

Bichon

In a pinch, you should be able to get a replacement CR1632 at any Lexus or Toyota dealer. I think Saab also uses that size too. You won't find it at drugstores, supermarkets or Radio Shack.

TonySwank

Mine died yesterday after a little less than three months. I felt like an idiot sitting in front of my friends house trying to figure out how to start my car. Anyone else have this short of a life span?

Buds

Do you keep your key in the same pocket as your cell phone?

Bichon

Yes, my original battery also died in less than three months. The replacement is still going strong nearly 18 months later.