DIY - Battery Replacement in Lexus Key
05-13-15, 05:53 AM
#31
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I recently have replaced it due to the reason that I needed to push the button a few times or more. Replacing the battery fixed the problem. Now I only need to push just once.
05-13-15, 06:09 AM
#32
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I bought the car last week, brought it home and try to lock it - no sound, nothing. Figured the battery is dead. Opened the key last night to replace the shell and there's no battery in the remote at all...lol
06-25-15, 11:24 PM
#33
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I can't thank you enough! made my life a little better, thank you.
I thought while I was replacing my key battery I would make a simple Do it Yourself out of this.
Most people would intuitively figure out how to do this, but I know of some people who would bring this to the dealership to get changed out.
If your key doesn't remotely unlock or lock your doors anymore, try changing the battery.
If you have to be very close to the car for the remote to work, change the battery.
The Battery needed is a CR1216 (It is round, about dime sized) --(Note 1998-2000 LS battery uses a CR1616 battery.) -- So might be wise to open the key up and check the battery before you buy one.
Tools needed: Small screw driver -- (Very small, something like a jewelry tool or 'eye glass tool'. It will be a phillips head.
*Note: Personally, I used a flat head screw driver because phillips head are universal if you have the appropriate sized tool.
--After I changed my battery the range on the remote locks went from about 10feet to 50 yards. Impressive to me. Though it was probably the original 13yr old battery.--
To start, here is the key, and the screw shown. (I apologize for blurry pictures but the camera wouldn't do any better.)
Next use your appropriately sized screw driver to unscrew the single screw in these keys.
*Note: Do not strip the head of the screw. So make sure your screw driver is making solid contact with the head, and is indeed turning the screw -- It should not take much effort to break the initial time induced thread lock.
Once you have taken the screw out, lay it off to the side out of the way. Gently pry open the two halves of your key. Now you will have the key apart.
*Be gentle but a little pressure will be needed here. I used the flat head tool to slip into a gap at the bottom of the key and it easily popped apart.
Notice in the previous picture there was an O-ring rubber piece that is off to the side. This is located around the battery itself, and would be wise to remove. Lay it off the side as shown.
Remove the battery - It has one edge of metal that holds it in place. So be sure not to pry against that edge. Otherwise the battery literally almost falls out. *Refer to previous picture for how things should look at this point.
Throw old battery away, and place new battery in the slot. Make sure the Positive (+) side is facing upwards as shown. Then take your rubber O-Ring and place around the battery in the groove.
Now the key should be ready to put back together. This is how it should look before you close it back up.
Take the other half of the key and place it on top of the bottom half. Make sure they are lined up correctly and *gently* press them together. It will make a small click and you are nearly done.
*Do not force anything, if it feels like you are pressing too hard, take it apart and try again, making sure nothing is preventing it from closing. (IE: battery fell out, rubber o-ring shifted, and so forth.)
Lastly take your screwdriver and screw the single screw back into the slot.
*Note: Make sure the screw goes into the threads evenly. Do not force the screw in. The screw should screw in easier than it came out. (Watch the seam between the halves as you screw in the screw to make sure they don't have any space in them. If some space starts to develop, the screw is cross-threading or going in at the wrong angle. -- Back it out and try again.).
*** Only make it hand tight. There is absolutely NO need to make this have 80lbs of torque on it. Screw it till it is snug, and leave it. The key stays together without the screw, so a snug screw will be all you need.
You are done! When done make sure the seams/gaps between the two halves all the way around the screw are together like they were before you took the key apart, as I am doing in this blurry picture.
Congratulations, you now have a key that works like new!
Most people would intuitively figure out how to do this, but I know of some people who would bring this to the dealership to get changed out.
If your key doesn't remotely unlock or lock your doors anymore, try changing the battery.
If you have to be very close to the car for the remote to work, change the battery.
The Battery needed is a CR1216 (It is round, about dime sized) --(Note 1998-2000 LS battery uses a CR1616 battery.) -- So might be wise to open the key up and check the battery before you buy one.
Tools needed: Small screw driver -- (Very small, something like a jewelry tool or 'eye glass tool'. It will be a phillips head.
*Note: Personally, I used a flat head screw driver because phillips head are universal if you have the appropriate sized tool.
--After I changed my battery the range on the remote locks went from about 10feet to 50 yards. Impressive to me. Though it was probably the original 13yr old battery.--
To start, here is the key, and the screw shown. (I apologize for blurry pictures but the camera wouldn't do any better.)
Next use your appropriately sized screw driver to unscrew the single screw in these keys.
*Note: Do not strip the head of the screw. So make sure your screw driver is making solid contact with the head, and is indeed turning the screw -- It should not take much effort to break the initial time induced thread lock.
Once you have taken the screw out, lay it off to the side out of the way. Gently pry open the two halves of your key. Now you will have the key apart.
*Be gentle but a little pressure will be needed here. I used the flat head tool to slip into a gap at the bottom of the key and it easily popped apart.
Notice in the previous picture there was an O-ring rubber piece that is off to the side. This is located around the battery itself, and would be wise to remove. Lay it off the side as shown.
Remove the battery - It has one edge of metal that holds it in place. So be sure not to pry against that edge. Otherwise the battery literally almost falls out. *Refer to previous picture for how things should look at this point.
Throw old battery away, and place new battery in the slot. Make sure the Positive (+) side is facing upwards as shown. Then take your rubber O-Ring and place around the battery in the groove.
Now the key should be ready to put back together. This is how it should look before you close it back up.
Take the other half of the key and place it on top of the bottom half. Make sure they are lined up correctly and *gently* press them together. It will make a small click and you are nearly done.
*Do not force anything, if it feels like you are pressing too hard, take it apart and try again, making sure nothing is preventing it from closing. (IE: battery fell out, rubber o-ring shifted, and so forth.)
Lastly take your screwdriver and screw the single screw back into the slot.
*Note: Make sure the screw goes into the threads evenly. Do not force the screw in. The screw should screw in easier than it came out. (Watch the seam between the halves as you screw in the screw to make sure they don't have any space in them. If some space starts to develop, the screw is cross-threading or going in at the wrong angle. -- Back it out and try again.).
*** Only make it hand tight. There is absolutely NO need to make this have 80lbs of torque on it. Screw it till it is snug, and leave it. The key stays together without the screw, so a snug screw will be all you need.
You are done! When done make sure the seams/gaps between the two halves all the way around the screw are together like they were before you took the key apart, as I am doing in this blurry picture.
Congratulations, you now have a key that works like new!
06-25-15, 11:27 PM
#34
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Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CA
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I so much appreciate your effort. I changed the battery as if i knew what i was doing. Almost forgot the O ring, if it weren't for you my key would never open another lock. Thanks.
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Yonny
LS - 1st and 2nd Gen (1990-2000)
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