fj40ih8mud

Any tricks to changing battery on Lexus remotes?

Only have one master, so don't want to mess it up.

bb430

iTrader: (1)

The battery is CR1616, get it and swap it. You won't lose the memory, done it several times.

mandyfig

This battery I take it is common to all Lexus remotes?

ALBINO

Common battery. I bought mine online at Amazon and received 5 of them for $5.10.
Below is the info from my invoice...
Energizer CR1616 3V Lithuim Battery -Pack of 5
Sold by D&H Amazing Deals
Condition: new $5.10
Be careful when you open the case to remove old battery. There is a fine gasket on the inside of the case.
There are photos on online to show you how. Hope this helps....

Habious

Usually the hardest part is finding a teenie-tiny screwdriver to get it apart.

There's one Phillips-head screw holding the case together, and 2 smaller Phillips-head screws holding the cover onto the remote module.

If you're a sweaty guy, it's possible to have some rust/binding on the outside case screw. Keep an eye out for that.

And, like Albino pointed out, careful you don't lose the gasket.

jmezo

My RX300 battery has lasted over 13 years. The case is falling apart the the battery is still good.

mandyfig

You got that right. Both my cases are cracked. Batteries ok.

If there's one thing for our cars, it is the remote cases. There was a TSB on this but it lasted short and was not highly talked about, they had to replace a lot of cases.

bb430

iTrader: (1)

The screw drivers are found at Radio Shack or Home Depot, they are watchmaker screw driver set. Harbor Freight Tools have them too.

Prasha

No big deal, simply walk in to any dealership parts dept, they'll do it for you for $5+-, or any auto parts store

tfischer

It is a common battery and widely available, but it is not common to all Lexus remotes. I have an 02 SC and an 04 RX and although the keys look identical, they use different batteries. Open it up first and take it to the your local Rat Shack (Radio Shack - I love that one) and get a duplicate. The more you use the remote, the faster the battery will wear out, but generally the lifetime of the battery is measured in years. If you find that the remote slowly needs to be nearer to the car to open the locks, that's a sign of a weak battery, and you probably have little more than 6 to 8 months to act.

mandyfig

tfischer thanks. I was going to get 5 of the same. So they are different between RX and SC, huh!

tfischer

All I know about Lexus key batteries is that the battery in the key for my '02 SC430 is not the same battery as is in the key for my '04 RX330, even though the keys look almost identical as to size and placement of the 3 buttons and the little red light.
From this data, and from my experience, either open the key and take the battery to an appropriate store (a key with no battery will still start the car and unlock the driver's door, just as keys have done in automobiles for over 200 years), or bring the key with you and your reading glasses and the little bitty screwdriver to open it up on the counter while everyone else in the store waits in line behind you.
Either of these techniques will get you the right battery the first time.

iolmaster

iTrader: (1)

It is correct that even though the keys look the same, the remote may have a different battery. My 2000 ES key uses a CR2032 rather than the CR1616 the SC uses. The 2032 is the same battery used in most mother boards in computers. It is a larger battery and will last longer. Best to look before you buy in bulk. I can only assume that all the SC keys use the 1616.

sebtown

My battery went dead this morning. I opened it up and it was indeed a CR1616, put it back together so I wouldn't lose the little screws and it worked perfectly! I'm thinking it was just a bad contact.

Alex818

Any watch repair shop has screw drivers. I got a box of those at the .99 cent store.