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When Intelligent Key Battery is low battery ?

185K views 34 replies 20 participants last post by  Tonychanman 
#1 · (Edited)

  1. [*]When Intelligent Key Battery is low battery ? ( 1 month, 1 year, 2 years,.... ) Has Altima Coupe warn it for us ?
    [*]How long we charge battery at a time ? ( Has vehicle announce for us when Intelligent Key Battery is full battery ? )
After 1.5 years



Thank you !
 
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#2 ·
From what I understand the car does not charge the key at all! The slot is only used when the fob is not working or has been water damaged. My 08 coupe has been warning me that my key is low for 4 months now. I am going to keep going till it does not work any more. Then you have to replace the internal battery just like any other key fob.
 
#11 ·
I just changed my key battery when my car gave me a warning light...I just went to radioshack and got the battery type the manual said to use. It was about 3$, very cheap and very easy to install! Good luck :)

Btw, I wouldnt wait too long after you get the warning since I have heard stories about ppl who have not been able to get into their cars with a dead battery...
 
#12 ·
sorry but those people are idiots then. there's a key inside your fob. it is impossible to not be able to get into your car if you have your fob (as long as your key is still in it) or unless you happen to lock your keys in your car.
 
#14 ·
You are correct, entry can be gained to your vehicle by using the key.

That is only half the battle. Most people want to be able to start the car after gaining entry, which will not happen with a dead battery in the I-key.

How am I able to make this bold statement? Lets take a look at what the owner's manual says about this very subject. Page 3-6, pre-driving checks and adjustments states:

Because the steering wheel is locked electrically,
unlocking the steering wheel with the ignition
switch in the LOCK position is impossible when
the vehicle battery is completely discharged.

Unlocking the steering wheel is impossible even if
the Intelligent Key is inserted into the Intelligent
Key port. Pay special attention that the vehicle
battery is not completely discharged.

Although the life of the battery varies depending
on the operating conditions, the battery's life is
approximately 2 years. If the battery is discharged,
replace it with a new one.

When the Intelligent Key battery is almost discharged,
insert the Intelligent Key into the Intelligent
Key port to start the engine. Replace the
discharged battery with a new one as soon as possible.


Why anyone would want to experience this problem is beyond me.

Maybe I am a strange duck, but I enjoy having the I-key unlock my doors, and assist in starting my car.

I have no desire to see how long I can make a $2.00 battery last.
 
#18 ·
Tonychanman,

Your quote "it doesn't say what happens when the ikey is completely discharged, since you shouldn't let it get to that point, and we won't know till it happens to someone, or if you play around and take your battery out of your ikey and try to start the car." got me thinking.

I just did this highly scientific experiment:

I took the battery out of my I-Key, assembled the I-Key, and installed the I-Key in the port, and the CAR STARTED as normal.

You are correct, I 'misunderestimated' the wording in the manual.

So now we know you can start your car with a dead battery in the I-Key.

I must be the person that George W. Bush was refering to when he said: "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."

I am very proud of myself, as I learned something today on this forum. I am gradually convincing my wife that I am not goofing off and waisting time by reading these forums.
 
#19 ·
this is excellent information, now we absolutely know that you can still start your car with a completely dead ikey by putting into the ikey port. i think this is a small victory for all of us :woot:
 
#20 ·
Funny, I read the manual and it appeared kind a obvious to me that the whole point of the slot was so that you aren't screwed in the event that the I-key becomes incapacitated. For example, you drop the fob in a puddle and 2 days later, you come out of the grocery store and bam! no warning, the I-key is dead. I mean, they would have had to have thought about that when they were developing it, no? Then again, I read the manual in French just to make sure and for once, the the translation was excellent... And that being said, I also figured that if one fob dies and I turn out to be screwed, that's what the second fob is for!
 
#25 ·
My key works "sometimes".

:confused:My i-key works as it should sometimes and at other times it's like the key is not picked up. A couple of times I actually had to use the metal key to open door. Once inside car did start and key works again. many times it will not open doors unless you take and press the button repeatedly. I have no warning of any kind. Any Ideas? same with both sets of remotes.:confused::confused:
 
#31 ·
i'll play along and bump this ancient thread. the way it works with a dead/nearly dead ikey is that when you insert it into the slot in the car, the car will induce current into the ikey. it kind of works like the charger of an electric toothbrush, there's no metal prongs that make contact, but the current is strong enough to be induced into the device. it won't charge the ikey, but it will give it enough power to be used at the time while it's inserted.

bottom line, you can manage with an ikey with a dead battery. use the actual key to open doors, then insert the ikey into the slot and you're ready to roll.
 
#34 ·
So what's the answer? Keep changing the batteries every 3-6 months? Thats BS. The way Nissan is detecting a low battery is obviously too sensitive. Can't the dealer tech just shut it off or change the warning threshold?

My original fob batteries lasted about 1.5 years. The radio shack replacement lasted 1-2 months. Also when they tested the original fob battery it still showed as being good on their tester. Next I tried a new battery from my Nissan Dealer (their suggestion) and 5-6 months later I'm getting the warning again. I'm sure the fob will keep working for a couple more years at least but the warning is annoying. I asked the dealer if they could just disable it but they said no. This is stupid, but I'm guessing I'll just have to get used to the warning because I'm not changing the batteries every 3-6 months.:banghead:
 
#35 ·
learn to live with the warning. it's only there for about 5 seocnds when you start the car. that is all.
 
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