Battery in key

[toey]

Hey all, just a precautionary question...will I get any signs or warning that the battery in my key will need changing? I'm jyst trying to avoid the situation where I lock my car, then when I come back to it discover that the battery is dead, and therefore unable to return to my car.

Many thanks.

[alpine-wolf]

Not sure about the VZ keys but the VY's as far as I know are unchangable, so I presume they would be the same, they have a life of normal useage of about 5 yrs, although my VY key has 6 yrs so far! The range will gradually get less and less effective before becoming useless (as far as I know!) The other bugger part with the keys is that the transponder in them is required to start the car and when the key battery goes flat - car no start no more!!

You should still be able to unlock your car with the key using the lock if remote battery flat.

[toey]

You should still be able to unlock your car with the key using the lock if remote battery flat.

Ahahahahha stupid me...

[VZ-Rob]

......
You should still be able to unlock your car with the key using the lock if remote battery flat.

Yep! and the alarm goes of until you turn to ignition position

[danja]

The metal ring around the ignition barrel is supposed to energise the transponder, so in theory a key with a dead battery will still start the car.

That said I had a key with a flakey battery (was hard to get it to remotely unlock the car) and it would sometimes not turn over the first time because of the immobiliser. It would always work eventually, but it's food for thought.

[the_trademarc]

Unless you got Telematics on your car (if its an Exec you won't, unless you wanna pay 600 for 3 years for someone to tell you you're battery's going flat), you won't know when you key goes dead.
If you have a spare key, it might be an idea to swap it over every year or so. That's what I do. Battery might still go flat, but the transponder's should be good for a little longer.
Also, if your battery in your car's gone dead as a doorknob, they remote won't open the car 9 times out of 10

[Chickenboi999]

vz are unchangeable, there was no warning sign & i just went back to car & couldnt get in
i was f**kin shattered to say the least
atleast i wasnt deso that night then

[colgf]

The Battery in both VY & VZ key heads ARE changeable , BUT, the trick is how to get the case open because the case halves are glued together. Carefully cut along the seam with a Stanley knife & you can get the key head halves open , its a common hearing aid battery about $3.95 from a Chemist or Dick Smith.

[Cod]

The Battery in both VY & VZ key heads ARE changeable , BUT, the trick is how to get the case open because the case halves are glued together. Carefully cut along the seam with a Stanley knife & you can get the key head halves open , its a common hearing aid battery about $3.95 from a Chemist or Dick Smith.

By time the battery gets flat the buttons are all worn on the remote :-/ But i have seen buttons for sale on ebay.

Also if you're ever changing the key part due to the old one getting broken, apparently you got 10 seconds to swap them over the remote is rendered useless and needs to be recoded.
$150 for a new key including cut. VERY bad on Holdens part, an obvious money making scam.

[Oh_Your_Blind]

happened to me. Couldnt start the car, and the vy was the first model to stop where you could leave the key on accessories for 45 min and the immobilisor turned off.. cost me 130 per key and i got 2 brand new keys..

[mainpath]

I've found a place in eastern sydney that will do the Holden Remote keys for $65 coded, thing is I havent tried them out yet, will do this weekend and i'll report back.

[dah_man_ben]

The battery in the key recharges itself... if you have a look at the little metal thing near the key, that connects to the metal ring on the ignition and charges the battery in the key, hence the reason why the key never seems to go flat. When you have a completely flat key (such as not using it for years), you start your car with it and you will find that it will work. My VS was like this and so is my VT and VY... my spare key always goes flat cos it sits around, and once put in the ignition barrel, she comes alive and stays like that.

Eventually however, like every battery after recharging heaps, it just doesn't hold its charge and shits itself and you are up for a new coded black key thing.