Replacing the battery in your remote

[vy_storm]

I would like to share this with everyone.

I googled......

Posting it once was enough. Your other digups have been deleted.

FYI, soldering directly to a battery is highly not recommended as they tend to explode when exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time (eg the time it takes to heat up a solder joint). Spot welding is the way manufacturers do it for a reason, plus the solder joint will never be 100%. You can buy off the shelf battery holders that solder directly into the PCB also.

 

[DannyboyDS]

+1 for effort Smokin_salami (That name sounds so gay)

At least you tried to help out.

Good job on fixing your remote.

 

[VS_Pete]

Luckily for me Im an Avionics Technician, so i can solder with my eyes closed while hanging from he ceiling with my head in a bucket of water. I actually replaced my Bat a while ago with a 3v coin cell. It didnt have tags but i just soldered some onto the bat. Helps when u have profesional equipment.

If some1 can apply enough heat with there dick smith soldering iron to melt the PCB, id love to see it!!!!

So we can start sending you some to do?

 

[smokin salami]

kopper 69

Firstly the battery is a lithium and heating any type of battery, particularly lithium is not only dangerous but will shorten the batteries life. This is why there are tabs already 'welded' on to the battery using a mini spot welder

I did say it may damage the battery or explode (hence keep the heat to a minimum and wear safety glasses).:thumbsup:

I wouldnt recommend filing the battery either. Not only is the layer of metal around the battery very thin, you also risk shorting the battery out because the positive and negative terminal are so close together. In a second you could kill the battery and be putting a worse battery into the key head than you started with.

When I said file the battery, I did say SLIGHTLY. This doesn't mean totally remove the metal from the battery.

Unless you have a mini spot welder for battery tabs or will make one up, you are better off spending an extra dollar and getting a battery with the tabs (as suggested above).

Mate, if you could link me to a website that can sell these tabbed batteries, I'd be as happy a pig in crap. Looked at quite a few. Plenty without the tab, but none with. So i improvised.

Major scam that holden introduced these remotes? What would you recommend? The car is probably 15 years old and you complain that you need to replace the key. Generally by the time the battery goes flat the key is worse for wear anyway and needs replacing. Considering all the benefits the key offers - convenience and security - its hardly a scam when you need to replace the battery after this period of time.

I don't have any proplem with the convenience and security but I still think Holden are scamming on this one. Everyone I know who has had to replace a battery in a key, does not need to get the whole key replaced. For your info, the key was just on 3 years old and was in good condition. If I have to start shelling out $140 every time I need a new battery (3 to 5 years), then that's an expense that i'm not prepared to have. What your saying is that it should be quite acceptable to have spent $700 in keys for my 15 year old commodore. If you need a new key because of wear and tear, I can accept that, but for a battery change? Never heard of it on another type of car. Glad to see Holden have managed to have 'changeable' batteries on their newer commodore keys.

If you think that is bad, you should try owning a boat. Replace nearly everything on it in a never ending cycle.

Mate, as the saying goes, "if it flies, if it floats or if it f@cks, then its cheaper to hire it by the hour." This I know by personal experience.:supersad:

Rant over! :thumbsup:

 

[vy_storm]

Mate, if you could link me to a website that can sell these tabbed batteries, I'd be as happy a pig in crap. Looked at quite a few. Plenty without the tab, but none with. So i improvised.

Give here a start, we have a few other suppliers through work, but most are volume for manufacturing and the like. Not sure which size is needed, so can't really narrow down a search.
Batteries, Chargers & Holders | Farnell AU

 

[kopper69]

smokin salami, in my original post I posted two companies that sell these batteries with a tab, RS and Farnell. I would say that most of your local battery specialists would too.

A local supplier that I have used is "Local Batteries" in Capalaba QLD or "Master Instruments".

Welcome To Master Instruments - Home

If you go to the master instruments website and type in CR2032 (the battery used) it will list all of the CR2032 batteries with the various tabs on them. Note that there are differences so make sure you order the correct one. The one that fits into the remote is the CR2032-1GUF (I have replaced batteries in a friends aftermarket remote that used the same battery but different tabs)

I have the local batteries catalogue here and they sell them retail at $2.77, just tell them that code (CR2032-1GUF).

Guys at local batteries are always very helpful and would probably post them to you if you asked for not much.

 

[89 vn]

This is weird, my mates calais battery was soldered on the inside of his key so he needed a new one when it died. with my key, i just unscrew it and change the batteries and its an official holden key as well. so i guess they have **** keys and normal ones lol

btw my VN key was the same

 

[Andrew426]

kopper 69



I don't have any proplem with the convenience and security but I still think Holden are scamming on this one. Everyone I know who has had to replace a battery in a key, does not need to get the whole key replaced. For your info, the key was just on 3 years old and was in good condition. If I have to start shelling out $140 every time I need a new battery (3 to 5 years), then that's an expense that i'm not prepared to have. What your saying is that it should be quite acceptable to have spent $700 in keys for my 15 year old commodore. If you need a new key because of wear and tear, I can accept that, but for a battery change? Never heard of it on another type of car. Glad to see Holden have managed to have 'changeable' batteries on their newer commodore keys.

If you are needing to replace yours every 3 years, I would chuck a multimeter across the charging tab thing on your key barrel, and make sure its charging your key battery properly. My VR key (sept '93) (as far as I can tell - its covered in scratched and worn as hell) is origonal to the car and still gets 1-3m range. My mums Dec 04 VZ key (4 years old now) is origonal to the car and gets 15m, even through walls and glass.

Has ano other member here been needing to replace their keys every 3 years?

 

[kopper69]

3 years does sound excessive. Ive had my car 5 years and replaced the key once, Im pretty sure the one I got when I purchased the car was an original, or at least a good couple of years old. I would expect another couple out of it too.

The battery isnt rechargable either - just designed to use so little power and being a lithium has a very low self discharge so it can easily last a number of years - in theory anyway.

 

[Andrew426]

3 years does sound excessive. Ive had my car 5 years and replaced the key once, Im pretty sure the one I got when I purchased the car was an original, or at least a good couple of years old. I would expect another couple out of it too.

The battery isnt rechargable either - just designed to use so little power and being a lithium has a very low self discharge so it can easily last a number of years - in theory anyway.

Didnt know that. Just assumed it was because its the same battery as in most computer motherboards to keep the clocks running. Wikipedia set me right though.