Ratbag
Administrator
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2012
- Messages
- 7,470
- Location
- Bayside, Melbourne, Vic
- Car Year
- MY06, MY10
- Car Model
- Forester SG & SH
- Transmission
- 5MT/DR & 4EAT Sports
Gidday All
Roo2 (2006) developed a strange misbehaviour relating to the key activated central locking about 6 months or so ago.
Periodically, it would require a second press on the key button to lock/unlock the car. Sometimes (rarely) would not work at all. This got progressively worse, and more annoying, over that time until about 2 weeks ago, when my key stopped working most of the time. Had to lock/unlock the car using the physical key/lock and the internal car lock/unlock button.
[EDIT] Interestingly, it almost always worked fine in the afternoons, just not first thing in the morning, progressively worsening. I realise now that this was due to the battery becoming slightly warmer, and therefore having a slightly higher nominal voltage ... [end edit]
Visions of a new central locking unit and $$$ ...
Pinched my wife's key, and all was good again. Worked perfectly!
Pulled both keys apart, and measured the battery voltages. My key was 2.997V; wife's was 3.064V. Both no load voltage, so less than 0.1V difference between them.
Bought a couple of new 1620 batteries. Measured them. No load voltage is 3.315V for each new cell.
Changed both batteries (as ten y.o.) and all is sweet again :biggrin: .
What really surprised me is the extremely fine operate/not operate tolerance between the two exhausted batteries.
Roo2 (2006) developed a strange misbehaviour relating to the key activated central locking about 6 months or so ago.
Periodically, it would require a second press on the key button to lock/unlock the car. Sometimes (rarely) would not work at all. This got progressively worse, and more annoying, over that time until about 2 weeks ago, when my key stopped working most of the time. Had to lock/unlock the car using the physical key/lock and the internal car lock/unlock button.
[EDIT] Interestingly, it almost always worked fine in the afternoons, just not first thing in the morning, progressively worsening. I realise now that this was due to the battery becoming slightly warmer, and therefore having a slightly higher nominal voltage ... [end edit]
Visions of a new central locking unit and $$$ ...
Pinched my wife's key, and all was good again. Worked perfectly!
Pulled both keys apart, and measured the battery voltages. My key was 2.997V; wife's was 3.064V. Both no load voltage, so less than 0.1V difference between them.
Bought a couple of new 1620 batteries. Measured them. No load voltage is 3.315V for each new cell.
Changed both batteries (as ten y.o.) and all is sweet again :biggrin: .
What really surprised me is the extremely fine operate/not operate tolerance between the two exhausted batteries.
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