Key fobs are incredibly convenient until they stop working. You might find yourself wondering what happens when your remote key fob doesn’t seem to function, but then magically comes back to life when placed near the steering wheel. Is it recharging? The answer is no, but the reason why it still works is quite clever.
Normally, your key fob relies on a small battery to send a radio frequency (RF) signal to your car. This is how you can unlock your doors or start your engine remotely, even with the fob in your pocket. The key fob is constantly listening for a signal from your car, like when you pull the door handle. When it receives this request, it transmits encrypted information back to your vehicle to verify your key’s ID. This communication happens almost instantly, allowing for keyless entry and ignition as long as the battery has enough power. Your car’s dashboard will usually display a warning when the key fob battery is getting low, giving you a heads-up to replace it.
However, even when your 2010 Key Fob Battery is completely dead, you’re not entirely locked out. Key fobs also contain a passive RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) chip. This RFID chip doesn’t need battery power to function. Your car has a built-in RFID reader, often located near the steering column, specifically for these situations. When you hold your key fob close to this marked spot on the steering wheel and press the start button, the car’s RFID reader can activate and read the information stored on the key fob’s RFID chip passively. This allows the car to authenticate the key and start the engine, even without a working battery in the fob.
While the RFID system provides a valuable backup, it’s important to remember that it might not offer the same level of sophisticated encryption as the regular RF transmission when the battery is working. Therefore, while placing your 2010 key fob near the steering wheel is a great trick to get you going when the battery dies, it’s always best to replace your key fob battery as soon as you get the low battery warning to ensure consistent and secure key fob operation.
