Does anyone know how to change fob (Advanced Key) battery?

My advanced key is not working all the time and my first assumption with something of this nature would be the battery. Anyone know how to change them or should I really pay the dealer probably WAY too much money to do it for me?

Thanks a lot.

You mean the proximity style key card?

Are you talking about the one that's the shape of a credit card?
If so, all you need to do is slide out the hidden key. Right next to where the key was you'll see a small rubber-like piece. After popping that piece out of place, you'll find the battery.
Just changed mine. Hope that helps.

^ Like he said. I used a paper clip to pop the corner piece out, then use it on the side to pop the battery out.

Some pics...

Battery is Panasonic CR2025 3V

thanks for the info. My auto-lock has been hit-or-miss lately so i'll try replacing the battery now that i realize it's so easy to do.

I changed the battery but the key still doesn't work (can't open doors by pressing the little button on my door handle).
Do you need to reprogram something after changing the battery?
Thanks.

all that basic info is in your car's owner manual bro.

Why did you change your battery? The reason I ask, is that my battery recently died and about the same time I noticed the remote entry button on the trunk stopped working. When I removed the remote entry button, it was shorted and I suspect that was the reason for my dead battery. I ordered a new button ($100 (dunno) ) and that fixed the problem.

Is it just the driver's side door that stopped working or all the remote entry buttons?

Gary

GaryL said:

Is it just the driver's side door that stopped working or all the remote entry buttons?
Gary

Click to expand...

No, all doors. Actually I though I had more than battery problems. Both my keys stopped working at the same time.
I replaced the battery in one and I still had trouble opening doors.
I realized that I forgot to put back the little cap on the ignition keyhole. That fixed my problem.

Thank you all for the help.

Thanks for this information...It was very helpful.

berad said:

^ Like he said. I used a paper clip to pop the corner piece out, then use it on the side to pop the battery out.

Some pics...

Battery is Panasonic CR2025 3V

Click to expand...

I just changed the battery in mine, and with the new battery, neither of my proximity keys work. I can use the buttons on the fob, but I can't use the buttons on the door handles, trunk, or start the ignition.

It started as a hit-or-miss problem with mine, as well, but now I have to use the backup key. I assume Mazda would be able to program these pretty quickly, right?

MontegoRx said:

I just changed the battery in mine, and with the new battery, neither of my proximity keys work. I can use the buttons on the fob, but I can't use the buttons on the door handles, trunk, or start the ignition.

It started as a hit-or-miss problem with mine, as well, but now I have to use the backup key. I assume Mazda would be able to program these pretty quickly, right?

Click to expand...

Its not a key issue. Check your trunk's key lock actuator. Mine started freezing up a little, and therefore the solenoid wasnt able to overpower the corrosion, and the system stopped working. Just spray some WD40 in the trunk keyhole to lube up the mechanism...should solve it for ya.
-a

yeah this was actually a know issue early in the MS6 production. basically the trunk actuator freezes and then melts, which allows water to get in and short it out.

Mazda released a TSB about it a couple years ago with a revised actuator. Just take it in and have them replace it..

Thanks for this post. I now know I can handle this for about $3. I currently can NOT start the car. Even the temp key fell out because of poor engineering.

The Mazda dealer here in Scottsdale AZ, Chapman Mazda, wants to charge me $180 for a new key. This part probably costs $10. They claim it costs $60 and they have to pay the tech $130 an hour to program it. An hour huh?

I called Mazda customer service and they are useless. So was the manager I spoke to. All they could repeat was that its not a warranty part and that they will "make a note of my frustration." Really? Who is going to read that note? I bet this post will get read and deleted far faster than anyone who reads that note.

They also went on to note that I have "no relationship with the dealer" as far as they can tell. Really? No relationship? How about the $33K I spent on the car. Does that not count?

The nerve of these people.

Mazda doesn't care about its customers. I won't be buying another Mazda. And I will make sure that no one I know does either. Including anyone who reads any of my blogs or sees my facebook page.

Norman, the service manager at this dealer actually said in response to my comments about businesses doing business honestly and fairly instead of taking advantage when a customer is in a bad position..and I quote "It's not like that anymore. Everyone has to make money." That speaks volumes of the business practices and ethics, ie lack thereof, at Mazda.

I hope that Mazda feels that $180 was worth going after at the expense of a long term customer who otherwise really loves the car but will now be preventing as many Mazda sales in the future as possible.

This is how Mazda makes me feel: (blarf)

^Try calling or emailing Mazda Corporate.

And +1 for whoever mentioned the TSB up there. The driver's door button also seems to fail more in the winter time up north. Mine stopped working the first winter I had it for like 3 or 4 months, and then started working again in the spring, lol. I didn't have any issues last winter, but it was milder.

MazdaConsumer -
I understand your complaint, as I'm sure do a lot of people. I would take the advice that dougefresh offered and contact Mazda Corporate, especially if you change the battery and it works fine. It sounds like just one crappy dealership trying to make more money than they should...

As far as the cost, 130 is excessive for reprogramming the key. There is a how-to floating around here somewhere that explains how to do it with your existing key.

On the temporary key falling out, I hear ya on that one...i actually put a piece of tape inside the opening to add a bit more friction since mine kept falling out. I don't think its so much bad engineering, as it is lack of "real-world" use. i know when i first got it, i was constantly fiddling with it.

Also, you should have a Valet key that you can use as a last resort.