An important lesson or two on key fob battery life

Key fob battery

Given that half our focus is on the key fob battery, I’ve kept several in my kit, including two CR 2032 batteries. They happen to fit the Kia Niro fob.

So, when replacing the Niro‘s fob batteries I started with those that in my possession.

Neither of them worked.

Why? Well, they are on the order of 10 years old, which is just about the end of their unused shelf life. Battery manufacturers give a shelf life of 8 to 10 years — when properly stored in a cool, dry, and climate-controlled environment.

The two batteries in possession have spent the 10 years in the trunk of the car. Not what they would consider properly stored!

So the first lesson is of course, that keeping spare batteries is not as useful as you might hope. They are, after all, readily available wherever any type of battery is sold.

And the second is that the battery in my spare key fob will also get a replacement. It will be ~five years old but there is a small amount of draw when installed.

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