Infiniti back up start page
Infiniti back up start pageA 2025 review of our Infiniti back up start page sees no changes whatsoever. In fact, what we learned is that the company has abandoned all back up start options that are not “push the button with the back of the key fob.”
All keyless or push button start vehicles offer a back up start option in the event that 
the battery in the key fob dies. Which they do all tooo quickly and at what is likely the worst possible time.
For years, Infiniti offered two options: push the start/stop button with the back of the fob; or slip the fob into a slot on the left side of the dash (right). This last option has been abandoned.
Then in 2018, the QX30 was introduced using a pull-out button akin to a version developed by the old Chrysler Corporation. The button can be removed and the key fob inserted into the space and used as a key.
The car was introduced in 2017 and both the method and the model were abandoned in 2019.
You can see the Infiniti back-up start page here.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY
Tonale back up start
Push button or keyless start cars and trucks need a location to touch or drop the key fob in the event the battery in the fob becomes depleted. This can happen as quickly as eight months, depending on use.
Since the introduction of the Giulia and Stelvio models, the only thing a driver of a keyless start Alfa Romeo had to do if their key fob died was to drop the fob in the bottom of the center console (right), a spot clearly marked by the outline of the fob itself. Time will tell if the new method in the Tonale will spread to additional models, old or new.
Polestar back up entry and start update
A mechanical key is not available to unlock the Polestar 3 or Polestar 4. The smart phone app or the vehicle’s key card will be needed. With the Polestar 3, the card is touched to the front of the driver’s door handle (right). With the Polestar 4, the card is touched to the middle of the door pillar just behind the driver’s door (far right).
Both models use a card reader at the front of the center console to start the car when the key fob’s battery has died. The reader doubles as a phone charger as well as a key fob charger for the Polestar 3!
Mercedes Back-up Start Page Update
As is true with most Mercedes-Benz models, the back-up spot is marked with the image of a key with lines radiating from it (left).
To activate the push button ignition in your Karma, place the key fob against the side panel near the driver’s left foot with the buttons facing the pedals. The panel is marked (right). The vehicle will recognize the key and display a message on the instrument panel. Hold the key fob against the panel until you have depressed the brake pedal and the Start / Stop button. This is an awkward move but it puts the vehicle in drive mode.
Starting the Ocean is a little easier, as the back up position is easier to reach. Look for what looks like an interlocked FJ on the panel to the left of the steering wheel (right). You might be able to feel the location as well. Place the back of the fob against the mark. The instrument panel will announce that the fob has been recognized, but you will need to continue to hold the fob against the mark while starting the vehicle.
Note: If you have made an attempt to start the vehicle without success, there may be residual pressure in the brake system and a new warning light may appear (left) or text message to Step on the Brake. Press the brake pedal very, very hard when trying to start the vehicle again to be sure that the release switch behind the pedal is engaged. Or wait a few minutes and try again.
There are three basic locations to try, as shown in the image, but experience tells us you might just as well skip to the last one. The first, top to bottom, is to simply drop the key fob into the cup holder. If this fails, hold the key fob against the front of the console, as we are doing in the image (second). There are several places that can be tried in this case alone.
If all these fail, the next recommendation is to remove the battery from the fob and run through the options again. As it happens, this is exactly what we had to do with the Model X we had and we landed at the base of the console before the car recognized the fob. That location, with the key fob resting in place, is shown in the second image. The fob was recognized at last and we were able to operate the car.
If you were given a key card, place it against the left side of the of the space at the front of the center console just below the screen, as shown to the right. The vehicle will recognize the card, the instrument panel will come to life and the car will be ready for action. Don’t lose the card!
If your mobile phone has gone dead or is missing, place the key card on the center console behind and between the two cup holders. The car will recognize the card and will allow it to be driven.
Volvo EV back up start focused on the center console
Until the 2021 model year, all redesigned keyless start Volvo models used a cup holder as a back up start location. But the Volvo EV back up start location has migrated to the center console.
In the Volvo introduced the company’s first all electric model, the XC40. The C40 (now the EC40) followed in 2022, and now the EX40 hybrid in 2025. As we updated this year, we see that all these EV and Hybrid models use a
mark found inside the center console on the bottom and to the front (right).
The mark remains the image of a key with lines radiating from it. Placing the key fob on the mark will allow the car to recognize the fob.
All Volvo back up start locations and procedures can be seen on this page.
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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.
These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.
Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing is more true.
The author has 25 years of automotive experience and has assembled the most extensive collection of symbols and warning lights anywhere (over 1,000!) and can help you open and start any keyless start car with a dead key fob battery. BA, St. Joseph’s College, ME: MS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY