Have you ever replaced the battery in your Jeep Cherokee key fob only to find it still doesn’t work? You’re not alone. Many Jeep Cherokee owners encounter a frustrating situation where a fresh battery doesn’t immediately restore the key fob’s functionality. You might assume you’ve done something wrong, or that there’s a more serious issue at play. Before you head to the dealership or consider buying a new key fob, there’s a surprisingly simple trick you should try first.
It turns out that simply swapping out the old battery for a new one isn’t always enough to get your Jeep Cherokee key fob working again right away. In some cases, the key fob, or perhaps the vehicle’s system, needs a little nudge to recognize the new power source. After trying several new batteries myself and facing the same initial failure, I discovered a solution that might save you time and money. Each time, my old, weak battery would still operate the fob, but the brand new ones wouldn’t seem to register.
The solution is surprisingly straightforward: use the fob-on-start-button method, just as you would if your key fob battery were completely dead. Get into your Jeep Cherokee and instead of trying to use the remote functions, push the start button with the key fob itself. Hold the key fob directly against the start button and press. This action seems to reset or re-sync the key fob with your vehicle after a battery change.
After starting my Jeep Cherokee using this method, all the key fob functions miraculously returned to normal. Remote start, locking and unlocking doors, everything worked perfectly again. It seems there might be some undocumented process or memory within the Jeep Cherokee or its key fob that monitors battery levels. When a new battery is installed, it may not immediately recognize the change in power. This fob-on-start-button procedure appears to bypass this issue and recalibrate the system.
Even more surprisingly, when I inquired at a Jeep dealership, the staff didn’t officially acknowledge this trick. Instead, they were quick to suggest options that would cost me money: purchasing a new key fob, buying a new battery from them at an inflated price, or reprogramming the existing key fob – none of which would be covered under warranty. It’s a common frustration in today’s automotive industry, where even basic maintenance can be presented as a complex and costly service.
Compared to my older Chrysler vehicles, where key fob batteries seemed to last for many years (my 2002 Chrysler fob battery lasted around 8 years), the Jeep Cherokee key fob battery life seems significantly shorter, often lasting only 1-2 years. While my older Chrysler didn’t have remote start, and the Jeep Cherokee’s remote start likely contributes to battery drain, I also consciously use the remote locking and unlocking functions sparingly on my Jeep to conserve battery.
So, before you assume your new key fob battery is faulty or that there’s a deeper problem, try the fob-on-start-button method. It could be the simple, undocumented solution to get your Jeep Cherokee key fob working perfectly after a battery change, saving you a trip to the dealership and unnecessary expenses.
