So, you thought replacing your Toyota Corolla 2016 Key Fob battery was a straightforward task? Like many car owners, I recently found myself scratching my head when a newly replaced key fob decided to stop working. Everything seemed right – fresh battery, proper installation – yet, the fob remained stubbornly unresponsive. This is the story of how a seemingly simple fix turned into a mini-investigation, revealing a crucial lesson about battery reliability for your 2016 Toyota Corolla key fob.
Initially, suspicion fell on the replacement key fobs themselves. Purchased online, they seemed like a great solution to refresh aging fobs. When one suddenly failed, my first thought was a dud. I promptly checked the battery voltage of the removed cell – 2.5v. It was a generic battery that came with the replacement fob, so a bad battery seemed like the obvious culprit.
Confident I had it figured out, I grabbed one of my stash of “fresh” Panasonic CR2016 batteries. These weren’t brand new, having been purchased a few years prior, but they were well within their expiration date of 12/2022 and tested at a healthy 3.3v with my voltmeter. Installed the “fresh” battery, and… nothing. Still no response from the key fob. Frustration mounting, I double-checked the voltage again after attempting to use it – still 3.3v. What was going on?
At this point, confusion was turning into genuine head-scratching. Could it be the key fob programming? Was there some deeper electrical issue? Luckily, before diving into complex troubleshooting, a simple errand provided the answer. My wife was heading to the grocery store, and on a whim, I asked her to pick up a brand-new CR2016 battery, just to eliminate all possibilities. Skeptical but willing to try anything, I swapped the “fresh,” seemingly good battery with the brand-new Energizer. And wouldn’t you know it – instant success! The key fob sprang back to life. Incredibly, repeating this with the other fobs revealed the same issue. All four of my Toyota Corolla 2016 key fobs were now working perfectly with truly new batteries.
The lesson learned here is significant for anyone dealing with key fob battery replacements, especially for a Toyota Corolla 2016. A voltmeter reading alone isn’t enough to guarantee a coin battery’s functionality under load. Just like a car battery can show voltage but fail under load, these small CR2016 batteries can exhibit the same behavior. Those “fresh” batteries I had stored, despite showing good voltage and being within their expiration date, had apparently degraded over time, unable to deliver the necessary power for the key fob to operate.
This experience also taught me a valuable habit moving forward: avoid buying batteries in bulk and storing them for extended periods. Coin batteries, even with good expiration dates, are best purchased on demand to ensure optimal freshness and performance for your Toyota Corolla 2016 key fob. So, if you’re facing key fob issues with your 2016 Corolla after a battery replacement, don’t immediately jump to complex solutions. The simplest fix might be the most effective – ensure you are using a truly brand new CR2016 battery. It could save you time, frustration, and a lot of unnecessary worry.
