Anyone know how  long a fob battery lasts before needing replacement? How do I change it?

I saw a video on line which seemed awfully fiddly involving a long thin screwdriver and much twisting. Why are these things so complicated? Do we get a warning of impending flat  fob battery?

I read we can use the emergency key to gain access if locked out. It said to put the emergency key next to the start/stop button and the car will open. How do we do that if we are locked out?.

 

I bought a 2023 Karoq and wonder if I made a mistake, what with the constant updates etc.

 

There a lock near the keyless sensor on the handle: You need to remove the smaller cover. Inside the fob, there a small key to open the car. Then the car should start even if the fob battery is dead, as it uses something like a NFC sensor to start which has not to be necessarily powered

Thanks for this. After searching, I see a small rectangular hole underneath the handle. Is that where I insert the probe from the fob?

When you say remove the smaller cover, do you mean the cover at the left hand end of the handle? How does it come off?

Do we get a warning if the battery is low?

Thanks again for helping.

A battery lasts as long as a battery lasts. Someone using the car multiple times a day obviously won't get the same use as someone using the car a couple of times a week.

There should be a low battery warning on the car's display to prompt a battery change. But given that the Panasonic batteries that are fitted at the factory cost around £1, probably easier to just replace it annually or at whatever point you choose.

You can open the back of the fob by withdrawing the emergency key around 50% & using that to push against the battery cover. You need to press a button on the fob after removing the old & before inserting the new. Like most things, harder the first time you try it. 😉

As above, you pry the cover off the door handle to access the manual lock, which the emergency key fits.

Not sure what's changed but I think the warning is better now. It comes up when the ignition is on before the car starts, but the trouble with keyless start is it flashed past that stage very quickly. However I think the warning shows better now - we've had it recently in our Karoq, Kamiq and SEAT Ateca.

Daughter used to run the Ateca (2018 model) and that did go through a phase of the fob just dying and it always seemed to happen when she got to work. She became a dab hand at popping the lock cover off (there's a hole underneath for the key blade to go in) and getting in (the alarm will go off) and starting the car (which stops the alarm). But since I had the car (18mths) it's told me it needs a new battery - did it a few weeks ago.

On the Kamiq that can be opened from the Skoda App. The daughter that drives that keeps a spare battery in the glove box just in case.

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by Rory

Thanks to all for taking the trouble to help. Why oh why can't we go back to a simple key to access and start?

If the little red light on the fob doesn't flash then reach for the 2032's before it lets you down - I test for the flashing light before each service inasmuch as the dealer picks up on it and offers to do the change for a kings ransom.........