Me too, no chance to get a low warning on the dash. Just a flashing red light and the no key in vehicle warning while driving!
Key fob (Nissan/Infiniti Intelligent Key) battery life ?
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It's not the batteries, trust me.
what kind of car?
Nissan 
Owner's manual only says
Mine looks and feels like it's closed completely normal/fine. What should I be looking for ?
Check the condition of all the battery contacts (both halves), and that the circuit board is cradled nicely in it's case. IIRC, start at the top of the fob and work your way to the bottom while snapping it shut in stages. This will allow you to get a feel for the buttons ligning up correctly with case buttons. Additionally, while closing it, if a substantial amount of force is required to snap it together, something is not ligning up inside. After several batteries I realized that the buttons were not ligning up correctly because of how the buttons performed (having to press or hold harder). Hope this helps.
EDIT: I also remembered that one quick test I do, is to use the AUTO window down feature, this gives me an idea if the fob was re-assembled correctly and the battery is strong.
BTW, while testing my fobs and initially going through so many batteries, I discovered that Nissan recommends a replacement when the battery drops to 2.7V (I used by DVOM for verification).
EDIT: I also remembered that one quick test I do, is to use the AUTO window down feature, this gives me an idea if the fob was re-assembled correctly and the battery is strong.
BTW, while testing my fobs and initially going through so many batteries, I discovered that Nissan recommends a replacement when the battery drops to 2.7V (I used by DVOM for verification).
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*lining and not ligning. Done too many aLIGNments over the years, I guess.
I don't "test" the fob with this but I do use this feature on occasion and everything seems normal or fine. Downside of this "feature" is I have had the windows roll down inadvertently when the fob is in my pocket and I bend or squat a certain way while wearing certain jeans.
I'll take fob apart here in a bit and see how it looks, how things line up, and so on....
I always leave the fob in the cup holder with my phone and wallet.I don't "test" the fob with this but I do use this feature on occasion and everything seems normal or fine. Downside of this "feature" is I have had the windows roll down inadvertently when the fob is in my pocket and I bend or squat a certain way while wearing certain jeans.
I'll take fob apart here in a bit and see how it looks, how things line up, and so on....
My keys are in my pocket 99% of the time. A couple of weeks ago at work, I took my fob and my 'set' of keys out of my pockets and put them on my desk. I was the last person to leave work, locked my office door from the inside and closed the door behind me....
By the way, on my fob, it has a little Infiniti logo piece that fell out one day and I used ~2 drops of super glue to re-secure it (which has worked well). Some had squeezed out when I pressed the logo back in and got into the joint that clicks together but seemed okay. When I took it apart today to inspect, like you suggested, I was able to scrape some glue out. I also noticed the gap in that area was a hair bigger than the rest of the way around.... After I did this, I snapped it back together but that gap was still there, so I squeezed it pretty firmly and >click< it went. Now the gap all the way around is small and even. Hopefully this makes a difference !
By the way, on my fob, it has a little Infiniti logo piece that fell out one day and I used ~2 drops of super glue to re-secure it (which has worked well). Some had squeezed out when I pressed the logo back in and got into the joint that clicks together but seemed okay. When I took it apart today to inspect, like you suggested, I was able to scrape some glue out. I also noticed the gap in that area was a hair bigger than the rest of the way around.... After I did this, I snapped it back together but that gap was still there, so I squeezed it pretty firmly and >click< it went. Now the gap all the way around is small and even. Hopefully this makes a difference !
Starting to wonder if my fob is failing or worse, the companion part on the car. Got in the car and got the "No key" message. Insert the fob into the secret hole and it worked but if I remove the key, it would say "No key" again. Drove 3 minutes to the store, went inside and got things, and 5-10 minutes later, back in the car, everything's fine.
Something else happens more frequently (once a month ??) and that is, when I get out of car, shut the door, and push the little door lock button on the outside handle, it doesn't respond. The car beeps 3x quickly which generally means "No key". I pull the fob out of my pocket and lock it with the fob button though and it works fine. Or, the trunk unlock button reacts the same - it won't unlock the trunk, so I have to use the fob button for it too.
I've swapped fobs with the back-up and will use it for a while and see if the same thing happens. If it were the "car" acting up, is this the BCM (Body Control Module) or something else ? Just wondering....
Something else happens more frequently (once a month ??) and that is, when I get out of car, shut the door, and push the little door lock button on the outside handle, it doesn't respond. The car beeps 3x quickly which generally means "No key". I pull the fob out of my pocket and lock it with the fob button though and it works fine. Or, the trunk unlock button reacts the same - it won't unlock the trunk, so I have to use the fob button for it too.
I've swapped fobs with the back-up and will use it for a while and see if the same thing happens. If it were the "car" acting up, is this the BCM (Body Control Module) or something else ? Just wondering....
I'm not sure, let's see what happens with the spare, keep us posted. I used my window down feature today and it worked without incident (spotty operation with low battery or case not on correctly). It's 30c today but very windy as of yesterday and my home A/C stopped working too, but I still love weather like this.
i'd say the norm 2-3 yrs.
I will not use Varta batteries. I used to buy their alkaline batteries sold by Ikea and they invariably leaked. Even their house branded batteries made in China leaked less.
Not sure if Varta makes them or just has their name stamped on them. There are only a few actual manufacturers outside of China, and I don’t trust lithium coin cell batteries made in China. Over the years I’ve used Panasonic, Maxell (my preference), Sony, Energizer, Duracell, Renata, and maybe a few others when they were factory installed. Renata still makes all their batteries in Switzerland, although a lot of watch repair refuse to use their silver batteries claiming they leak at a high rate. I think Sony makes most of theirs in Indonesia now, although they’re still pretty reliable.
I use CR2032 in my Subaru remote made by Alpine. It's not necessarily as complicated as one of these newer remotes that might have two way connections with rotating codes. My preference is for Maxell, which is still made in Japan. I get them for about $3 for a 5 pack, although there are lots of variables when it comes to price.
Keeping spares around is tricky. I used to put a spare in my ashtray, but I’m sure the heat inside my car increased self discharge and increased the chance of a leak. They can be tested for voltage without affecting their life.
I’ve heard that fingerprints on small cells can reduce the life.
Is there any low battery warning? I’m pretty sure these are able to transmit their state to the vehicle. I can get that from something as simple as a wireless mouse.
I should have been clearer - I used to use Varta batteries when they were made in Germany. They no longer are and while I did try them after they move to China production, I wasn't impressed and don't use them now.
I know with my 2016 Nissan Quest minivan and my 2019 Nissan Pathfinder that both used the same style keyless FOB, the factory batteries were shot within 1 to 2yrs. I've never had one strand me, but the only way to get the vehicle to start was to hold the FOB up against the start button. You have to buy good name brand replacement batteries as well as some cheapos will not last.
On both of these vehicles, it's quite the procedure to program a new FOB and can't be done w/out specialized computer equipment. I had a mobile key guy make me a new (aftermarket) FOB for my Quest. This was done on the dealer's dime given they promised me 2 and only had 1. It took two computers plugged into the diag port to get it done.
Nissan FOBs can also loose their sync. That being the case, follow the procedure outlined here: https://www.pathfindertalk.com/thre...y-fob-that-stopped-working.35810/#post-273926
On both of these vehicles, it's quite the procedure to program a new FOB and can't be done w/out specialized computer equipment. I had a mobile key guy make me a new (aftermarket) FOB for my Quest. This was done on the dealer's dime given they promised me 2 and only had 1. It took two computers plugged into the diag port to get it done.
Nissan FOBs can also loose their sync. That being the case, follow the procedure outlined here: https://www.pathfindertalk.com/thre...y-fob-that-stopped-working.35810/#post-273926
Batteries+ = $50 fee. You can guy a fob from them or bring your own (I brought my own).
That seems to be too new for my car. I've read the same thing about holding the fob up to the start/stop button but in my case ('08 Infiniti), it has a port hole that you insert the fob in to start it when the battery is too low or dead.
The main issue is the price. I’ve seen lithium coin cell batteries sell for every price point from maybe less than 50 cents each to $6 as singles. Not sure about the pricing other than some retailers don’t expect to sell a lot and have to account for unsold stock approaching it’s sell by date.
Lithium coin cells should have a shelf life on 10 years if stored at reasonably cool temperatures. Maxell seems to list 5 year sell by dates on their blister packs. It’s pretty easy to read the manufacturing date for most manufacturers. The first digit represents the last digit of the year. The second digit represents the month from 1-9, then X for October, Y for November, and Z for December.
There are some heat resistant lithium coin cells. They’re used in things like toll transponders.
I was referrring to Varta batteries made in Germany. They would leak like crazy. But those were alkalines.
I consider Maxell, Panasonic, or Sony to be the gold standard. Even Sony that are made in Indonesia. It varies, but a lot of other brands just buy from one of those.
I’ve been buying these for over 30 years, going back to when my uncle gave me this expensive “handheld computer”. It was nice, but back then the batteries were hard to find. My parents would buy me batteries at $3 each in the late 80s, and that device needed two.
