What's with the CR1620 battery in a key fob?

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My dad asked me for help with his. I'd bought several Maxell CR1620 for him a few years ago for his 2008 Nissan key remote. They made it really, really small so that the electronics weren't much larger than a normal key base, but man that thing is tiny, not terribly powerful, and eats through batteries like crazy.

I remember he paid for a battery maybe last year because my mom stashed away the batteries I got and couldn't find them. But they found them and asked me to help when it didn't work last weekend. I didn't have a tester or voltmeter, but we tried every single battery and none worked except the one in one remote. Looking at the date code is was clearly a Maxell CR1620 that I got for them a few years ago. My mom barely uses that car so her remote was barely used. But all of the other ones didn't do anything. I was kind of frustrated because the date code showed it was made March 2018 and the package says they expire in 2023.

Just venting. I ordered another pack (5 for maybe $4) of these things but shipping is going to take a few days. I get that these also tend to be more expensive than larger and more common CR2025/CR2032. I get that they use them to be thinner, but a larger one would have been nicer for a longer use, more power, and longer storage life.
 
My dad asked me for help with his. I'd bought several Maxell CR1620 for him a few years ago for his 2008 Nissan key remote. They made it really, really small so that the electronics weren't much larger than a normal key base, but man that thing is tiny, not terribly powerful, and eats through batteries like crazy.

I remember he paid for a battery maybe last year because my mom stashed away the batteries I got and couldn't find them. But they found them and asked me to help when it didn't work last weekend. I didn't have a tester or voltmeter, but we tried every single battery and none worked except the one in one remote. Looking at the date code is was clearly a Maxell CR1620 that I got for them a few years ago. My mom barely uses that car so her remote was barely used. But all of the other ones didn't do anything. I was kind of frustrated because the date code showed it was made March 2018 and the package says they expire in 2023.

Just venting. I ordered another pack (5 for maybe $4) of these things but shipping is going to take a few days. I get that these also tend to be more expensive than larger and more common CR2025/CR2032. I get that they use them to be thinner, but a larger one would have been nicer for a longer use, more power, and longer storage life.

is it keyless entry? if so the remote is constantly transmitting
 
Just this morning I replaced the CR1616 batteries in my mom's honda, why they chose the smallest little SOB they could I don't know, they're hard to find, Walmart didn't have any, Meijer didn't have any, screw paying the price the drugstore wanted, ended up finding 2 on the shelf at Menards, $3.27/ea, ridiculous but we needed them today.
 
is it keyless entry? if so the remote is constantly transmitting

Nah. It's one of Nissan's physical keys, but with a remote in the head that only transmits when the buttons are used. I've taken one apart and it's really weird too as the blade just barely extends into the head and I recall is mounted with a screw. And it's certainly wide enough for a CR2025, although I suppose a CR2016 (which aren't as common) might have worked.

s-l300.jpg
 
If it'd been a 2016, 2025, or 2032, those things are cheap at the dollar store, noname 2 for $1, Panasonic $1/ea

I would never use a Chinese made lithium coin cell. Now granted I've used a Renata lithium coin cell before, but I'm not sure about that now. My preference is for Maxell, although I was extremely frustrated that they seemed to be dead well before the printed expiration. Maxell seems to be shifting to a five year expiration even though I doubt that it's not still practically 10 years.
 
I would never use a Chinese made lithium coin cell. Now granted I've used a Renata lithium coin cell before, but I'm not sure about that now. My preference is for Maxell, although I was extremely frustrated that they seemed to be dead well before the printed expiration. Maxell seems to be shifting to a five year expiration even though I doubt that it's not still practically 10 years.
You can get Swiss Made Renata 2016 coin cells.
 
I would never use a Chinese made lithium coin cell. Now granted I've used a Renata lithium coin cell before, but I'm not sure about that now. My preference is for Maxell, although I was extremely frustrated that they seemed to be dead well before the printed expiration. Maxell seems to be shifting to a five year expiration even though I doubt that it's not still practically 10 years.
Renata is a Swiss manufacturer, they manufacture many batteries in Swiss (watch batteries), but I'm not sure about their lithium ones.
 
You're going to be changing these cheap batteries like underwear. Get 2 known name brand batteries with a long date. Duracell, Energizer, whatever.

I ordered Maxell. About the only ones left that are made in Japan other than maybe other brands and their relabels.

Maybe these?

MFG_REN-CR1620.IBBULK.jpg
 
Renata is a Swiss manufacturer, they manufacture many batteries in Swiss (watch batteries), but I'm not sure about their lithium ones.

I used to participate in a watch forum, and some of the professional watch repair guys absolutely hated Renata. Claimed that they would leak faster than any other brand, although they provided factory-installed batteries for all the major Swiss watches. The recommendation was for Japanese batteries - either Seiko (Seizaken) or Maxell. I think Sony had them too.

A lithium battery leaking is pretty nasty.

JLaryngolVoice_2013_3_1_22_118716_u2.jpg
 
A 2016 cell size is pretty darn small. The quiescent load from the electronics, the design of the electronics, draw when it is transmitting, etc. all come into play. But it is a small cell, half the energy of the 2032 that is commonly used.

I do have a fob that takes 2025 cells, and it only lasts about a year of sporadic use. I can see a 2016 being worse...
 
Mazda used the 1620s in their flip open keyfobs. I always forget about them because it is been so long since they used them here. We burn through hundreds of batteries a year here so I just stock whatever is easiest to get.
 
A 2016 cell size is pretty darn small. The quiescent load from the electronics, the design of the electronics, draw when it is transmitting, etc. all come into play. But it is a small cell, half the energy of the 2032 that is commonly used.

I do have a fob that takes 2025 cells, and it only lasts about a year of sporadic use. I can see a 2016 being worse...

Depends. The most common use for these were previously watches, where Casio and Timex would advertise a 10-year expected battery life. I've seen them everywhere including digital scales, motherboard clocks, digital clock battery backups, calculators, etc. But I guess wireless keys are really the big one these days. The widest I remember was the CR2320 that I used in a classic Casio G-Shock.
 
I used to participate in a watch forum, and some of the professional watch repair guys absolutely hated Renata. Claimed that they would leak faster than any other brand, although they provided factory-installed batteries for all the major Swiss watches. The recommendation was for Japanese batteries - either Seiko (Seizaken) or Maxell. I think Sony had them too.

A lithium battery leaking is pretty nasty.

JLaryngolVoice_2013_3_1_22_118716_u2.jpg
Several years ago, I was having trouble finding CR1632 batteries Made In Japan, this my preferred COO. Being an owner of Swatches that have remarkable battery life (Renata), I soured out Renata batteries for my Toyota (Denso) fob, they died very quickly. I settled for Indonesian Energizers and they have been great. I will say this though, there are a lot of fakes out there and as a side note, the pictures above are Vartas, not Renatas. I've never had a Renata leak, only fake Maxells have leaked in my watches.
 
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Several years ago, I was having trouble finding CR1632 batteries Made In Japan, this my preferred COO. Being an owner of Swatches that have remarkable battery life (Renata), I soured out Renata batteries for my Toyota (Denso) fob, they died very quickly. I settled for Indonesian Energizers and they have been great. I will say this though, there are a lot of fakes out there and as a side note, the pictures above are Vartas, not Renatas. I've never had a Renata leak, only fake Maxells have leaked in my watches.
The CR1616 energizers I bought today were made in Japan as well as the old energizers I took out of my mom's key fobs.
 
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