I've had my 06 HHR for a little over two years now and have replaced the key fob battery twice with the Energizer Battery. Does any one else find a short battery life in their key fob? My last car I had for seven years with the same key fob battery all that time.

Not that it is a pricey item, but to have the doors not unlock suddenly is frustrating. When you use the key to open the door, that sets off the alarm.

 

Still have the originals in my 06 and in my wifes 03 Mazda. Maybe when they are in your pocket the buttons are getting pressed.

 

The DIC is supposed to give a message if the key fob battery is low. I am having strange intermittent episodes where the fob will not unlock the door(s) until I try it several times, even if I am standing right next to the vehicle. There is no indication of fault in the DIC.

Old Lar - how did you determine if the battery needed replacement?

 

all of ours are still going strong

 

I've had my fob stop working; swapped battery with my wife's fob and then mine worked and hers didn't. I thought the battery was dead, but then the next day both were working again and have kept working for a couple months.

 

I thought the Batt in my wife's fob (for her '05 Equinox) was dead. Put a new one in and nada. Took it apart again and realized there was gunk (carbon probably) between the contact on the button and the curcuitboard. I cleaned it with some electrical coonector cleaner and viola, worked great.

 

The only thing I found was the doors wouldn't lock or unlock and the remote start wouldn't work. No indication on the DIC. Replacing with a new battery and all worked.

 

Autozone has a counter display that tests your FOB's. I rec'd 2 when I got the new 08 and one died about a month after I got it. On the 2nd one and all is well.

 

kornellred,
Take the back cover off and make sure that the battery clip is soldered down. My HHR fob recently quit working and the Uplander I drive at work had an intermittant failure and the battery clip was not soldered on one side on both fobs. My fob was replaced under warranty.

 

I have had the car 2 years and already had to replace the battery, I am primary driver so maybe I use it alot but like you I had a Bonneville I drove for 8 years never changed the battery in the FOB......Had no idea why the remote wouldnt open the door, used the key and setoff the alarm...thought I would never get it turned off.....I had to get in the car with the alarm going off and started the car it went off FINALLY...