Notices
2015 - 2020 F150 Discuss the 2015 - 2020 Ford F150
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Ford Smart Key Battery Replacement

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 27, 2016 | 03:54 PM
  #1  
Bullitt390's Avatar
Bullitt390
Thread Starter
|
Certified Thread Hijacker
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,441
Likes: 59
Club FTE Silver Member

Ford Smart Key Battery Replacement

Got the notice on the info screen the battery was LOW on my Smart Key. 11 months seems rather short as I have owned other fobs for several years and never replaced a battery.

Oh well, so I went ahead and made a video as it isn't as straightforward as I thought it would be.


Josh
 
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2016 | 05:19 PM
  #2  
GlueGuy's Avatar
GlueGuy
Lead Driver
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 5,875
Likes: 357
From: Mts. S. of San Francisco
Originally Posted by Bullitt390
Got the notice on the info screen the battery was LOW on my Smart Key. 11 months seems rather short as I have owned other fobs for several years and never replaced a battery.

Oh well, so I went ahead and made a video as it isn't as straightforward as I thought it would be.

https://youtu.be/AVNiCHgZXH8

Josh
Sounds like either a bad battery or maybe some issue with the fob? The fob on our 2010 Tacoma is, well, 6 years old. The one on our F-150 is going on 2 years old. Both are still working as expected.
 
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2016 | 05:26 PM
  #3  
Bullitt390's Avatar
Bullitt390
Thread Starter
|
Certified Thread Hijacker
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,441
Likes: 59
Club FTE Silver Member

Originally Posted by GlueGuy
Sounds like either a bad battery or maybe some issue with the fob? The fob on our 2010 Tacoma is, well, 6 years old. The one on our F-150 is going on 2 years old. Both are still working as expected.
A normal keyfob is only working when a button is pushed. I would assume the Ford Smart Key has a lot more going on even when a button isn't being pushed.

I just assume that anyways.

The orientation of the batteries is interesting to me... they aren't doubling the voltage in series, but doubling the amps in parallel.

Josh
 
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2016 | 10:32 PM
  #4  
Schlotzky's Avatar
Schlotzky
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 166
Likes: 0
Yeah, the parallel wiring would double the mAh of the battery, effectively doubling the life, which makes it that much more surprising it only lasted 11 months. But the battery in our Cadillac only lasts about a year as well, no doubt due to the additional workload of the proximity triggers. That's only one battery though.

Helpful video though, thanks for posting!
 
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2016 | 10:36 PM
  #5  
onug's Avatar
onug
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,274
Likes: 4
From: Seattle area
I seem to remember replacing my batteries within a year on my Explorer. Prob did the same on my F-350. It's rare any electronic device requiring batteries comes from the factory with top tier cells. Guess the fob is non different.
 
Reply
Old Nov 28, 2016 | 09:47 AM
  #6  
PupnDuck's Avatar
PupnDuck
Fleet Mechanic
20 Year Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,463
Likes: 103
From: Staten Island, NY
Originally Posted by Bullitt390
A normal keyfob is only working when a button is pushed. I would assume the Ford Smart Key has a lot more going on even when a button isn't being pushed.

I just assume that anyways.

The orientation of the batteries is interesting to me... they aren't doubling the voltage in series, but doubling the amps in parallel.

Josh


With the Ford Keyless Entry system the vehicle and fob are talking to each other constantly anytime you're inside the vehicle. That's the reason you occasionally get a "Key Not Detected" message - depending on which pocket you keep the fob in.
 
Reply
Old Nov 28, 2016 | 03:44 PM
  #7  
Big-Red-Lariat's Avatar
Big-Red-Lariat
Laughing Gas
20 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,200
Likes: 4
From: Ottawa, Ontario Canada
is it two 2025 or two 2032 batteries inside the keyless FOB for a 2016 F150? My older F150s were 2032 and my dealer parts guy is not terribly knowledgeable.

Want to order some batteries for stock and my vehicle is not available right now.
 
Reply
Old Nov 28, 2016 | 04:58 PM
  #8  
biz4two's Avatar
biz4two
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 5,844
Likes: 6
From: Albuquerque
Club FTE Gold Member
Arrow

GREAT How-To video!!

Interesting the battery setup orientation.


biz
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-2

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

 Brett Foote
story-4

Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-5

Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

 Joe Kucinski
story-7

2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

 Brett Foote
story-8

2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-9

10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

 Joe Kucinski
Old Nov 28, 2016 | 05:23 PM
  #9  
PupnDuck's Avatar
PupnDuck
Fleet Mechanic
20 Year Member
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,463
Likes: 103
From: Staten Island, NY
Originally Posted by Big-Red-Lariat
is it two 2025 or two 2032 batteries inside the keyless FOB for a 2016 F150? My older F150s were 2032 and my dealer parts guy is not terribly knowledgeable.

Want to order some batteries for stock and my vehicle is not available right now.
Intelligent Access Fob uses 2 2025's
Regular Fob uses 1 2032
 
Reply
Old Nov 28, 2016 | 05:26 PM
  #10  
onug's Avatar
onug
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,274
Likes: 4
From: Seattle area
Originally Posted by Big-Red-Lariat
is it two 2025 or two 2032 batteries inside the keyless FOB for a 2016 F150? My older F150s were 2032 and my dealer parts guy is not terribly knowledgeable.

Want to order some batteries for stock and my vehicle is not available right now.
Screen shot of the video showed 2025...
 
Reply
Old Nov 29, 2016 | 10:26 PM
  #11  
Bullitt390's Avatar
Bullitt390
Thread Starter
|
Certified Thread Hijacker
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,441
Likes: 59
Club FTE Silver Member

Yep, Qty 2 2025 batteries.

Josh
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
electricman98
1999 - 2016 Super Duty
6
Apr 29, 2019 08:37 AM
Big-Red-Lariat
2015 - 2020 F150
2
May 20, 2018 09:13 AM
Montanan
2004 - 2008 F150
6
Mar 12, 2008 12:52 AM
eco
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks
4
Aug 25, 2006 10:22 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:09 PM.

story-0
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-1
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-2
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE
story-3
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make

And it might be even better than that.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-18 19:26:42


VIEW MORE
story-4
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!

Slideshow: Does lowering an F-150 Lobo RUIN the ride quality?

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-18 19:20:37


VIEW MORE
story-5
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home

Slideshow: Ford's bizarre fishing-themed Explorer concept has resurfaced after spending decades largely forgotten.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:07:46


VIEW MORE
story-6
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!

Slideshow: The 10 best Ford truck engines we miss the most.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 13:09:47


VIEW MORE
story-7
2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road: Better Than a Raptor R?

Slideshow: first look at the 810 hp 2026 Shelby F-150 Off-Road!

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-12 12:50:07


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package First Look: 12 Things You NEED to Know!

Slideshow: Everything You Need to Know about the 2027 Super Duty Carhartt Package!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-07 17:51:06


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Most Surprising 2026 Ford Truck Features!

Slideshow: 10 most surprising Ford truck options/features in 2026.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:17:22


VIEW MORE