Fob problems

1931 Views 60 Replies 9 Participants Last post by ASH8, 15 d ago

TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · 3 mo ago

Recently in the past couple of days, my CX50 hasn't sensed the fob despite unlocking.. This is happened mostly after the cars been parked for a long time, but now is almost a regular occurrence. In fact, to unlock the car, I have to stand right next to it, and tap the button 3-4 times. Unless the fob is an absolute dud, there's no way the battery can be about dead. Both fobs to my old Cruze worked pretty much seamlessly, for at least three years and I didn't have a single problem with one of them until close to the five year mark, when you might expect a fobs battery to start going out.,

Earlier today, while running an errand, coming back to the car it almost didn't unlock upon touching the handle at all.

Anyone else have these fob problems? If Chevy can make a fob that lasts long, what does it say about Mazda if the fob is going bad after only 4 months and 6300 miles?

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Trickster

· #2 · 3 mo ago

Have you tried a new battery in the fob or are just hellbent on the fact that it couldn’t possibly be defective after only 4 months?
How far from the vehicle is your fob when the vehicle is off/stored overnight etc.
There have been many reports of vehicle batteries and fob batteries depleting because of the proximity of the two being too close for the vehicle to go to sleep and shut down communication between the two.
Just a thought, maybe you were aware of this, I don’t know.

CX-50 Meridian Edition

· #3 · 3 mo ago (Edited)

When this happens, see if you can open the passenger door without any issues. If you can, then you know it's not the fob. Also, I found that when it's damp or wet outside, or even after washing mine, for some reason my left door won't open but the passenger side will. Drying the inside of the left outer door handle solves the issue for me. I did run across a bulletin from Mazda of Germany that addressed my same issue on the CX-30, but it was from 2020. I would ~~think~~ hope that maybe it would have been fixed by now.

TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · #4 · 3 mo ago

Trickster said:
Have you tried a new battery in the fob or are just hellbent on the fact that it couldn’t possibly be defective after only 4 months?
How far from the vehicle is your fob when the vehicle is off/stored overnight etc.
There have been many reports of vehicle batteries and fob batteries depleting because of the proximity of the two being too close for the vehicle to go to sleep and shut down communication between the two.
Just a thought, maybe you were aware of this, I don’t know.

I was aware that the issues with the fobs were a thing. The car is parked on the other side of the house, so there';s no way I could unlock, lock or open the tailgate from my bedroom. In fact, the first time I noticed this problem was when I had the car in for the 5,000 mile oil service, and bumped the tailgate button on the fob. It took multiple presses on the fob plus some puzzled looks from the dealership folk to get the car to close the tailgate. I thought it might be that you have to hold the fob at an angle, but that may have been a coincidence.

I tested it out with the second fob I have, and the problems aren't the same. So it is the fob.. There is the potential it could be the battery, but being so new that's why you'd naturally suspect its defective.

TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · #5 · 3 mo ago

CX-50 Meridian Edition said:
When this happens, see if you can open the passenger door without any issues. If you can, then you know it's not the fob. Also, I found that when it's damp or wet outside, or even after washing mine, for some reason my left door won't open but the passenger side will. Drying the inside of the left outer door handle solves the issue for me. I did run across a bulletin from Mazda of Germany that addressed my same issue on the CX-30, but it was from 2020. I would ~~think~~ hope that maybe it would have been fixed by now.

I'll try that next time. But I'd figure all the doors would be unlocked if the side mirrors open, a feature I paid more for. It can rain a fair bit where I live, and coincidentally I had a fob detection issue this morning after it had rained overnight, so I'll definitely give this a look.

TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · #6 · 2 mo ago

So I meant to post this but it was one that got away. According to service at my dealership, these fobs have a lockout feature that sort of randomly happens when buttons are pressed too frequently. Apparently you hit the lock button three times or touch the start/stop with the fob to take it out of this mode. Not sure how many people knew that, but it was news to me.

Trickster

· #7 · 2 mo ago

TheRedWagon said:
So I meant to post this but it was one that got away. According to service at my dealership, these fobs have a lockout feature that sort of randomly happens when buttons are pressed too frequently. Apparently you hit the lock button three times or touch the start/stop with the fob to take it out of this mode. Not sure how many people knew that, but it was news to me.

Yes there is a ‘sleep’ mode apparently for the fobs.
I have never used it nor do I recall the procedure for inducing it to that state.

RedBaron

· #8 · 2 mo ago

Full detail here: Mazda Key-Sleep Mode - YouTube

Reactions: 1

Trickster

· #9 · 2 mo ago

RedBaron said:
Full detail here: Mazda Key-Sleep Mode - YouTube

Another item for the administration to put in a ‘Sticky’ section here on the forum.

LeeShadow

· #10 · 2 mo ago

FYI I use the sleep mode so I can lock the fob in the car when I don't want to carry it with me because it is bulky. I always take the emergency key as a backup to the MyMazda remote unlock feature, and the key easily slides into my wallet and I've even occasionally tied it into my shoe laces when doing outdoor things.

Reactions: 1

TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · #11 · 2 mo ago

I can see how sleep mode could potentially be beneficial, but overall its still a bit of a head scratcher. If a fobs battery drains while not in use, then I have to ask how neither of the fobs I had on my past car remotely showed any issues for 5 years? A better way to design this would be either A. give users ability to disable sleep mode on both fobs or B. install batteries in fobs with a average life of 3-5 years, when you would expect battery issues to begin. My bedroom where the fobs are is on the opposite side of the house from the driveway, so I'm a good distance from the car. Another idea would be drop the sleep feature and make the fobs rechargeable. Cmon Mazda.

RedBaron

· #12 · 2 mo ago

LeeShadow said:
FYI I use the sleep mode so I can lock the fob in the car when I don't want to carry it with me because it is bulky. I always take the emergency key as a backup to the MyMazda remote unlock feature, and the key easily slides into my wallet and I've even occasionally tied it into my shoe laces when doing outdoor things.

interesting. Do u not have any problems unlocking with the auxiliary key? I assume you've tried it? [(9) Anyone tried to unlock their car with the Auxiliary Key? | Mazda CX-50 Forum (cx50forums.com) ]

Reactions: 1

LeeShadow

· #13 · 2 mo ago

RedBaron said:
interesting. Do u not have any problems unlocking with the auxiliary key? I assume you've tried it? [(9) Anyone tried to unlock their car with the Auxiliary Key? | Mazda CX-50 Forum (cx50forums.com) ]

Yup, unfortunately familiar with the key challenges--I think I even posted my own warning on here last year when I first got my 50. It's a pain to try to turn with the flat small head (even insertion is a bit challenging for me as a left hander), but I can mostly turn it now after originally using pliers and key teflon lube to loosen up the cylinder. I still wouldn't say it is easy to do, however. But in a pinch, it is then definitely an "emergency" key. LOL. Luckily, so far I have not encountered a situation where the Mazda app unlock repeatedly failed or being in a spot where I have no cell service.

I do like my other half's Subaru setup where there's a door unlock switch on the hatch that you program with a certain number of presses in a sequence. It is also meant for when the driver wants to leave their even bulkier fob behind in the car.

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Chazculva

· #14 · 2 mo ago

LeeShadow said:
Yup, unfortunately familiar with the key challenges--I think I even posted my own warning on here last year when I first got my 50. It's a pain to try to turn with the flat small head (even insertion is a bit challenging for me as a left hander), but I can mostly turn it now after originally using pliers and key teflon lube to loosen up the cylinder. I still wouldn't say it is easy to do, however. But in a pinch, it is then definitely an "emergency" key. LOL. Luckily, so far I have not encountered a situation where the Mazda app unlock repeatedly failed or being in a spot where I have no cell service.

I do like my other half's Subaru setup where there's a door unlock switch on the hatch that you program with a certain number of presses in a sequence. It is also meant for when the driver wants to leave their even bulkier fob behind in the car.

Well, I'm a worrier, and this really gives me pause to worry. Sleep function? Seriously? So, what happens if both FOBs have new batteries and you can't open the locked doors? (Mine automatically lock when I take the FOB with me. A subtle low noise beep and lights flash.) I'll have had my loaded Turbo one year on the 22nd of this month and there are so many things to like about it. Don't laugh, and not an April fools day joke, but I compare it to my previously owned Audi Q7. I had an annoying vibration somewhere in the Audi, and the dealer could not/would not diagnose it and fix it. So, again, how DO you open the doors if the FOB fails?
Thanks.

LeeShadow

· #15 · 2 mo ago

Chazculva said:
Well, I'm a worrier, and this really gives me pause to worry. Sleep function? Seriously? So, what happens if both FOBs have new batteries and you can't open the locked doors? (Mine automatically lock when I take the FOB with me. A subtle low noise beep and lights flash.) I'll have had my loaded Turbo one year on the 22nd of this month and there are so many things to like about it. Don't laugh, and not an April fools day joke, but I compare it to my previously owned Audi Q7. I had an annoying vibration somewhere in the Audi, and the dealer could not/would not diagnose it and fix it. So, again, how DO you open the doors if the FOB fails?
Thanks.

Don't stress. That's what the emergency key is for. You'd use it to unlock the driver's door if the fob has a dead battery or is otherwise not working. I'd just recommend that you practice the emergency key ahead of actually needing it and get your technique down, plus make sure you can turn the key and the lock turns. I had to initially use needle nose pliers and lock lube to get it where I could more easily turn it with my hand.

And the sleep function is a good thing, as it help prevent wearing down the fob battery.

As a reassurance, I've had my car since last May and never once has my fob gone into sleep mode from too many button presses or randomly, only when I purposefully do so myself.

Here's a better explanation of exactly what the power saving mode does versus the rather unclear info in our manuals:

Key Transmitter Power Saving Function

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TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · #16 · 2 mo ago

Is there a way of disabling the sleep mode on the fobs because it seems its happening more often, or like fobs can be, it was just a dud out of the hundreds of thousands at the factory. Before I go after Mazda for the fob design, does anyone know if the fobs GM, Toyota, Nissan and Ford use also have this technology? At some point, I'm thinking I could potentially get locked out of the car and be stuck somewhere.

TheRedWagon

Discussion Starter · #17 · 2 mo ago

LeeShadow said:
Don't stress. That's what the emergency key is for. You'd use it to unlock the driver's door if the fob has a dead battery or is otherwise not working. I'd just recommend that you practice the emergency key ahead of actually needing it and get your technique down, plus make sure you can turn the key and the lock turns. I had to initially use needle nose pliers and lock lube to get it where I could more easily turn it with my hand.

And the sleep function is a good thing, as it help prevent wearing down the fob battery.

As a reassurance, I've had my car since last May and never once has my fob gone into sleep mode from too many button presses or randomly, only when I purposefully do so myself.

Here's a better explanation of exactly what the power saving mode does versus the rather unclear info in our manuals:

Key Transmitter Power Saving Function

I would agree with the sleep function being a good thing, except the fobs to my old Chevy never gave grievance for at least five years. No problems unlocking the car, starting the car, opening the trunk, etc. Maybe I'm not caught up with fob technology advancements between 2018 and 2023, but that's why I question the necessity of the sleep feature when its a good distance from the car the battery really can't be drained, because well, the fobs not in use. It's either a design or a quality issue. Dead battery and the batteries supplied in the fobs don't last long or are defective. Design issue, and then you can go after Mazda's supplier for it. Especially if such feature is unheard of with other manufacturers.

Now, if these operational irregularities began a few years from now, it would be understandable as with my Cruze.

When I worked at Nissan, our fobs including the one for the Infiniti came from Mexico, so a quality issue wouldn't surprise me one bit. In a Rogue or in this case, a CX50.

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LeeShadow

· #18 · 2 mo ago

I've had multiple Mazda vehicles over the last, oh, say 22 years so I can only speak about those. I typically need to replace the fob battery roughly every 2 to 2.5 years, although my earliest fob batteries may have lasted a bit longer than the newer ones. I'm sure newer vehicles' sophistication (some might say, unnecessary complications) means a greater battery draw than older cars. That lifespan includes the 2nd fob that is rarely if ever used, but I typically just replace it at the same time. In my current home, my primary fob typically is left on our second floor roughly 15 feet above the garage and the secondary another floor up (concrete slab and steel girder build). I'm a year in on my car and no need to replace the batteries yet.

Maybe I am spoiled or made immune from having a lot of battery powered electronic devices, but I don't necessarily find needing to replace a fob coin battery every two years or so to be a huge problem, and the batteries themselves esp when bought in bulk in AMZ are not terribly expensive either. For example, I have home security system sensors that annoyingly eat similar batteries and need replacing every 6 months.

And I never worry about getting stuck with a dead fob battery because the emergency key opens the door and the RFID low power backup feature in the fob means I can still start the car. I had to do exactly that with a previous vehicle and it worked perfectly and reassured me that backup method works.

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Reactions: 1

RedBaron

· #19 · 2 mo ago

TheRedWagon said:
I would agree with the sleep function being a good thing, except the fobs to my old Chevy never gave grievance for at least five years. No problems unlocking the car, starting the car, opening the trunk, etc. Maybe I'm not caught up with fob technology advancements between 2018 and 2023, but that's why I question the necessity of the sleep feature when its a good distance from the car the battery really can't be drained, because well, the fobs not in use.

Except it IS in use. Older tech fobs were only engaged when you pressed a button, but newer ones are in constant communication (or trying to communicate) so that the car can detect the presence of the fob for when you walk up and open a door without using the fob buttons (touch sensors/trunk button). Thus the battery is in constant use.

ASH8

· #20 · 2 mo ago

TheRedWagon said:
So I meant to post this but it was one that got away. According to service at my dealership, these fobs have a lockout feature that sort of randomly happens when buttons are pressed too frequently. Apparently you hit the lock button three times or touch the start/stop with the fob to take it out of this mode. Not sure how many people knew that, but it was news to me.

Why you should read owners manual.

https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/2023/cx-50/visual.html

Reactions: 1

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