Whether you need to replace your stolen or lost car keys, require replacement car keys after breaking your set or you’ve accidentally locked keys in your car in Brisbane, Northside Car Keys can help.
What to Do When Your Smart Key Battery Dies: How to Unlock and Start Your Car
July 2, 2025
You’ve just taken an exit off the Bruce Highway and you’re grabbing a coffee and a hot pie to keep you fuelled up for the rest of the journey. Everything is going just as planned until you get back to your car and your key fob is dead. You press it—nothing. You’re locked out of your car and you’re stranded at a servo. What do you do next? How do you unlock your car and get back on the road? Do you need to call an auto locksmith?
We’re about to share some info on what you need to do to unlock car when key battery dies.
Warning Signs of Smart Key Battery Dying
Prior to a smart key battery dying, you will often see some warning signs. Initially, you may notice that the distance from which your smart key can unlock your car is reduced. Another sign of coming battery failure is when your smart key’s performance becomes inconsistent. At times, it might unlock your vehicle right away and yet in other instances it could take a couple of tries to get it to work.
In more modern cars, you may see a dashboard warning or an alert that lets you know the battery on your smart key is low. This message may appear when you start your engine. Older keyless systems, however, might not show this specific warning, making it even more important to pay attention to other warning signs.
Tips to Unlock Car When Key Battery Dies
In Australia, smart keys are a standard component on many modern vehicles. Designed to communicate wirelessly, these devices let a driver unlock their car or ute without having to take the smart key out of their bag or pocket. They won’t be able to communicate wirelessly when the battery fails. Fortunately, it’s still possible to access your car if the smart key battery is dead.
Many smart keys also come with a mechanical key hidden inside the fob; this may be accessed via a latch or small release button on the device. Even with the battery dead, holding the key fob next to the car and operating the door handle may open the door. Certain car models may offer an option for a keyless entry system code that can be used to unlock or lock the doors if the fob battery dies.
Starting and Stopping Your Car When the Smart Key Battery Dies
If your smart key battery fails, you’ll also have to come up with different ways to start your car. Depress the brake pedal on the vehicle, and then press the start button on the engine while you hold the smart key fob nearby. You may also be able to use the mechanical key hidden within the fob to start the engine.
To stop the engine, park the car safely. Then, while you depress the brake pedal, hold the engine stop button continuously until the engine on your vehicle shuts off. If that doesn’t work, try moving the key fob a distance away from the car. Your car engine should turn off when the fob is out of range.
If your car or ute has a smart key, you’ll want to recognise warning signs so you’ll know your smart key battery is about to fail. It’s also important to know how you can still unlock your car and start and stop your engine if key fob isn’t working.
Knowing what to do, and keeping a spare key battery available, can save you trouble and continue on your journey. For more information, visit Northside Car Keys.