[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

Wow, glad you commented. I was reading this strand and I almost thought some adult was trying to lecture a small child. Went from the "task" of opening a key fob (often using a coin from your pocket", to talking about driving on BALD tires, and then a lecture on not replacing only the bad tire but all four ($800 to $1200 minimum, obviously oblivious that there are young families and seniors who can not replace all tires when some have tread time left ! I didn't know what all that lecture type talking down to meant, but "WOW" was my first reaction. Someone needs to calm down for sure, and respect that others probably do not do exactly as they do. Seemed more like a "dressing down" or a "lecture or rant" of the "I know best" type. Strange post if it was actually written by a mature adult. Notice it did not start out with something like, "that's one way to look at it, I personally like to practice preventative maintenance by changing my oil often even if not needed, getting rid of tires even if still have some miles left, but I realize many people do like, or need, to get every hour of use out of anything they have to purchase".....nope, nothing in that post seemed to have any understanding that all adults have their own opinions and way of doing things. It's a mystery how some people "think" in such narrow perimeters ?

Maybe is wasn’t lecture but learning experience to be avoided?

[LianneMigiano]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

Another tip, change your oil don’t wait on light to come on. That could take couple years if you don’t put enough mile to trip it. If you got turbo charged engine I wouldn’t go over 5000 miles or 6 months. Non turbo engine year maybe, but that’s pushing it. You don’t want VVT or piston rings coking up and sticking. Now if you trade every three years don’t matter it will be the next person’s problems.

OK...I have a question... I've had one oil change (with synthetic oil) on the 3,700 of my 4 year old car. I put on about 100 miles per month. Realistically, WHEN MUST I get the next oil change???

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by LianneMigiano

OK...I have a question... I've had one oil change (with synthetic oil) on the 3,700 of my 4 year old car. I put on about 100 miles per month. Realistically, WHEN MUST I get the next oil change???

Personally, I would do it every year or so, but I don't have any real data to support it. I definitely wouldn't let it go for 4 years.

To me, vehicle maintenance is much more important if you plan to keep the vehicle for a long time. The only maintenance I do is to change the oil, but I would not keep a vehicle for more than 100K miles or so.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

I highly doubt few actually replace their batteries, the call someone?

I change my own, its not hard. unbolt clamps from post, lift up place on ground, lift new battery and drop in place, tighten bolts on post.

On a gas VW Jetta one time, i changed the battery and there was a computer setting to say that if the battery is changed, don't allow the engine rpms go above a certain level. So I had to take the car to the dealer to get the computer reset so I could drive past 40 mph. . . spend another $40 or so for a diagnostic reader reset. to the dealers. . and you wonder why there was the right to repair law created in MA, after all the ways the car mfgs did to generate after market revenue for their dealers.

On my first 10 year owned car, new 1982 diesel Jetta, (top speed 70 mph in 5th gear going downhill 30 % angle with your foot on the floor (wind resistance took over) ) the battery died on a ski trip during the winter in NH. Fortunately with a standard transmission, we could start the engine by popping the clutch. So we got the car started, and 1/2 home we stopped for lunch so we let the car idle in the parking lot. Came out of the fast food chain and the engine had stopped! We had to push the car and pop the clutch again to get home where we had the second car. kind of one of those learning lessons that batteries die in places and at times which are usually not convenient.

But AAA has a great deal for driveway service, test it for you right in the driveway, and change it for you right in the driveway, and pay right there on the spot. Service within a few hours or so after calling. Try it out, might save you the jump and the trip to the service station. . . .

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by LianneMigiano

OK...I have a question... I've had one oil change (with synthetic oil) on the 3,700 of my 4 year old car. I put on about 100 miles per month. Realistically, WHEN MUST I get the next oil change???

It’s the starting and stop in that will get you. Years ago My Aunt use to change her oil every 3000 miles. She only made short trips rarely engine got the engine GOOD and warm. The problem was it would take 2 or 3 years or more to come close to 3000 miles. Her 8 year old car with less than 25K miles sounded like non oiled sowing machine. You could hear every lifter smacking the the valve stems.

even more important today with fuel ejection, high pressure fuel deliveries, and especially turbo charged. With stop and go driving excess heat it breaks down the oil faster, oil eventually becomes black and gooey. This coked up small passages VVT, piston compression rings, create more heat in turbo charger faster. Only way to reduce this problem is with oil changes. It usually takes 80K plus to gum up engine with minimal maintenance. Most people don’t keep vehicles that long. I would never leave oil in my vehicles over 2 years regardless of miles.

[biker1]

Look in the maintenance section of your owner's manual and follow the recommendation for "severe service". If your car has a "maintenance minder", that tells you when to perform certain maintenance procedures, then you can follow that.

Originally Posted by LianneMigiano

OK...I have a question... I've had one oil change (with synthetic oil) on the 3,700 of my 4 year old car. I put on about 100 miles per month. Realistically, WHEN MUST I get the next oil change???

[JRcorvette]

Don’t leave your Fob in or near your car. The Fob will continually try to communicate with the car and the battery will be drained very quickly!

[asianthree]

Our fobs battery only last about 13 months. One never leaves the house, so no idea why a short battery life. I have changed them myself, and had the dealership do it. Either way still 13 months

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Our fobs battery only last about 13 months. One never leaves the house, so no idea why a short battery life. I have changed them myself, and had the dealership do it. Either way still 13 months

Ours seems to be a bit longer but I can't say exactly how many months.

EDIT: This is not quite correct. See the post below for better information.

I suspect the key fobs are constantly sending out a signal whether they are near the car or not. When you think about it, how would they know if they were close? They don't have GPS and they don't have a way to sense that the vehicle is near. The only way they can work is to constantly broadcast. The car is constantly listening and reacts when the fob comes close enough.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

Ours seems to be a bit longer but I can't say exactly how many months.

I suspect the key fobs are constantly sending out a signal whether they are near the car or not. When you think about it, how would they know if they were close? They don't have GPS and they don't have a way to sense that the vehicle is near. The only way they can work is to constantly broadcast. The car is constantly listening and reacts when the fob comes close enough.

Actually dealer said our fob must be within the car to activate. Standing outside of 10’ will not engage the car or fob. I asked last time had to change the fob that never leaves the house. He did state that the batteries used in fobs, don’t come with the new 10 date like regular batteries. So still got nothing

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Actually dealer said our fob must be within the car to activate. Standing outside of 10’ will not engage the car or fob. I asked last time had to change the fob that never leaves the house. He did state that the batteries used in fobs, don’t come with the new 10 date like regular batteries. So still got nothing

EDIT: Was useful to look this up.

It seems current fobs have a passive system to "wake up" the active system that actually communicates with the car. The car sends out a signal that the fob can sense without using any energy, similar to how a gate card works. When the fob receives the correct signal it activates the transceiver that communicates with the car. It is entirely possible that the range of the "wake up" signal is ten feet.

This means it is very possible that the fob uses little or no energy when it is outside the "wake up" range. Now, just because the fob is inside the house doesn't mean it is outside that range. I keep my keys in a bin that is one door and another wall away from the car but might be within 10 feet. Perhaps that is why my battery doesn't last much longer than the 13 months you experience.


Most vehicles can tell where the fob is: whether it is in the car or out and even which door it is close to. It makes sense that the starter system would not work if the fob was not inside the vehicle.

I don't know what the range of the fob is (haven't looked it up). The system in the vehicle should be designed to sense how far away the fob is before allowing the door to unlock. You don't want someone to be able to unlock your door as you are walking away from your vehicle and you don't want a stranger to be open the passenger door while you are getting into the driver seat.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Bill14564

EDIT: Was useful to look this up.

It seems current fobs have a passive system to "wake up" the active system that actually communicates with the car. The car sends out a signal that the fob can sense without using any energy, similar to how a gate card works. When the fob receives the correct signal it activates the transceiver that communicates with the car. It is entirely possible that the range of the "wake up" signal is ten feet.

This means it is very possible that the fob uses little or no energy when it is outside the "wake up" range. Now, just because the fob is inside the house doesn't mean it is outside that range. I keep my keys in a bin that is one door and another wall away from the car but might be within 10 feet. Perhaps that is why my battery doesn't last much longer than the 13 months you experience.


Most vehicles can tell where the fob is: whether it is in the car or out and even which door it is close to. It makes sense that the starter system would not work if the fob was not inside the vehicle.

I don't know what the range of the fob is (haven't looked it up). The system in the vehicle should be designed to sense how far away the fob is before allowing the door to unlock. You don't want someone to be able to unlock your door as you are walking away from your vehicle and you don't want a stranger to be open the passenger door while you are getting into the driver seat.

I never tested the range, but I can start the vehicle with my fob from about 20 feet away from the vehicle. I can open the lift gate from about 20 feet away. I can start or unlock the vehicle from thousands of miles away using an app on my smart phone.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I never tested the range, but I can start the vehicle with my fob from about 20 feet away from the vehicle. I can open the lift gate from about 20 feet away. I can start or unlock the vehicle from thousands of miles away using an app on my smart phone.

I can lock or unlock from the app which is useful. Not sure about the utility, or security, of starting the vehicle from an app. In either case, the fob doesn't have much to do with it at that point.

Oh, and it is questionable whether it will work in a parking garage, particularly an underground facility, or even my home garage. This remote operation uses the mobile network which is not terribly strong where my house is.

[justjim]

Originally Posted by Tvflguy

And. Replace the vehicle battery itself. Our hot weather does a job on the 12v battery. The original battery of our 2015 died in our garage a few years ago. No indication of an issue at all. So it was about 6 years old and one morning the car was dead in our garage. Our only car.

I had to have remote service come out to our house to install a new battery. At twice the cost it would have if I brought it to a service center.

Lesson learned. Replace your battery at least every 4-5 years to be safe. Fair warning folks.

Generally my motto is “if it’s not broke don’t fix it”. On the car, I would call AAA. We got the grandkids AAA last Christmas. Best present ever my granddaughter says! But to each their own…

[retiredguy123]

By the way, if you need a new fob, I found that the least expensive place is Affordable Lock, 352-792-0921. They will provide a new fob, program it, and cut the manual key that is inside the fob for $215. This is compared to ACE Hardware, $350, and the Ford dealer, $425. You can buy a blank fob on Amazon, but you need to get someone to program it.