I'm befuddled. I bought some Energizer CR2016, 3 volt, lithium batteries to swap out for the Panasonic CR2016's in my key for my 2015 RAV4. Old were still good but wanted fresh ones. New ones just won't work. Voltage good at 3.2 volts. Tried old ones and ok so went back to try new ones again and just won't work. The size is identical and the style CR2016 is also identical. This is crazy.

You verify that there isn’t a sticker on the back side of the new battery?

Could also just be a bad batch.

Check the package. Are they coated with the stuff that makes babies spit them out?

If so, just rub them down with alcohol. I had the same problem with batteries for my AirTag. The connectors in the AirTags didn’t penetrate the creepy candy coating.

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Originally posted by fwbulldog:
Check the package. Are they coated with the stuff that makes babies spit them out?

If so, just rub them down with alcohol. I had the same problem with batteries for my AirTag. The connectors in the AirTags didn’t penetrate the creepy candy coating.

This - I had same issue with my AirTags and Duracell 2032’s. A couple didn’t even want to work after the alcohol so I gave them a quick buff with one of my wife’s Emory boards (please to tell her…)

For some vehicles it may be necessary to go through a reset/re-pairing sequence with the vehicle when a key fob's battery is replaced.

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Originally posted by ensigmatic:
For some vehicles it may be necessary to go through a reset/re-pairing sequence with the vehicle when a key fob's battery is replaced.

That can't be it because I swapped the old guys in and they worked. Tried new again... no go. Back to old batteries and good. There was no film on them or I wouldn't have been able to read the 3.2 volts that the new guys put out. I'm thinking of ordering some Panasonic batteries that will be identical to the OEM ones but shpuldn't have to.

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Originally posted by yanici:
That can't be it because I swapped the old guys in and they worked.

My bad. I missed that in your OP.

I got nothing. I'd be befuddled, too.

ETA: Is it possible the new batteries are bad? Bad batteries may appear good measured with a multi-meter when they're not under load, but fail under load.

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Is it possible the new batteries are bad? Bad batteries may appear good measured with a multi-meter when they're not under load, but fail under load.

I've had that happen more than once on a brand new battery.

Many of the newer tech. batteries have a failure mode rarely seen in carbon-zinc cells, a dead short. These will show voltage on a low-draw multimeter, but go to zero under load. You can check with an ohmmeter (I think), not sure what a nominal resistance rating should be, but somebody with better 'lectricskillz than me will hopefully chime in, I = V/R you know.

Maybe a coating as fwbulldog said.

That way hungry kids don't confuse the batteries with silver M&Ms.

There's a metric sh*t ton of button cells that are for sale out there on the web that are old. Also counterfeits are rampant, especially on Amazon.

I have bought several packs of differing types and sizes from amazon, mainly cuz they were cheap. It seems cheap usually equals crap when it comes to button cells.

I'm certain that the bulk of the counterfeits are Chinese in origin.

I went to buy some CR2032's last week and Menards had 2 kinds of Duracell CR2032. One pkg looked like plain old CR2032's. The other kind had a note on it that said something about "apple air tag safe" or something similar - and those were $1.00 more per battery.

Any ideas? I bought the cheaper ones.

Needed some a year ago for my key fob. Bought a package of 6 or something like that on Amazon. I think half of them didn't work right.

Are they fully seated? Sometimes you really have to give them a good firm push to snap them in to make contact.

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ETA: Is it possible the new batteries are bad? Bad batteries may appear good measured with a multi-meter when they're not under load, but fail under load.

This. It's very possible for a battery to have volts, but fall on it's ass when a load is applied to it. It can't produce current, so a load probably drops the volts way down.

As I remember 3 volt button cells often measure 3.5 volts for me when new.

Clean off the smutch on the circuit board under the pressure pads.

I've ordered some Panasonic CR2016 batteries. That's what Toyota used originally. I'll let youse guys know haw it works out. This is crazy.

Coincidentally: I just opened a 2-pack of Energizer CR2016s I bought for an old stopwatch I'm reviving. The one I installed measured 3.288 VDC, open load, with my Fluke digital multimeter.

I've had issues with the child protection coating as well. Same as you - a multimeter showed the correct voltage. My only thought was that the contacts in the remote (two different ones - my logitec and one for my trolling motor) we're strong enough to penetrate it. I wiped it down with acetone and then they worked fine.

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Energizer CR2016, 3 volt, lithium batteries

Found nothing in the specifications about being coated

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