Advertisement
Trending

‘It doesn’t matter if it’s Ford, Mercedes’: Man shares little-known trick to start car after key fob dies

‘I prefer old school.’

Photo of P.J. West

P.J. West

Man shares tip for key fob while inside of his car(r) Person holding car key fob(r)

It’s a panic-inducing moment: Your key fob battery has died, and you can’t get into your vehicle. The good news is a simple trick allows you to bypass battery power for an old-fashioned key-in-lock solution.

Featured Video

The advice comes from Kentucky-based creator Ceith Griffith (@ceithgriffith). The clip got more than 1.9 million views as of Sunday.

“If you have a vehicle that has a push button start and your key fob dies, and you can’t get inside your vehicle because the battery is dead in your key fob,” Griffith begins, “I’m going to show you how to get inside your vehicle and also how to start your vehicle with a dead key fob.”

Griffith continues, “On most key fobs, there’ll be a button somewhere along the edges, right there that you push and it will pop a key out of the key fob.” He shows how it looks on his GMC key fob.

Advertisement

He then asserts, “Every vehicle has them. It doesn’t matter if it’s Ford, Mercedes. It doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle you have, there’ll always be a key inside the key fob.”

He shows that on the underside of the door handle, there is a small hole where the key fits. That will allow a cover on a portion of the door handle to pop off. This reveals the manual lock for inserting the key and opening the door.

Once inside, Griffith says there should be a slot within the center console where the key fob fits. This allows the pushbutton starter to be activated.

“I hope this helps,” he notes.

Advertisement

But then what?

Even if you get your car to start, you still have to deal with replacing the battery. While manufacturers have different designs and ways to open up the case, Interstate Batteries points out that most key fobs take the CR2032 battery. This is also used in many watches, though some may use different batteries.

The site also advises, “Take a photo of the key fob before you remove the battery so you can refer to it later. This simple precaution can save you from having to buy a key fob replacement because not all the parts are going back in the way they should. You’ll also know for certain whether the positive side of the battery goes up or down.”

According to a Capitol One article, “Key fobs are miniature, battery-powered radio transmitters that broadcast a signal to a receiver in your vehicle. Although the transmission is only powerful enough to travel a modest distance, the signal is encoded to make it difficult for anyone to intercept it. The fob sends commands to a vehicle’s onboard receiver, which then tells its computer controller to either unlock the doors, open the rear hatch, or start the ignition.”

Advertisement

It also points out, “The starter button relies on a specific signal from the fob that lets the vehicle know the fob is in close proximity to the driver’s seat. The presence of the fob is what allows you to start the engine when you push the button.”

Viewers aren’t fans of remote start

“Surely I can’t be the only one that prefers the old fashioned key and ignition?” asked one.

“I prefer old school,” concurred another.

Advertisement

“Where was this video 3 days ago,” one lamented. “I had to walk to the store to get battery for my key fob.”

Several reported that in their particular vehicles, the key fob needed to be near or even touching the starter button for the signal to transmit.

One couldn’t resist a joke with an additional layer of meaning: “Most guys will not find the button.”

@ceithgriffith #diy #tipsandtricks #DIY #cartrick #cartricksandtips ♬ original sound – Ceith Griffith
Advertisement

The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok and Instagram direct message.


Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.

 
The Daily Dot