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RKE Fob storage question

2K views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Dan JGC 
#1 ·
I do not like carrying the large keyfobs every car seems to have these days in my pocket. So I usually keep the fobs to the cars I'm not driving that day in the glove box of the car I drive daily. In the case of WK2 RKE, this means that when parked in my garage, the fob is only about 4 feet from the Jeep's driver's side door all the time.

Does anyone know if storing the RKE fob within the quoted 5 feet of the door for extended periods of time will run the fob battery down prematurely?
 
#4 ·
Well, the fob has to respond to RF signals from the Jeep, or it wouldn't work. So I guess the questions is, does the WK2 only send out signals to the fob when you put your hand in the door handles (or press the back hatch buttons), or does it ping for a fob continuously?

I suspect it only interrogates when disturbed, and if so, I should be OK -- but wasn't sure.
 
#6 ·
Well, the fob has to respond to RF signals from the Jeep, or it wouldn't work.
Yes, but it does so with an RFID chip, like the theft detection chip glued to items at a retail store. It doesn't use the battery; it's powered by the energy of the transmission.

As far as I can tell, the fob only draws on the battery when you press a button. Then it originates a transmission with a much stronger field than RFID. That's why you can remote start from a hundred feet away but must be within five feet for passive entry.
 
#5 ·
Yep - the FOB transmits only. Doesn't matter if it is 1" or 1 mile away. Won't affect the FOB battery life just sitting there.
 
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