Hello everyone, i have a 2000 RX300 and my remote control is giving me a hard time. Everytime i want to lock or unlock my doors i have to either press the buttons hard or at least several times.
So i changed my battery, but the new battery doesnt work at all, and when i replace the old panasonic battery the buttons work again (with difficulty)
anyone know the problem? do i have to use a panasonic battery?

 

Androu,make sure you replaced with the exact type/number battery. clean any contact points where the battery makes contact. Make sure your red light on the remote lights up when you press any of the buttons. And be sure the batt. is placed in the correct way.i.e positive/negative.

 

My old battery says Panasonic CR1616 3V
and i replaced it with another brand battery that is also CR1616, and when i put the new one in the red light flashes when i press the buttons but it doesnt do anything. Also the contact points are cleaned because when i put the old batteries in, the buttons work
im starting to think the battery i bought was too weak for some reason and i should stick with panasonic

 

Try another battery, If you have a meter check the replacement, should read a solid 3 volts dc.

 

In my experience (1999 RX300, 170K), the buttons inside the remote simply wear out; problem has nothing to do with the battery and everything to do with how many thousands of times the buttons have been pressed during the life of the key.

 

CR1616 is the fitment code and it can be of any make.

The batteries have a shelf life so try to shop from a place which has a good turn over. If I am not mistaken the Dureacell's have a date stamped on the package. Although not a guarantee but look for a recently opened store as they would have fresh stock.

Salim

 

Use it extra remote key! Problem solve. Most have one spare key and one master key. Buy new remote key from Lexus dealer.

 

if i had 300 dollars to throw away i wouldnt rlly be askin for help

 

Do a search, there are so aftermarket key makers and then it is a matter of programming. this could be a cheaper solution. The other thing you could try is some contact spray cleaner on the existing remote with the battery out, then let it dry and try again...

 

I am having this same issue too! I thought my old battery was dying so I purchased new batteries, replaced them and the majority of the time they don't work (like 1 out of 50 it works). So recently I've just been locking/unlocking with just the key and not the remote. If anyone has any helpful inputs please let us know! THANKS!

 

I feel you need to isolate the problem. First suspect is a weak battery. If a known good battery doesn't yield results, then try another master key. If you don't have another master key, consider getting one, since once the master keys fail, you can't program a replacement master key and have to get a reflash of the computer (more expensive).

There are less expensive sources of master keys out there. A search of this forum will give some feedback on low-prices sources.

Unless you isolate the problem, it could still potentially be either the sender in the master key or the receiver in the car.

 

The key can do multiple functions .. lock, unlock, panic ... is the intermittent problem on all functions?

The problem may not be in the remote, it can be in the lock actuator motor.

Salim

 

I have three keys with lock, unlock and panic remote buttons. I also have a key with no remote buttons on it. Are all of the remote keys master keys (they all look identical)?

 

All the keys with remote buttons are master keys. All the ones that work are registered (electronically) with your car. RX300's came with two master keys, one valet key (no buttons), and a creditcard-thickness key and creditcard-sized anti-theft enabler.

 

Androu- No, you don't have to use a Panasonic battery but you do need to know that your new battery is at full power. When I replaced all of my DIL's locks with piggyback locks (a huge job because I wasn't using the aftermarket locks and had to figure it out alone) I hit lock/unlock one last time and wanted to cry because they didn't work!!! I couldn't figure out what was wrong because they and worked flawlessly as I was replacing them and testing them. I took the battery out and tested it and it showed a little over 3.0V- thought that can't be it - good voltage. I was under a critical time constraint and could think of nothing else to do but replace the battery. Bingo- it worked and is still working today, 2 1/2 years latter! The original battery when testing would work when you were quite close to the car some of the time. All batteries (no matter what kind) test about 5 to 15% higher than the batteries rating (depending on the type) when they are new and fresh. If your remote doesn't work or works intermittently, better check your battery with a digital meter. 3.0V probably won't make it work well, if at all. If the locks function normally with the inside button, it's the remote. If 1 or more don't function with the inside button, better do a search and check the locks themselves.

By the way, the LED did light even when locks didn't work- it takes so little to light a LED, but more to actually transmit an effective signal. Hope this helps someone out there!