Past week I took four 2 a.m. calls on push-to-start cars that wouldn’t see the fob until we dropped in a fresh CR2032. Anyone else seeing this plus more immobilizer hiccups, and are you telling drivers to carry a spare battery and maybe use a Faraday pouch to cut down on interference and relay attempts?
Seeing the same on late‑model Nissan/Mazda; nine times out of ten the “hold the fob to the start button” backup works even with a near‑dead coin cell. I tell drivers to stash one CR2032 in the glovebox and not try to start while the fob’s still in a Faraday pouch — those can make a healthy fob look “dead,” and garages with wireless chargers/dashcams near the column, @OP, make the antenna feel like it’s listening through a pillow.
I’ve definitely noticed those late-night lockouts too. I usually advise drivers to keep a spare battery handy, but also, I’ve found that storing the fob away from other devices can really help reduce interference. Have you heard any feedback from drivers about using Faraday pouches?