Actually, it’s probably the reverse; When new it’s rated as waterproof down to 10m depth. Volvo calls it the “sports key”.
However, the battery is only rated for 3 years, and it’s not possible to change the battery without voiding the warranty, and having a new key programmed and shipped costs 500 USD equivalent.
But I’m a DIY cheapskate who voids warranty for a living, so I tore it up. It wad a standard 2032 cell, so I soldered o a new one and filled the fob with epoxy, and now it works again. I just don’t trust it to be as waterproof anymore.
I always keep it in my jeans, and it hasn’t failed me so far.
I haven’t needed it yet, but I still bring one of the proper key fobs for longer drives such as vacation or work trips.
Probably because the charging circuitry would make the electronics inside bigger, and a rechargeable cell has a massively reduced capacity compared to a primary cell. The electronics package is tiny, and the battery itself is by far the biggest component. I think it makes sense to keep it semi-single-use with those factors in mind.
In fact, I’ve considered 3d printing a new shell for it to make it even tinier and definitely water proof.
Was your car key fob always waterproof or did you upgrade/replace it? That sounds really useful
Actually, it’s probably the reverse; When new it’s rated as waterproof down to 10m depth. Volvo calls it the “sports key”.
However, the battery is only rated for 3 years, and it’s not possible to change the battery without voiding the warranty, and having a new key programmed and shipped costs 500 USD equivalent.
But I’m a DIY cheapskate who voids warranty for a living, so I tore it up. It wad a standard 2032 cell, so I soldered o a new one and filled the fob with epoxy, and now it works again. I just don’t trust it to be as waterproof anymore.
I always keep it in my jeans, and it hasn’t failed me so far.
I haven’t needed it yet, but I still bring one of the proper key fobs for longer drives such as vacation or work trips.
Wow yeah that sounds really stupid, I wonder why they didn’t just make it rechargeable via QI
Probably because the charging circuitry would make the electronics inside bigger, and a rechargeable cell has a massively reduced capacity compared to a primary cell. The electronics package is tiny, and the battery itself is by far the biggest component. I think it makes sense to keep it semi-single-use with those factors in mind.
In fact, I’ve considered 3d printing a new shell for it to make it even tinier and definitely water proof.