Ready won’t light up

[jaapv]

This morning the car refused to start. All systems lit up, but no ready light.
The solution was simple: The little battery in the Cobra ignition lock remote was empty/low.
I used the Cobra remote from the spare key set. The car started normally.

It turns out that Cobra advises to replace the battery once a year.

Procedure. Open the remote up by wedging a screwdriver between the shells away from the keychain loop. Open it up “like an Oyster” but do not separate the shells. Slip the print out and replace the CR2032 battery, replace print the right side up and snap close.
After replacing it will require three starting procedures to get the system working again.

 

[gwatpe]

Never used the remote yet. Suppose the battery will last the life of the car. Lock and unlock the car with the button on the door. Car is under a verandah so no issue needing to unlock from afar. Prius would unlock just by walking up to the car.

 

[maby]

Never used the remote yet. Suppose the battery will last the life of the car. Lock and unlock the car with the button on the door. Car is under a verandah so no issue needing to unlock from afar. Prius would unlock just by walking up to the car.

Hmmm, don't think that is true - even if you never press any button on the remote, it is working all the time you are in the car. Think about it - you press the button on the door to unlock, but it only works if you have the remote in your pocket - press the button on the door and it has a chat with the remote to decide whether or not to open. Equally, while you are in the car it is chatting regularly with the remote - get out of the car with the remote in your pocket and the ignition left on and it will scream blue murder about the key no longer being in the car!

 

[Regulo]

The little battery in the Cobra ignition lock remote was empty/low.

So why did it let you get in the car in the first place?

 

[jaapv]

Becauxd it is an ignition lock.

 

[jaapv]

Never used the remote yet. Suppose the battery will last the life of the car. Lock and unlock the car with the button on the door. Car is under a verandah so no issue needing to unlock from afar. Prius would unlock just by walking up to the car.

Hmmm, don't think that is true - even if you never press any button on the remote, it is working all the time you are in the car. Think about it - you press the button on the door to unlock, but it only works if you have the remote in your pocket - press the button on the door and it has a chat with the remote to decide whether or not to open. Equally, while you are in the car it is chatting regularly with the remote - get out of the car with the remote in your pocket and the ignition left on and it will scream blue murder about the key no longer being in the car!

I'm not talking about the car remote, but the Cobra remote, which sends a signal every three seconds continuously.
The car remote was/is fine.

I think btw, that the car remote has a passive chip that is read out by the car, but I am not sure.

 

[jaapv]

Never used the remote yet. Suppose the battery will last the life of the car. Lock and unlock the car with the button on the door. Car is under a verandah so no issue needing to unlock from afar. Prius would unlock just by walking up to the car.

Exactly what I do if I take the trouble to lock it. That has nothing to do with the Cobra ignition lock.
It will let you enter the car with your normal key, and you can start it up to light up the whole ACC Christmas tree, but it will prevent the car from starting up and will not show the green "ready" light.
It is operated by reading out a separate remote which I carry in my wallet, no button pushing required.
Many cars on the Continent have the system as theft prevention.

 

[Regulo]

I'm not talking about the car remote, but the Cobra remote, which sends a signal every three seconds continuously.
The car remote was/is fine.

Sorry, Jaapv, never heard of this. Is it an after-market fitting, or a manufacturer option?

 

[anko]

It is called a Cobra Driver card. At least it is in the Netherlands.

 

[jaapv]

I'm not talking about the car remote, but the Cobra remote, which sends a signal every three seconds continuously.
The car remote was/is fine.

Sorry, Jaapv, never heard of this. Is it an after-market fitting, or a manufacturer option?

Cobra Alarm. I had to fit it for insurance.

 

[Regulo]

Cobra Alarm. I had to fit it for insurance.

That's a new one. Do your insurers over there impose any other extras? Dash-cams, trackers, for instance? I've never been asked to fit any extra security as a pre-requisite to getting insured. Nor offered any financial reduction, either!

 

[anko]

I'm not talking about the car remote, but the Cobra remote, which sends a signal every three seconds continuously.
The car remote was/is fine.

Sorry, Jaapv, never heard of this. Is it an after-market fitting, or a manufacturer option?

Cobra Alarm. I had to fit it for insurance.

Like I said before, i don't think it is the Cobra alarm. It is the optional extra immobilizer. Which also happens to be a Cobra product, but operating more or less independent of the alarm itself.

The alarm would not prevent the ready light to switch on. The immobilizer would. And it has it's own separate battery operated control "key", the Driver Card.

 

[jaapv]

That is exactly what I said, three or four posts.... -"ignition " lock, immobilizer, whatever.
And that battery turns out to have a one-year life only.

 

[jaapv]

Cobra Alarm. I had to fit it for insurance.

That's a new one. Do your insurers over there impose any other extras? Dash-cams, trackers, for instance? I've never been asked to fit any extra security as a pre-requisite to getting insured. Nor offered any financial reduction, either!

Quite a few insurers over here demanded a class 4 tracking system/alarm.

 

[anko]

That is exactly what I said, three or four posts.... -"ignition " lock, immobilizer, whatever.

Indeed, that's what you said first. And later, you contradicted yourself, saying it was the alarm. People may read that and start looking for a battery. Where they don't have one

 

[jaapv]

That is what Cobra calls it....And indeed it is integrated with the alarm. Zout op slakken?