Anyone have a car that has no keys, just a key fob and had a dead car battery?

[tvguy]

How to you get the power locks to unlock to let you in the car so you can open the hood and jump start it or replace the battery?

I rented a 2015 Nissan Quest with just a fob, no key and none of the doors has a key slot, which I guess makes sense since there is not ke. But it did start me wondering.

I turned to my "friend" Google, and the most common answer is to jack up the car (or have emergency road service come and jack it up), and connect a jumper cable to the starter and to the positive terminal of a donor battery to give the car enough juice to open the doors.

The other solution was breaking a window out!

I'm pretty good about listening to when my car has a hard time starting and having the battery replaced before it dies, but once in a while over the life of a car I get stuck with a dead battery. What a giant pain when just having a key, and one door with a key slot would avoid the issue.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Do you have AAA? I would call them.

 

[Sabeking]

I hate to ask an obvious question but have you checked the side of the fob for a pop out key?

 

[LisaR]

I have an electric hybrid without a key, just the fob. I still try and stick the non-existent key into the non-existent spot! My key fob does have an emergency weird shaped key hidden in the fob if I ever need it.

 

[phorsenuf]

Are you sure there isn't a keyhole anywhere? On many new cars there is only one on the drivers side door, or some times hidden under the handle so you may not see it. Also, as someone mentioned upthread, there probably is a pop out key. It is commonly used for valet parking.

 

[Hrhpd]

How to you get the power locks to unlock to let you in the car so you can open the hood and jump start it or replace the battery?

I rented a 2015 Nissan Quest with just a fob, no key and none of the doors has a key slot, which I guess makes sense since there is not ke. But it did start me wondering.

I turned to my "friend" Google, and the most common answer is to jack up the car (or have emergency road service come and jack it up), and connect a jumper cable to the starter and to the positive terminal of a donor battery to give the car enough juice to open the doors.

The other solution was breaking a window out!

I'm pretty good about listening to when my car has a hard time starting and having the battery replaced before it dies, but once in a while over the life of a car I get stuck with a dead battery. What a giant pain when just having a key, and one door with a key slot would avoid the issue.

first...the rule

The 2015 Nissan Quest has a mechanical key in the fob. The keyhole is in the handle of the driver side door.

This video shows what to do in an electrical emergency.

 

[NewRVLady]

The OP is only SPECULATING people

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Yep. What others have said most fobs have a hidden key and a slot on the driver's side door.

Mine does. It's as much for if the fob battery dies as if the car battery dies.

 

[bcla]

It's supposed to look like this (this is a battery replacement tutorial):

The first thing they show is where the hidden key is. There's supposed to be a key slot somewhere on the car.

 

[tvguy]

first...the rule

The 2015 Nissan Quest has a mechanical key in the fob. The keyhole is in the handle of the driver side door.

This video shows what to do in an electrical emergency.

Well hidden key. Turned the rental in last week, so can't check, but I sure didn't see a key slot on any door. Must be there I guess, unless they made a mid year change.

But, as I found on Google, some brands do not have the key or key slots.

 

[tvguy]

Do you have AAA? I would call them.

Yup, if you don't have a key or slot, you certainly could call roadside assistance and they could jack up the car and put the jumper on the starter for you like I mentioned.

 

[sam_gordon]

We have a Toyota Prius and that was one of the questions I asked before we closed.

1) You can try holding the fob directly to the door handle. It might be enough to trip the lock.
2) There is a pop out key in the fob to open the door.

 

[POOHsie]

I don't think I'd buy a car with no emergency car entry key. This past winter, when temps got extreme, my key fob didn't work to open the car doors (a Dodge minivan with 2 doors, 2 sliding doors, and tailgate door). I went in the house and got the other key fob. Dead, too. I read up on changing out the key fob battery, and happened across the secret key info. Goodie! Funny thing was -- when the terrible cold weather warmed up, both key fobs worked flawlessly again, and still do! So now I know that extreme cold is a problem with my Dodge key fobs, or whatever they're connecting to on the car itself.

 

[tvguy]

We have a Toyota Prius and that was one of the questions I asked before we closed.

1) You can try holding the fob directly to the door handle. It might be enough to trip the lock.
2) There is a pop out key in the fob to open the door.

The FOB battery would be an easy fix, my concern is the car having no power to pop the locks.

 

[bdcp]

The FOB battery would be an easy fix, my concern is the car having no power to pop the locks.

A "dead" battery is usually not 100% drained so it should have enough power to pop the locks, even if it won't turn the engine over. Just like before auto lights, if you left the lights on too long, the car won't start but the lights usually still work. I have a 2014 Toyota Highlander with only a fob. The "key" that comes in the fob isn't the valet key, it's the key to lock the glove compartment. You take the key out and keep it with you, but give the fob to the valet which only opens the doors and powers the car. I have a pushbutton start and there is nowhere to insert a key, either in any of the doors or for the ignition.

 

[tvguy]

A "dead" battery is usually not 100% drained so it should have enough power to pop the locks, even if it won't turn the engine over. Just like before auto lights, if you left the lights on too long, the car won't start but the lights usually still work. I have a 2014 Toyota Highlander with only a fob. The "key" that comes with it isn't the valet key, it's the key to lock the glove compartment. You take the key out and keep it with you, but give the fob to the valet which only opens the doors and powers the car.

LOL. Unfortunately, I've had some totally dead batteries in my lifetime. Oh well, not an issue with my cars, especially my 28 year old Suburban, which I had to search high and low for to find one without power locks or power windows.

 

[ronandannette]

Grrr...recently purchased a Nissan Juke and absolutely HATE the push-button start and keyless entry. Can somebody please tell me what the advantage is supposed to be? I'm thinking it's just a design trend - one that I hope doesn't last long. Even after several months I still occasionally grab the fob and jump out of the car with it still running.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Grrr...recently purchased a Nissan Juke and absolutely HATE the push-button start and keyless entry. Can somebody please tell me what the advantage is supposed to be? I'm thinking it's just a design trend - one that I hope doesn't last long. Even after several months I still occasionally grab the fob and jump out of the car with it still running.

I love it! I almost never take my key out of my bag and it is impossible to lock keys in the car.

It's so easy when I have my hands full that I don't have to fumble with a key!

The good news for you is that almost all these cars will shut down when the fob gets too far away.

I don't know that there's any mechanical benefit other than I don't think you can over crank a push button.

 

[kimblebee]

I am with anyone who hates electronic locks and windows and push starts and anything else electronic. The car we drive now has an electronic seat adjuster and I HATE it. I need the drivers seat all the way forward for my short legs and my 6'7" husband needs it all the way back. It's going to suck when it breaks. It's an older car so it may not be an easy fix. When we get a different car I want one with manual everything..except shifter.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Yep, hidden emergency key and a slot for it somewhere on the car.

Grrr...recently purchased a Nissan Juke and absolutely HATE the push-button start and keyless entry. Can somebody please tell me what the advantage is supposed to be? I'm thinking it's just a design trend - one that I hope doesn't last long. Even after several months I still occasionally grab the fob and jump out of the car with it still running.

Oh I love ours. You cannot lock your keys in the car--simply not possible and it is so nice when you have your hands full, or is is really cold or raining to not have to fiddle with keys to get in. I also love that the two fobs can be programmed to the person--so that the seats and mirrors and height of the head's up display automatically set for me with my fob, or DH who is a foot taller with his.

It took me about week to get used to it--and I don't even drive much. Took me much longer to quit trying to push the clutch (this same car is our first automatic, well, DH will tell you you can shift it, but there is no clutch, so as far as I am concerned that is automatic).