Dodge Key Fob Battery Replacement: CR2032 for Every Dodge Key, and How to Open It
Every Dodge key made in the last twenty years takes one CR2032 battery: the old remote head keys, the separate black remotes, the rectangular Fobik used from 2008 to 2020, and the current smart key on the Charger, Challenger, Durango and Hornet. To open a Fobik or smart key, pull out the emergency key blade, put a flat screwdriver in the slot it came from and twist. Fit the new cell the same way round as the old one. No reprogramming is needed.
Dodge is one of the easy brands. Where Toyota and Lexus spread four battery sizes across their keys, Dodge has stuck with the CR2032 on everything from the 2004 Ram remote head key to the 2024 Hornet smart key; the one exception is the 2019 and newer Ram 1500 and HD smart key, which takes a CR2450. The part people get wrong is not the battery but the opening: the Fobik and the smart key do not split at the seam like a normal remote, and prying there cracks the case. This guide shows where each Dodge key actually opens, then covers programming, costs and what to check if the car still does not see the key.
Which battery your Dodge key fob takes
Find your key in the table. The FCC ID printed on the back of the fob tells you which family it belongs to, but for Dodge the answer in the last column is the same every time.
| Key style | Typical FCC ID | Common on | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote head key (buttons on the key head, turn-key ignition) | KOBDT04A, OHT692427AA | Ram 1500/2500/3500 2004 to 2008, Durango 2004 to 2009, Dakota, Charger and Magnum 2005 to 2007, Caliber, Nitro | CR2032 |
| Separate remote on the key ring | GQ43VT17T, GQ43VT9T, KOBUT1BT | Ram, Durango, Dakota, Caravan, Neon, Stratus and Intrepid, roughly 1998 to 2007 | CR2032 |
| Fobik (rectangular key that pushes into the dash) | IYZ-C01C, M3N5WY783X, OHT692713AA, GQ4-53T | Grand Caravan 2008 to 2020, Journey 2009 to 2020, Charger and Challenger 2008 to 2014, Durango 2011 to 2013, Avenger, Dart 2013 to 2016, Ram 2009 to 2018 | CR2032 |
| Smart key with push-button start | M3N-40821302, M3M-40821302 | Charger and Challenger 2015 to 2023, Durango 2014 on, Dart Limited, Hornet 2023 on | CR2032 |
| Ram smart key (push-button start) | OHT-4882056, GQ4-76T | Ram 1500 2019 on (not Ram 1500 Classic), Ram 2500/3500 2019 on | CR2450 |
If you open the key and find a CR2025 in it, someone fitted the wrong cell last time; the holder on every one of these keys is designed for the 3.2 mm thick CR2032 and a thinner cell makes poor contact. 2019 and newer Ram 1500 and HD smart keys use a larger CR2450, so if you drive a Ram rather than a Dodge, read the code on the old cell before buying.
The code tells you the size: the first two digits are the diameter in millimetres and the last two are the thickness in tenths of a millimetre, so a CR2032 is 20 mm wide and 3.2 mm thick while a CR2025 is the same width but thinner. A thinner cell in the same holder makes poor contact and causes the random dropouts people blame on the car. Our key fob battery size chart lists every size by brand.
What you need
- One new battery of the exact code printed on the old one (Panasonic, Energizer, Duracell, Murata or dealer branded all work)
- A small flat-blade screwdriver, a coin, or a plastic pry tool
- A clean table and good light, so a dropped battery or the small rubber button pad does not vanish
Avoid rechargeable cells such as LIR2032. They have the right shape but a higher voltage, and they are not what the key is designed for. A branded 3 V lithium cell with a date well into the future is all you need.
Changing the battery in a Dodge Fobik or smart key
The Fobik (2008 to 2020) and the push-button smart key (2014 on) open the same way, from the end where the emergency key sits. Do not try to split them along the long seam.
Slide the small latch on the back of the fob and pull the metal key blade straight out. You will use its tip as the pry tool.
Look into the opening the key blade came from. Push the tip of the key blade or a small flat screwdriver into that slot, between the two case halves, and twist. The case splits from that end. Work the tool along the short edge if it does not pop first time, but stay at that end; the long seam is glued on older Fobiks and chews up if you pry it.
On Dodge keys the + side with the code printed on it normally faces up, towards the back cover, but take a photo so there is no guessing later.
Use the tip of the emergency key or a plastic tool at the small cut-out beside the battery to lever it up, and lift it out by the edge. Do not scrape a metal tool across the green circuit board.
Hold the new cell by its edges and press it in the same way round as the old one. It should sit flat under the retaining clip. If it rocks or stands proud, it is the wrong size.
Line the halves up, press them together until the seam is flush all round, slide the emergency key home until it clicks, and press lock and unlock. The small red LED should flash with each press.
If the rubber button pad lifted with the cover, lay it back into the front half first, buttons facing out, and check it is sitting in its groove before you close the case. A pinched pad is why buttons feel mushy after a battery change, and why one button sometimes stops working.
Changing the battery in an older Dodge remote head key or separate remote
These are the 2004 to 2008 keys with the buttons moulded into the key head, and the older black remotes that hang separately on the ring. Both take a CR2032.
- Find the notch. On the remote head key it is on the seam at the bottom edge of the head, opposite the blade. On the separate remotes it is on one short edge, sometimes with a tiny Phillips screw next to it; remove the screw first if there is one.
- Put a coin or the tip of a flat screwdriver in the notch and twist. Work the two halves apart slowly rather than forcing one spot.
- Note which way the battery faces, then lever it out from the cut-out at its edge.
- Press in the new CR2032 the same way round, check the rubber button pad is seated, and snap the halves together until the seam is flush all the way round.
The transponder chip that lets the car start is sealed in the key head and does not use the battery. So even with a completely dead remote the key still turns the ignition and starts the engine; you just have to unlock the door by hand.
3V lithium CR2032 coin cell
Every Dodge key takes a CR2032. Buy a name brand in a small multi-pack and keep the spares in the glove box, not loose in the fob.
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Do you need to reprogram a Dodge key after a battery change?
No. The pairing between the key and the car is stored in memory that does not depend on the battery, so a Dodge key keeps working as soon as a fresh cell goes in. If the instrument cluster showed Key Fob Battery Low, it clears the next time you start the vehicle, or after a drive or two on some models. If the key has been out of the vehicle for a long time with a dead battery you may need to press a button once to wake it, and that is all.
If the car still does not see the key
First, get moving. On a push-button Dodge, hold the fob with the buttons facing you and press the nose of the fob directly against the Start/Stop button while you hold the brake; the button reads the chip through the plastic and the engine starts. On a Fobik car, push the Fobik into the ignition slot and turn it as normal; the ignition powers the chip, so a dead remote battery does not stop it. The emergency key blade opens the driver’s door if the remote lock does not respond.
Then work through the usual causes, in order of how often they turn out to be the problem:
- Wrong size. A CR2025 or CR2016 in a CR2032 holder makes patchy contact and the key works one day and not the next. Compare the code on the new cell with the old one.
- Upside down. If the key does nothing at all and the LED does not flash, open it and turn the battery over.
- Bent or dirty contact. The spring contact can be flattened by prying. Lift it gently with a plastic tool and clean it with a dry cotton bud. See how to clean key fob battery contacts.
- Tired new battery. Cells that sat in a drawer or came from an unbranded multi-pack can be flat out of the packet. Try a second one from a fresh pack.
- The car’s 12 V battery. If the car was also slow to crank or the dash lights were dim, the problem is the car, not the key. See can a bad car battery cause key fob problems.
- Damage inside the key. A fob that has been dropped hard, through a wash, or left in a hot car can have a cracked solder joint or corroded board. A locksmith can test whether it still transmits.
If the buttons work but the car does not respond, the full checklist is in key fob not working after a battery replacement.
What it costs
A Dodge dealer parts counter will usually fit a battery while you wait for the cost of the cell plus a small labour charge. The larger figures only apply if the key itself has to be replaced. A Fobik or smart key for a Charger, Challenger, Durango or Journey is one of the more expensive keys to replace because it has to be programmed to the vehicle, so it is worth keeping a working spare.
How long the new battery will last
A remote head key or separate remote only transmits when you press a button, so a CR2032 in one typically lasts three to five years. A Fobik is in between: it transmits on button presses and is read by the ignition, and two to three years is normal. The push-button smart key listens for the vehicle and answers whenever you touch a door handle, so expect one to two years, less if the key lives within a few feet of the vehicle overnight. Cold weather and carrying the key loose with things that press the buttons both shorten that. More detail is in how long key fob batteries last.
Safety: keep coin batteries away from children and pets
A swallowed coin cell can cause serious internal burns within hours. Keep spares and the old cell out of reach, and dispose of old batteries at a drop-off point rather than in household waste. If you think a child has swallowed a battery, go to the emergency room straight away and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 1-800-498-8666, or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
Frequently Asked Questions
Every Dodge key from about 2004 onwards takes a single CR2032 3 V lithium coin cell: the remote head keys, the separate remotes, the Fobik and the push-button smart key. Confirm with the code on the old battery.
Slide the latch and remove the emergency key blade, then push the tip of that blade or a small flat screwdriver into the slot it came from and twist. The case splits from that end. Do not pry along the long seam.
No. Dodge keys keep their pairing without battery power. The key works as soon as the new battery is in, and the Key Fob Battery Low message clears after the next start.
Hold the brake and press the nose of the fob directly against the Start/Stop button. The button reads the chip in the key and the engine starts. On a Fobik vehicle, push the Fobik into the ignition slot and turn it as usual.
It will fit the holder and may work for a while, but it is thinner than the CR2032 the holder is designed for, so the contact is poor and the key becomes unreliable. Use a CR2032.
The vehicle usually needs a start cycle or a short drive to update. If it stays on, check that the new cell is a CR2032 from a fresh pack, the right way up, and that the spring contact in the key is not flattened.