Cadillac Key Fob Battery Replacement: CR2032 for Escalade, XT5, CT5 and Every Cadillac Key
Every Cadillac key fob takes one CR2032 battery: the separate remotes on older Escalades and SRXs, the 2008 to 2014 push-button key on the CTS and SRX, the 2014 to 2020 smart key (FCC ID HYQ2AB and HYQ2EB) and the current rounded smart key on the Escalade, XT4, XT5, XT6, CT4, CT5 and Lyriq. To open the smart key, press the button and pull out the emergency key blade, then put a flat screwdriver in the slot it came from and twist; the back cover lifts off. Fit the new cell the same way round as the old one. No reprogramming is needed.
Cadillac keeps things simple on the battery front. Across every generation of key since the late 1990s the cell has been the CR2032, so there is nothing to look up and the only decision is which brand to buy. What does trip people up is the opening. The 2014-on smart key does not split along its seam; it opens from the end where the emergency blade sits, and prying the long seam leaves a cracked corner and the cover still on. The other thing worth knowing is where the transmitter pocket is in your Cadillac, because that is how you start the car when the key battery finally gives out. This guide covers both, plus programming, costs and how long the new cell will last.
Which battery your Cadillac key fob takes
Find your key in the table. The FCC ID is printed on the back of the fob and tells you which family it belongs to, but for Cadillac the answer in the last column is the same every time.
| Key style | Typical FCC ID | Common on | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate black remote on the key ring | OUC6000066, L2C0005T, KOBGT04A | Escalade 2007 to 2014, SRX 2004 to 2009, STS, DTS, CTS 2003 to 2007, Deville and Seville from the late 1990s | CR2032 |
| Push-button smart key, flat oval body with hidden blade | M3N5WY7777A, OUC6000066 | CTS 2008 to 2014, SRX 2010 to 2016, STS 2008 to 2011, XTS 2013 to 2014 | CR2032 |
| Flip key with buttons on the body | NBG009768T | ATS 2013 to 2014, CTS sedan 2008 to 2014 without keyless | CR2032 |
| Smart key, squarer body, 4 to 6 buttons | HYQ2AB, HYQ2EB | ATS and CTS 2014 to 2019, XTS 2015 to 2019, Escalade 2015 to 2020, XT5 2017 to 2019, CT6 2016 to 2020, XT4 2019 | CR2032 |
| Smart key, rounded body with chrome crest | YG0G20TB1, YGOG21TB2 | CT4 and CT5 2020 on, XT4, XT5 and XT6 2020 on, Escalade 2021 on, Lyriq, Celestiq | CR2032 |
If you open a Cadillac key and find a CR2025 in it, someone fitted the wrong cell last time. The holder on every one of these keys is cut for the 3.2 mm thick CR2032, and a thinner cell makes poor contact, which shows up as a key that works at the door but not from across the car park. Fit a CR2032 and the problem usually disappears.
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. Our key fob battery size chart lists every size by brand.
What you need
- One new CR2032 (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 Cadillac smart key
These steps cover the 2014-on smart keys, both the squarer HYQ2AB/HYQ2EB style and the current rounded key. Both open from the blade end.
Press the small button on the side or back of the fob and pull the metal key blade straight out. The slot it leaves is where the case opens.
Push a small flat screwdriver into the opening the blade came from, between the two case halves, and twist gently. The back cover pops free at that end. Work the tool a little way along each short side if it needs help, but stay at that end; the long seam is tight and marks easily.
The + side with the code printed on it normally faces up, toward the back cover, on a Cadillac key. Take a photo so there is no guessing later.
Use a plastic tool or the tip of the emergency key 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 or not under the clip.
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 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 Cadillac remote or oval smart key
These are the separate black remotes from the Escalade, SRX, STS and DTS, and the flat oval push-button key from the 2008 to 2014 CTS and SRX. Both take a CR2032.
- Find the opening point. On the separate remote there is a notch on one short edge, sometimes with a tiny Phillips screw beside it; remove the screw first if there is one. On the oval smart key, pull out the emergency blade and use the slot it leaves.
- Put a coin or the tip of a flat screwdriver in the notch or slot 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.
On the older cars with a turn-key ignition, the transponder chip in the key head does not use the battery. 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 Cadillac 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 Cadillac 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 Cadillac key keeps working as soon as a fresh cell goes in. If the driver information centre showed Replace Battery in Remote Key, it clears the next time you start the car, or after a drive on some models. If the key has been dead for weeks, press lock or unlock once near the car to wake it. Pairing a new key is different: GM lets you add a key yourself if you already have two working keys, but with one or none it is a dealer or locksmith job.
If the car still does not see the key
First, get moving. Every push-button Cadillac has a transmitter pocket for exactly this situation. On most models it is inside the centre console storage bin, in the front cup holder, or in a slot in the console; the owner’s manual shows the spot, and it is usually marked with a small key symbol. Put the fob in the pocket, buttons facing as the manual shows, hold the brake and press Start. The car reads the chip directly and starts. The emergency key blade opens the driver’s door; on most Cadillacs the lock is behind a small cap on the door handle that the blade tip pops off.
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.
The general checklist for a key that still does not respond is in key fob not working after a battery replacement.
What it costs
A Cadillac 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. The Escalade and CT-series smart keys sit at the top of that range because the dealer part itself is expensive, so a working spare is worth looking after.
How long the new battery will last
A separate remote or flip key only transmits when you press a button, so a CR2032 in one typically lasts three to five years. The push-button smart key listens for the car 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 car overnight where the car keeps polling it. 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 Cadillac key fob takes a single CR2032 3 V lithium coin cell: the older separate remotes, the oval push-button key, the HYQ2AB and HYQ2EB smart keys and the current rounded smart key. Confirm with the code on the old battery.
Press the release and pull out the emergency key blade, then push a small flat screwdriver into the slot it came from and twist. The back cover pops free from that end. Do not pry along the long seam.
No. The key keeps its pairing without battery power and works as soon as the new cell is in. The Replace Battery in Remote Key message clears after the next start.
Put the fob in the transmitter pocket, which is in the centre console storage bin, the front cup holder or a marked slot in the console depending on the model, then hold the brake and press Start. The car reads the chip directly.
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 range drops. Use a CR2032.
The car 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.