Chevrolet Key Fob Battery Replacement: CR2032 for Silverado, Equinox, Tahoe, Malibu and Every Chevy Key
Every Chevrolet key fob takes one CR2032 battery: the separate remotes on the 1998 to 2014 Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, Impala and Cobalt, the remote-with-key on the 2010 to 2019 Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Sonic, the 2014 to 2019 Silverado flip key, and the push-button smart key on every current Chevrolet. To open a smart key, press the release and pull out the emergency key, then put a flat tool in the slot it came from and twist. Fit the new cell the same way round as the old one. No reprogramming is needed, and the Replace Battery in Remote Key message clears on its own.
General Motors has used the CR2032 in every Chevrolet remote since the late 1990s, so the battery is the easy part. What catches people out is the opening. The separate remotes split at a notch on the edge, the flip key splits at a notch beside the blade, and the smart key opens from the slot where the emergency key sits. Pry in the wrong place and the case cracks or the rubber buttons come adrift. This guide shows where each Chevrolet key opens, how to start the vehicle if the fob is already dead, and what to check if the vehicle still does not see the key afterwards.
Which battery your Chevrolet 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 Chevrolet the answer in the last column is the same every time.
| Key style | Typical FCC ID | Common on | Battery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separate remote on the key ring, turn-key ignition | KOBLEAR1XT, KOBGT04A, L2C0007T, OUC60270, OUC60221, LHJ011 | Silverado 1999 to 2014, Tahoe and Suburban 1999 to 2014, Impala, Monte Carlo, Cobalt, HHR, Trailblazer, Avalanche, Colorado 2004 to 2012, Express | CR2032 |
| Remote with separate key, 2010s style | OHT01060512, OHT05918179 | Cruze 2011 to 2016, Malibu 2013 to 2015 (key-start), Equinox 2010 to 2017, Sonic, Spark, Trax 2015 to 2022, Traverse 2009 to 2017 | CR2032 |
| Flip key (blade folds into the remote) | M3N-32337100, M3N-32337200 | Silverado 1500 2014 to 2019, Silverado HD 2015 to 2019, Colorado 2015 to 2022, Cruze 2016 to 2019 (key-start) | CR2032 |
| Smart key with push-button start | NBG009768T, HYQ4AA, HYQ4EA, HYQ4ES, HYQ1AA, HYQ1EA, HYQ1ES, YG0G21TB2 | Camaro 2010 on, Malibu 2016 on, Cruze 2016 on, Equinox 2018 on, Traverse 2018 on, Blazer, Tahoe and Suburban 2015 on, Silverado 2019 on (push-button trims), Bolt, Trailblazer 2021 on, Corvette | CR2032 |
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 sits loose and makes poor contact. If the code on the old cell is unreadable, the owner’s manual lists the type under Remote Keyless Entry System Operation.
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 vehicle. Our key fob battery size chart lists every size by brand.
What you need
- One new CR2032 from a name brand (Panasonic, Energizer, Duracell, Murata or ACDelco 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 Chevrolet smart key
This covers every push-button start Chevrolet, from the 2010 Camaro to the current Silverado, Tahoe, Equinox and Malibu. The older oval key and the newer rounded key open the same way.
Press the small button on the side or back of the fob and pull the metal key blade straight out. Put it somewhere safe; you may use its tip in the next step.
Look into the opening the key blade came from. There is a small notch between the two halves. Push the tip of a flat screwdriver or the key blade into that notch and twist gently. The back cover lifts off. Do not pry around the outside seam; that is how cases get chewed up.
Before you touch the battery, look at which side shows. On Chevrolet smart keys the + side with the code printed on it normally faces the back cover, but 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 slide a metal tool across the circuit board.
Hold the new cell by its edges and press it into the holder the same way round as the old one. It should sit flat and click under the retaining tab. A battery that rocks or stands proud is the wrong size.
Snap the cover back on, slide the emergency key home until it clicks, and press lock and unlock. The lights should flash and the small LED on the fob should blink with each press.
If the rubber button pad came away with the cover, lay it back in the front half first, buttons facing out, before you close the case. A pinched pad is why buttons feel mushy after a battery change, and why the remote start button sometimes stops working.
Changing the battery in a Chevrolet flip key or separate remote
The 2014 to 2019 Silverado and Colorado flip key, the 2010s remote that hangs beside a separate key, and the older black remotes all take a CR2032.
- Find the notch. On the flip key, fold the blade out and look for the slot on the edge of the case beside the hinge, or on the bottom edge. On the 2010s remote and the older separate remotes it is on one edge of the seam; the oldest square GM remotes split at a notch next to the key ring hole.
- 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. On the oldest remotes the cell sits under a small metal clip; lift the clip, do not bend it back.
- 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 a turn-key Chevrolet the transponder chip is in the key itself and does not need the battery, so a dead remote never stops the vehicle starting; you just have to unlock the door with the key.
3V lithium CR2032 coin cell
Every Chevrolet 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.
As an Amazon Associate, ReplaceKeyFob earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need to reprogram a Chevrolet key after a battery change?
No. The pairing between the key and the vehicle is stored in memory that does not depend on the battery, so a Chevrolet key keeps working as soon as a fresh cell goes in. If the driver information center showed Replace Battery in Remote Key, it clears the next time you start the vehicle, or after a short drive on some models. If the key has sat for a long time with a dead battery, press a button once to wake it, and that is all.
If the vehicle still does not see the key
First, get moving. If a push-button Chevrolet shows No Remote Detected, put the fob in the transmitter pocket. On the Tahoe, Suburban and 2015 to 2020 trucks it is inside the center console storage bin; on the 2019 and newer Silverado it is the slot in front of the cup holders; on the Malibu, Cruze, Equinox, Traverse and Blazer it is a pocket inside the center console or under the armrest, marked with a key symbol; on the Camaro it is in the console compartment. With the fob in the pocket, press the brake and push Start. The emergency key blade opens the driver’s door if the remote lock does not respond; on many newer models the lock cylinder is under a small cap on the handle that pops off with the key tip.
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 vehicle’s 12 V battery. If the vehicle was also slow to crank or the dash lights were dim, the problem is the vehicle, 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 on a hot dashboard can have a cracked solder joint or corroded board. A locksmith can test whether it still transmits.
If the buttons work but the vehicle does not respond, see Chevy key fob not working. The general checklist is in key fob not working after a battery replacement.
What it costs
A Chevrolet 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. Older Chevrolet remotes are cheap to replace because many can be programmed from the driver’s seat without dealer tools; the smart keys cannot, which is why they cost more.
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 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, a key carried loose with things that press the buttons, and heavy use of remote start all 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 Chevrolet key fob takes a single CR2032 3 V lithium coin cell: the separate remotes, the Silverado and Colorado flip keys, and the push-button smart keys on the Malibu, Equinox, Tahoe, Silverado, Camaro and the rest of the range. Confirm with the code on the old battery.
Press the release button and pull out the emergency key, then push a small flat screwdriver or the tip of the key blade into the notch inside the slot it came from and twist. The back cover lifts off. Do not pry at the outside seam.
No. Chevrolet keys keep their pairing without battery power. The key works as soon as the new battery is in, and the Replace Battery in Remote Key message clears after the next start.
Put the fob in the transmitter pocket, which is inside the center console bin, in front of the cup holders, or in a marked slot in the console depending on the model, then press the brake and push Start. The vehicle reads the chip in the key through the pocket.
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.