Battery Replacement For Car Key Remote

You need a Phillips head screwdriver and CR 2016 batteries

Replaced the two batteries in the two keys/remotes of the Duster yesterday. It's been more than seven years and I rotate the keys now and then. The current one I was using gave me broad hints that the battery had possibly come to the end of its service life. I did not take a chance.

It took me a while to do the job. First I had to buy a Phillips head screwdriver. Bought it off Amazon. A Stanley at Rs 76. It wasn't perfect in terms of size but did the job. A tad bigger in size would've fitted precisely. But then neither do I know the size of the screw nor the screwdriver. It's a double headed screwdriver. The other side is a flat one.

I opened the key with this screwdriver only to find that I didn't have the right sized battery. I had the CR 2032, which is a standard size. But this demands 2016 which is much thinner. Went with Monisha after work to Chandni on our bike to get it from the tiny little but highly specialised shop. They sell all types of batteries at a very reasonable rate. It was a nightmare to go there in terms of traffic. But still managed to get Monisha to go and buy it quickly while I waited near the auto stand. We got completely drenched in rain on the way back but then that's a different story. 

The batteries cost us Rs 45 each. Amazon had them for Rs 34 with next day delivery but you had to buy 5 of them at Rs 170. No wonder small shop keepers are up in arms against Cloudtail. I found no reason to buy three more batteries than I needed. I have no other gadget that uses 2016.

Incidentally, these are made in Indonesia Panasonic batteries packed in blue packaging. The 2032s are sold in orange packaging. I have no idea where they are made.

Learnings

A. It's very easy to lose the small screw on the back of the remote. Be very careful. 

B. After taking the screw out, gently prise open the remote with a thin flat head screwdriver or the tip of a thin knife. Do not force it. Might break the plastic.

C. Taking the old battery out and putting the new one in is slightly tricky but not difficult with a flat headed screwdriver or the tip of a knife etc. Trial and error worked for me. There is no need to put any pressure while putting the new one in. You have to slot it correctly.

D. I should have perhaps cleaned the contact points with Isopropyl Alcohol but I did not. Was working late at night, post dinner, on the bed. So felt lazy to go and get all that.

E. While opening the back, keep the front of the remote that has the switches face down (refer to the pic). The front side has the green PCB. If you turn it over, the PCB would come out. It is not glued. Just loosely kept there.

F. While putting it back on, first press the front and back of the remote into each other. There will be a click as they engage into the slot. Then put the screw on. 

All for two Panasonic batteries :(

Goodyear Wrangler AT Silentrac

Yesterday, 1st May 2021 I replaced the four tyres of my Duster with Goodyear AT Silentrac. The odo showed 50,0266 Kms. The cost came to Rs 30,200 plus Rs 940 or so for balancing and alignment. I bought them from Minku Agarwal's Indo Radial near Ganja Park.

The OE set of Apollos were not rotated properly in the last several thousand kilometers resulting in the front tyres losing all tread. One of them - the front right hand side one - developed a crack. In fact it sort of collapsed one evening as we were coming home from office - luckily right in front of the gate of our house - and it was found to be beyond repair. The rear tyres were relatively better but were not worth keeping for more than a thousand kilometers or so.

I went for Goodyear because the reviews said they were silent, gave more miles and were made 70:30 for highway and off roads. That suits me fine.

My other option was Yokohama Geolander which is an entirely All Terrain tyre. I had used Yokos before in my Esteem. Wasn't very happy relative to my Michelins. Also, my use is almost entirely paved city or highway roads. There is hardly any chance of going off roading. The Yokos looked more macho though and I had almost bitten the bait. But a few Youtube videos convinced me to go for Goodyear. 

My first impression after a short drive to Mezda's and back is that the tyres are smooth, though not quite as smooth as the first Michelins were. The car rolls much faster and better on these compared to what I had. They also bring the car to a standstill much quicker. I have to rotate them every 5K and maintain them properly by checking the air pressure once every month. Regrettably this is not something that I did with my Apollos.

After the front right tyre broke, the tyre repair guy at Deshapriya Park offered to sell me a second hand tyre with good tread depth. It was an MRF tyre he was offering for Rs 3K. I am sure it would have come down to half of that. I could use it to replace the other front tyre (which could give way in a similar way any day), make the older one my spare tyre and continue to use the original spare on the other side. I decided not to do this. First of all I do not know what I buy when I buy a used something. I do not want to go on long tours with something unknown. They are also often stolen tyres. It is very odd that he should have just one tyre for sale. Also, the rear tyres (image on the left) weren't in any great shape either. If I have to go to Delhi and travel some 3,000 kilometers then that might not be very dependable. So I opted for the entirely new set. 

I am reasonably happy to have these tyres. I should have perhaps changed the tyres much earlier. Unless I keep the vehicle for another 50,000 kilometers, it is a loss. The vehicle is now seven years old. We intend to sell it in another couple of years or so, before it completes 10 years. I do not see myself driving this vehicle for 50,000 kilometers in the next two years. Even if we go to Delhi a couple of times and go to Ladakh that number will not be achieved. Anyway, a good set of tyres will add to the resale value of the vehicle.

May 24, 2021

In these 23 days I have been able to drive the car for only 300 Kms or so. It rolls beautifully. Very smooth. Much less rolling resistance than my Apollo. Stopping distance and grip on wet road is also excellent. I think I am quite happy to have bought these tyres. What remains to be seen is how the tyres wear out.