I had a strange thing happen last weekend

[Friday yet?]

This might be overkill but I change my Fob battery every month as well as my wife's. It's cheap enough to buy, keep, and replace to have assurance knowing I don't run into issues. I recently replaced the OEM battery earlier this year after seeing warning signs on the Sync Screen. Upgraded to a H7 from a H4.

Yea, way overkill. Once a year would be overkill. Once a month is just really wasting batteries and needlessly adding batteries to the landfills. Might want to talk yourself into extending that replacement cycle just a bit.

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[Friday yet?]

Cargo pants or shorts with a zipper pocket, boom.

Bingo. My keys are always in a zipped pants pocket on a hike. Or in a zipped pocket in my backpack. But left in/at my truck? "Ah that'd be negative Houston, over."

 

[Motorpsychology]

2019 Lariat with factory keypad. The fob can be left in the vehicle and doors locked by pressing the 7/8 and 9/0 numbers simultaneously once the doors are closed. The Ranger can be unlocked by inputting the factory assigned code or your alternate code (if you programmed one).

I'm not sure if this setup would have helped the OP given the suspected cold temp affecting the battery operation.

The battery in the key pad is not replaceable AFIK. I had one go bad in my 2014 Focus and they replaced the whole keypad under warranty. New key pads need to be encoded by the dealer only, to make them work. The battery in the key fob is a CR2032.

This might be overkill but I change my Fob battery every month as well as my wife's. It's cheap enough to buy, keep, and replace to have assurance knowing I don't run into issues. I recently replaced the OEM battery earlier this year after seeing warning signs on the Sync Screen. Upgraded to a H7 from a H4.

I'd be more concerned about wearing out the battery cover. If you are replacing the fob battery every month vs every 5 years, you are subjecting it to 60 year's worth of wear..

 

[RedlandRanger]

Cargo pants or shorts with a zipper pocket, boom.

Works great until you rip the pocket and don't realize it...... I do a lot of rough trail and cross country travel.

 

[got3fords]

Returning to my truck one Saturday night after a football game, I saw a couple frantically looking for something with their cell phone lights. I grabbed my flashlight out of the truck and went to see if I could help. They said they were looking for their key fob which they "hid" on top of the rear tire, and when they guy went to retrieve it, he knocked it off and didn't know where it fell. I was slimmer than both of them so I crawled up underneath and contorted by body and started feeling all around the suspension and brake. Ended up locating it at the bottom of the coil spring. It took both hands to get it out. They were ecstatic and so relieved. They would have never found it.

 

[ROBERTECOX]

The battery in the key pad is not replaceable AFIK. I had one go bad in my 2014 Focus and they replaced the whole keypad under warranty. New key pads need to be encoded by the dealer only, to make them work. The battery in the key fob is a CR2032.

I'd be more concerned about wearing out the battery cover. If you are replacing the fob battery every month vs every 5 years, you are subjecting it to 60 year's worth of wear..

I just replaced my Key Fob Battery...it took a CR2450...You put a CR2032 in yours???

 

[IdahoRanger]

I just replaced my Key Fob Battery...it took a CR2450...You put a CR2032 in yours???

Mine were the 2450 as well.

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/key-fob-battery-low-warning.23569/

 

[Jhbryaniv]

I just replaced my Key Fob Battery...it took a CR2450...You put a CR2032 in yours???

Depends on the fob... You have a lariat?

 

[IdahoRanger]

Depends on the fob... You have a lariat?

Yes, it is a Lariat.

 

[ROBERTECOX]

mine's a lariat

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

Rob I don't know if this is going to be a popular option but it came to my mind so I thought I'd throw it into the pot of soup; have a spare key blade cut on a valet key. I'm talking key blade only. You can weave it in with some paracord and keep it in your pack, or just simply keep it in an internal zippered pouch in your pack.

Here's a company that can do it for you online for about $70: https://tomskey.com/collections/for...y-4-button-with-remote-start-forfk-4b-rs-flip

They have a "cut a key via photo" option and they can ship it to you cut.

 

[RedlandRanger]

Rob I don't know if this is going to be a popular option but it came to my mind so I thought I'd throw it into the pot of soup; have a spare key blade cut on a valet key. I'm talking key blade only. You can weave it in with some paracord and keep it in your pack, or just simply keep it in an internal zippered pouch in your pack.

Here's a company that can do it for you online for about $70: https://tomskey.com/collections/for...y-4-button-with-remote-start-forfk-4b-rs-flip

They have a "cut a key via photo" option and they can ship it to you cut.

Thanks for the idea but the fob they show doesn't look right - I have the keyless system (push button start). My plan going forward is to keep the emergency blade (the one that won't fit in the hitch safe with the fob) in the zippered pocket in my pack, clipped in. I could probably put the whole fob in there as well, but if I run into a similar situation in the future, I will be able to get into the truck using the blade, and then i can put the fob in the cup holder to start/run the truck.

 

[MXGOLF]

The hitch safe has worked really well for me for about 4 years now - until the battery on the fob starting getting weak. I actually considered the door buttons, but I didn't like the "stick on" look of them.

I'm not an ultralight for my day hikes - I carry WAY too much stuff - too many years in Boy Scouts - You know - Be Prepared.

My Plan B is always having my Garmin Communicator - if something REALLY goes sideways, I can always send out a message from anywhere to get help. I can send as many canned messages as I want for free (you get 3 of them) and my plan I can send up to 10 custom text messages a month with no additional charge. I normally never use any of the 10 - I almost always use the canned messages - I send one that says "I'm at the trailhead" so my wife knows I got to the trailhead safely, and I send a second one when I'm back at the truck so she knows I made it out of the woods. If I don't end up at home, she knows something happened on the way home. Again, probably overkill but for $12/month I consider it cheap insurance.

FYI, here is a 360 photo of where I ended up today - it was BEAUTIFUL - I was amazed I could still drive to almost 5000' on the 16th of December:

http://robshikingdiary.com/360Photos/2023/MtLowePano-Snow.html

Cool shot Rob. I too like to hike a lot. If you want some company some time let me know. I am in Beaverton area. We are very lucky to have all the awesome places to hike so close by.

 

[21rangerCactus]

I never knew there was such a thing as a hitch safe! Anytime I'd ride the trails I keep my key in my pocket. Always in the back of my mind that I might lose my key and from the mtb groups I'm in it seems to be a common occurance.

Which one are you using? Recommendations/opinions?

 

[RedlandRanger]

I never knew there was such a thing as a hitch safe! Anytime I'd ride the trails I keep my key in my pocket. Always in the back of my mind that I might lose my key and from the mtb groups I'm in it seems to be a common occurance.

Which one are you using? Recommendations/opinions?

The original one:

https://www.amazon.com/HitchSafe-HS7000T-HS7000-Key-Vault/dp/B000I66JEM

I have two suggestions based on using it for the last 4 years:

1. Put it back in and lock it as SOON as you pull the key out. It is easy to leave it on the bumper and drive away
2. Double and TRIPLE check the rubber cover is securely attached. I lost one because I didn't make sure it was pushed in all the way.

The good news is you can get replacement parts for them. I've been really happy with it.

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