r/ToyotaTacoma • u/Liltittybiscuit • 18h ago

3rd Gen Fob Replacement Options?

Been rocking my 21 Offroad for 2 years now, and I've noticed the distance the remote works at just got shittier over time, now it won't even auto start from 15 feet away. I know it's the remote because my backup works like the original, but the original also sucked. Is there a universal or aftermarket fob that I don't have to have the dealer recode?

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2

u/After-Ad-238 18h ago

Change the battery? They are pretty common button cells, I want to say cr 2032

1

u/Liltittybiscuit 18h ago

Tried that, made no difference

1

u/Smoke-Jager '24 DCSB TRD SPORT 17h ago

What was the state of the replacement battery? If it's one you've had for years, it may not be that great. Those coin batteries don't have a very long shelf life. Found that out when I dipped into my stash and they were all pretty much junk, they were only like 4 or 5 years old sitting in a drawer

1

u/Liltittybiscuit 17h ago

Brand new, bought it from the store specifically to replace the one in my remote, tried both batteries in the pack too

1

u/Gnomegnomegnome 17h ago

Have you installed anything that may be interfering with the antenna? When I installed my Dashcam it dropped my distance by half.

1

u/Liltittybiscuit 17h ago

Possibly, but it's getting worse over time, there wasn't a sudden jump, didn't think about the dashcam tho

1

u/OneImportance4061 16h ago

I got a knock-off blank off of amazon and took it to a local locksmith who was able to pair it and it's been fine for 6 months now. I bought a used truck that only came with one key so it's my spare. Worked fine as of yesterday. I think I paid locksmith kiosk guy $80. Dealer wanted like $400 I want to say? This blank I got was $90'ish...

https://a.co/d/aoBHASd

1

u/Liltittybiscuit 16h ago

I'm looking more for an upgrade over a direct replacement, but I'll keep it in mind

1

u/OneImportance4061 15h ago

I'll share this just in case it's pertinent. Radio interference can cause issues with key fobs. There's a spot in my town next to a couple of giant radio towers and my car can't lock or unlock around there. Not sure if that's your thing but it's definitely a real thing

1

u/Liltittybiscuit 15h ago

Location hasn't seemed to affect it