Update on Keyfob Battery Issue with Bitterant

[Bobby]

It has been a topic of recent discussion that we should be avoiding battery brands with a "bitterant" coating, or at least attempting to remove such coating with alcohol. The coating, applied to the negative side (bottom) of the battery would cause a voltage drop sufficient enough for the key fob battery to be seen as "dead." This also affected other electronics, especially Apple AirTags, of which over 55 million have sold. Apple began to recommend the same measures for their electronics.

Apparently, Duracell has rectified their design flaw, and is now advertising that they are compatible with AirTags, and as such, our key fobs. The coating is now applied to the positive side instead of the negative side, which will evidently solve the problem.

 

[Last ICE]

I just replaced my fob battery 3 weeks ago and now it’s not working, so maybe this coating is my issue (they were cheap Amazon batteries). Other than the photos specific to Duracell, is there a way to determine whether a battery has this coating? Is AirTag compatibility an indicator of no bitterant?

 

[Bobby]

I just replaced my fob battery 3 weeks ago and now it’s not working, so maybe this coating is my issue (they were cheap Amazon batteries). Other than the photos specific to Duracell, is there a way to determine whether a battery has this coating? Is AirTag compatibility an indicator of no bitterant?

In the second picture, you will see an icon that looks like an adult with a child. That means the coating has been applied. Always buy good batteries for your key fob, it's kind of sensitive to minor voltage changes. Actually, just use mobile key !

 

[DeaneG]

All this time, I have been licking the wrong side. It explains a lot.

 

[Last ICE]

In the second picture, you will see an icon that looks like an adult with a child. That means the coating has been applied. Always buy good batteries for your key fob, it's kind of sensitive to minor voltage changes. Actually, just use mobile key !

Thanks! I have been using the mobile key, but I haven’t set up my wife with the mobile key yet.

 

[Halodde]

Mobile service told me to use Panasonic

 

[joec]

All this time, I have been licking the wrong side.

Put that on a T-shirt.

 

[Unmutual]

In the second picture, you will see an icon that looks like an adult with a child. That means the coating has been applied. Always buy good batteries for your key fob, it's kind of sensitive to minor voltage changes. Actually, just use mobile key !

Isn't the same icon on the old one too?

 

[Bobby]

all right

Isn't the same icon on the old one too?

yes. But if you look at the packaging in my first picture you’ll see at the bottom right edge it now says that it is compatible with AirTags.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Mobile service told me to use Panasonic

Top tip, buy your Cr3032s from the 100 industrial battery suppliers on Ebay. The good ones have thousands of sales. They come in OEM five or ten strip packs. They say Not For Retail Sale. I have been doing it for 10 years. Wife uses lots of them for remotes in her LED illuminated fused glass lamps. Less than a buck each.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

all right

yes. But if you look at the packaging in my first picture you’ll see at the bottom right edge it now says that it is compatible with AirTags.

Are you sure the adult and child means bitterant, or is it just a warning to keep them from kids? Just checked a ten pack non retail string of OEM Energizers. They had the adult and child, were in the new damn hard to open plastic but no bitterant.

 

[borski]

I just replaced my fob battery 3 weeks ago and now it’s not working, so maybe this coating is my issue (they were cheap Amazon batteries). Other than the photos specific to Duracell, is there a way to determine whether a battery has this coating? Is AirTag compatibility an indicator of no bitterant?

It is very easy to just take an alcohol wipe and wipe the whole thing. If your 3 week old battery suddenly starts working flawlessly, it had the bitterant coating. Alternatively: lick it. It tastes bad, but it won’t kill you.

Just like the fob, the bitter batteries sometimes work in AirTags and sometimes don’t, and it’s inconsistent.

In the second picture, you will see an icon that looks like an adult with a child. That means the coating has been applied. Always buy good batteries for your key fob, it's kind of sensitive to minor voltage changes. Actually, just use mobile key !

Not all of them have this icon, sadly.

Mobile service told me to use Panasonic

Not brand-specific. Even the “not for retail sale” ones sometimes have bitterant because they are sometimes excess runs.

 

[borski]

It is very easy to just take an alcohol wipe and wipe the whole thing. If your 3 week old battery suddenly starts working flawlessly, it had the bitterant coating. Alternatively: lick it. It tastes bad, but it won’t kill you.

Just like the fob, the bitter batteries sometimes work in AirTags and sometimes don’t, and it’s inconsistent.


Not all of them have this icon, sadly.


Not brand-specific. Even the “not for retail sale” ones sometimes have bitterant because they are sometimes excess runs.

Also just a recommendation but I’m calling them bitteries from now on to differentiate from batteries

Back me up @Cosmo Cruz

 

[Canyonero!]

Well, I'm one of the 10,000 on this one.

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Thanks @borski @joec and @Bobby NOT!!!

My wife is convinced now that I have gone off the deep end with my Lucid when she saw me carefully licking my CR2032 batteries. I tried explaining but to no avail.

 

[borski]

Thanks @borski @joec and @Bobby NOT!!!

My wife is convinced now that I have gone off the deep end with my Lucid when she saw me carefully licking my CR2032 batteries. I tried explaining but to no avail.

The solution is obviously to have her lick it too

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

The solution is obviously to have her lick it too

Are you single? Hell hath no fury ......

 

[borski]

Are you single? Hell hath no fury ......

Not yet but I don’t know how she does it

 

[Worldwide Beagle]

Not yet but I don’t know how she does it

Same! At our 20th, I toasted to another twenty. Her response: One day at a time.