Key FOB washed

[marccbr]

I left my key FOB in my shorts pocket and the wife threw them in the washer. :shock: I was already calculating how much it would cost to purchase another. I am happy to report that I went out to the car and tested it out by locking and unlocking the doors and even turning on the car and it worked. These FOBs must be water tight or something. Don't know but I am a very happy person.

 

[mitch672]

I left my key FOB in my shorts pocket and the wife threw them in the washer. :shock: I was already calculating how much it would cost to purchase another. I am happy to report that I went out to the car and tested it out by locking and unlocking the doors and even turning on the car and it worked. These FOBs must be water tight or something. Don't know but I am a very happy person.

you're lucky, the smart RFID keys for the Prius run about $150-$200

 

[TomT]

Such devices are actually amazing robust. My wife accidentally washed our Dish Network remote. I took out the batteries, flushed it out with distilled water, dried it out, put in new batteries, and it works like new...

I left my key FOB in my shorts pocket and the wife threw them in the washer. :shock: I was already calculating how much it would cost to purchase another. I am happy to report that I went out to the car and tested it out by locking and unlocking the doors and even turning on the car and it worked. These FOBs must be water tight or something. Don't know but I am a very happy person.

 

[Nekota]

Or maybe the detergents are very weak now - could explain why it is so hard to get stains out of whites now. :lol: :lol:

On a serious note - when you find your electronics in high conductive solutions (pool water, washer, dishwater, ect.) applying liberal amounts of purified water (e.g. reverse osmosis ) to flush out the contamination is a good step. When electronic chips are made, they are cleaned between process steps with de-ionized RO water. If contamination is left on the PCB, the copper traces can corrode over time and shorten the life of your electronic device.

 

[LEAFfan]

when you find your electronics in high conductive solutions (pool water, washer, dishwater, ect.) applying liberal amounts of purified water (e.g. reverse osmosis ) to flush out the contamination is a good step. When electronic chips are made, they are cleaned between process steps with de-ionized RO water. If contamination is left on the PCB, the copper traces can corrode over time and shorten the life of your electronic device.

That's good info to know! Thanks Nekota! Maybe that could have saved me $150 when my cell was soaked in the Salt River (no actual salt) due to the ziploc leak.

 

[marccbr]

Yea Nekota, thanks for the tips. Anyone have any instructions on opening up the FOB so I can give it a good cleaning?

 

[MsLusty]

I washed my fob just this past weekend. I stuck it in a bowl of rice overnight after removing the key (which was wet). Worked fine this morning.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

it was the next day before i realized that my fob had been in my pocket the entire time i spent at the pool. i was in the water probably at least 2 hours altogether.

it has suffered no ill effects. i wish cellphone manufacturers would sit up and take notice

 

[Ready2plugin]

Washed mine too....still works fine!

 

[TRONZ]

:? Went surfing with mine. Worked fine but I put it rice overnight anyways.

 

[TurboFroggy]

I accidently washed mine as well. I took the key out and separated the case. It turns out there is a rubber membrane/gasket all around the inside of the case. It was perfectly dry inside, right out of the washer, not a hint of moisture. Very impressive seal indeed.

 

[Stanton]

Yea Nekota, thanks for the tips. Anyone have any instructions on opening up the FOB so I can give it a good cleaning?

Don't. The best thing to do if small electronic devices get wet (like FLASH drives, key FOBS, etc.) is let them dry out (naturally) thoroughly before you use them.

 

[Bassman]

I accidentally washed mine in the washer about two month ago. No problems, it's still working fine.

 

[LeafPowerIsIxE]

Most "wet" electronics can be resurrected by burying them circuit board exposed in a pile of fine salt for 24 hours. Replace the battery and you should be online. This works well with cell phones, ipods, etc.

 

[hill]

I've lost track of the times I've washed the Prius fobs. Takes a lick'n and keeps on tick'n.

 

[ericsf]

Out of cursosity I opened mine to see if it was somehow designed to be waterproof. Nope: It's plain old PCB with SMD chips. No seal, gasket or resin.

The induction loop in the white plastic frame.

BTW, to open, remove the metal key and slide a fingernail between the 2 shells on the edge on the side and widen the gap until you feel they cliped out. Move your way around until the shells come appart freely.

 

[Nekota]

For the $150 replacement cost I would expect more robust design for water proofing. At least put poly-amide coating over the circuit board and IC to provide some protection. As for drying this in salt I would worry about the salt contamination that with the applied battery voltage and time eat away the exposed metal since there is no zeibart like protection. And my pocket isn't the ideal cool dry place to store these electronic devices either.

 

[LEAFguy]

This key is designed to be opened to replace the watch battery, which will need to occur in two-to-three years. That said, as it has been reported here many times already, the click-together design seems to be fairly impervious to moisture penetration. Probably don't want to open it more often than needed though.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

For the $150 replacement cost I would expect more robust design for water proofing. At least put poly-amide coating over the circuit board and IC to provide some protection. As for drying this in salt I would worry about the salt contamination that with the applied battery voltage and time eat away the exposed metal since there is no zeibart like protection. And my pocket isn't the ideal cool dry place to store these electronic devices either.

a coating to prevent corrosion is not unusual on any PC board. its the discrete components that you need to worry about and venturing to say based on the size of the FOB there are none large enough or ones that generate enough heat to where they would not be coated as well

the coating is not thick and only designed to prevent normal oxidation but clean water would not be too much of a risk

 

[ElectricVehicle]

Most "wet" electronics can be resurrected by burying them circuit board exposed in a pile of fine salt for 24 hours. Replace the battery and you should be online. This works well with cell phones, ipods, etc.

Salt??? Arghhh... if any of the electronics are exposed and salt gets on them it can corrode the metal and cause weak shorts between components. I'd think about putting it in dry rice or desicant bags. If I think it got salt water inside, I might rinse with distilled water, gently shake dry, air dry and then maybe the rice. If salt gets into electronics, it's bad news! For moving part electronics like camera zoom lenses, make sure that no small particles of your desicant get into the device.