Yes, Halfords replaces car key batteries in store for a £7 fitting charge plus the cost of the battery.
The Halfords service depends on an inspection of the key first. Keys that need key programming or access to the car fall outside the service, along with damaged fobs and keys without a replaceable cell. A Halfords car key battery swap costs £7 plus a coin cell of a few pounds. Five places offer the swap, from home to a mobile auto locksmith. A home battery swap takes five steps and a 3-volt coin cell in most keys.
A key fob that still fails after a new battery needs a key fob repair rather than a second battery. A car not unlocking with the remote or key points to a car fault, and a dead key fob battery stops only keyless cars starting. A new cell resets almost no car keys.
The list below gives the five key takeaways on Halfords car key battery replacement.
- Halfords charges £7 to fit a car key battery, plus the price of the cell.
- Store staff inspect each key before agreeing to the battery swap.
- Dealer-programmed keys and keys needing car access fall outside the Halfords service.
- Home battery swaps cost only the coin cell and take about five minutes.
- Key fobs that fail after a new battery need a repair, not a second battery.
What does the Halfords key battery service cover?
The Halfords car key battery service covers opening the fob, fitting the right coin cell and closing the case, for a £7 fitting charge on top of the battery price.
Halfords does not fit car key batteries for free, and store staff inspect the key before agreeing to the job. The Halfords service fits a plain remote fob with a standard coin cell.
Which car keys fall outside the Halfords service?
Halfords does not replace batteries in four kinds of car key. The list below gives the four kinds with the reason.
- Keys that need reprogramming after a battery change go to the dealer on some makes.
- Keys that need access to the car fall outside the service at stores without car access.
- Fobs with a cracked case, broken buttons or water damage need a repair, not a battery.
- Keys with no replaceable battery, including some older BMW keys, recharge in the ignition slot instead of taking a coin cell.
Reprogramming after a battery change needs diagnostic equipment, and key programming at the car covers keys outside the Halfords service.
What does Halfords charge for a key battery?
A car key battery replacement costs £7 plus the coin cell at Halfords, and only the coin cell at home. Common cells, including the CR2032, cost a few pounds, so the £7 fitting charge makes up the larger part of the Halfords price.
How does Halfords compare for key battery swaps?
Halfords suits a plain battery swap, while a fob fault needs a main dealer or a mobile auto locksmith. The table below compares five places to replace a car key battery by cost, location and cover.
| Option | Cost | Where | What the option covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| At home | The coin cell only | At home | Battery swaps on fobs that open at a seam |
| Halfords | £7 plus the coin cell | In store | Battery swaps, subject to inspection |
| High street key cutter | Priced in branch | In branch | Battery swaps on popular makes |
| Main dealer | Varies by brand | At the dealer workshop | Batteries, programming and new keys |
| Mobile auto locksmith | Fixed price before travelling | At the car, at home or work | Batteries, fob repairs and programming |
Every option fits the same 3-volt coin cell, and none of the five changes the fob programming during a plain battery swap. A key fob that needs only a cell suits a home or in-store swap, while a physical or programming fault needs the car and the tools together.
How do you replace a car key battery?
To replace a car key battery at home, open the case at the seam, swap the coin cell for one with the same number and close the case. The list below gives the five steps.
- Slide out the emergency key blade, since many fobs hide the case notch behind the blade.
- Twist a small flat blade or a coin in the notch to separate the two halves.
- Note which way up the old cell sits, and read the number printed on the cell, such as CR2032, CR2025 or CR1620.
- Fit the new cell the same way up, without touching the flat faces with bare fingers.
- Press the halves together until the case clicks, and test the lock and unlock buttons at the car.
Most car keys take a 3-volt CR2032 coin cell. The circuit board is the one weak point, since prising against the board cracks solder joints.
Why do fobs still fail after new batteries?
A key fob that ignores a new car key battery has a fault in the fob or the car. The four questions below separate a reset, a repair, a car fault and a keyless start problem.
Frequently asked questions
Does replacing the battery reset a car key?
No, replacing the car key battery does not reset most car keys.
A small number of models need a short resync after a coin cell change at Halfords or at home, and the owner’s handbook lists the steps.
Which key fob repairs follow a new battery?
Contact, joint, water damage and pairing repairs fix a key fob that fails after a new battery. The list below gives the four faults behind a failing key fob.
- A worn button contact stops the press reaching the circuit board, and a contact repair fixes the fault.
- A cracked solder joint breaks the link between the battery holder and the board, and resoldering fixes the fault.
- A water-damaged board corrodes over days or weeks, and a board repair or a new fob fixes the fault.
- A lost pairing stops the car recognising the fob, and reprogramming at the car fixes the fault.
ADC Locksmith Liverpool repairs buttons, cases, battery holders and cracked joints at the car, and a key fob repair costs less than a new dealer fob.
Why is the car not unlocking by remote?
The car is not unlocking with the remote or key because the fault sits in the car, including the receiver, the door lock actuators or the car battery. A car not unlocking with the remote after a new fob battery has a car fault, and the car battery is the quickest fault to test.
Does a dead key fob battery block starting?
Yes, a dead key fob battery stops the normal start on a keyless car, and the fob still starts the car from the backup position.
A Halfords or home car key battery swap with a new coin cell ends the problem. The backup position for a dead key fob battery sits on the start button, the steering column or a marked slot, depending on the make.
Based in Liverpool and still stuck?
ADC Locksmith Liverpool repairs, programs and replaces car keys at the roadside across Liverpool and Merseyside, usually on the same day. Craig Evans holds SERMI approval and a 5.0 rating from 341 Google reviews. A call to 07731 544220 brings a fixed price before Craig travels.
Call 07731 544220