intelligentKey without power?

The Leaf manual says that if the IntelligentKey battery runs-out:
- the car door can be opened with the mechanical key hidden inside the keyfob
- if you hold the IntelligentKey up to the car's Power Switch button, the car will beep; and then if you depress the brake pedal and press the Power Switch button within 10 seconds, the car will go into Ready state.

When its battery runs low, does the IntelligentKey continue broadcasting, but at a very low power level (so... it still needs a battery, but will work with a mostly-discharged battery)? Or, does it use a backup communication method that is completely passive, like RFID (so that it will work even with a totally dead or missing battery)?

LeafTaxi said:

Or, does it use a backup communication method that is completely passive, like RFID (so that it will work even with a totally dead or missing battery)?

Click to expand...

No, on this AFAIK. I've taken the battery out when I had to change it just to try it out that way, including holding up the fob to the power button.

So the chip does need to be powered? Interesting...

I re-read my answer and it may have been unclear.

I took the battery out of the fob and was able to hold it up to the power button, evoking the chime and then able to power up the car.

I don't know of any sort of backup communication method beyong the above when the fob battery is removed. The rest of the Intelligent Key stuff won't work and I'm pretty sure none of the buttons work. You gotta do the above to power on the car and use the mechanical metal key to unlock from the outside.

Right then - it's as I understood. The chip is RFID and the reader is in the dash in or near the Start button. So the OP now has an answer.