Start the Car With a Dead Key Fob Battery

Last updated: June 12, 2026

The Genesis GV60 (JW, 2022–2024) is a fully electric SUV that uses a premium Smart Key with proximity entry and a START/STOP button. Genesis also gives GV60 owners an NFC card key as a backup. When the Smart Key’s coin cell dies, remote locking and hands-free detection stop — but the GV60 still powers up once you press the fob against the button, or tap the card key, and an emergency blade lets you in.

Start the GV60 With a Dead Fob

The GV60 is electric, so “starting” means bringing the car to READY rather than cranking an engine. If the screen shows “Key not detected”, the fob’s radio is flat but the car can still read the key’s passive transponder at close range.

1. Get inside with the emergency key blade first (see below) and sit in the driver’s seat.
2. Press the brake pedal firmly and hold it.
3. Hold the Smart Key flat against the START/STOP button so the transponder lines up with the reader coil behind it. Genesis places the backup reader at the button itself — touch the fob to it directly.
4. Press the button through the fob. The coil energises the chip, the immobiliser verifies the key, and the car comes to READY.

If you carry the Genesis card key, you can instead tap it on the marked reader point and press the START/STOP button — the card uses NFC and doesn’t depend on any battery.

Unlock the Door With the Emergency Key Blade

On the GV60 the lock is hidden behind the driver’s door handle and revealed when you pull the handle out — there is no separate cap to lever off.

1. Take out the metal emergency blade. On the GV60 this may release from the Smart Key, or it may be a separate blade supplied with the car — check both.
2. Pull the driver’s door handle to its open position; the hidden keyhole appears behind it.
3. Insert the blade into the exposed keyhole and turn to unlock. The alarm may sound; bringing the car to READY clears it.

Why a Flat Battery Doesn’t Strand You

The chip that authorises the drivetrain is a passive RFID transponder with no battery of its own. The car energises it by induction through the coil at the START/STOP button. The coin cell only powered the remote-lock radio and the proximity broadcast for hands-free use. A dead cell costs you remote locking and walk-up detection — never the ability to bring the car to READY. The NFC card key and the phone Digital Key are separate systems and are unaffected by the fob’s coin cell.

Replace the Coin Cell

1. Slide the emergency blade out (or open the catch) to reach the seam in the Smart Key case.
2. Twist the halves apart at the seam with a coin or thin plastic tool.
3. The GV60 Smart Key uses one CR2032 3V lithium coin cell. Note the orientation — the plus (+) side usually faces the back cover.
4. Fit the fresh cell the same way up, handling it by the edges, and click the case shut.

Remote locking and keyless entry return at once. Expect two to three years from a quality cell.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly do I hold the fob to start the GV60? Flat against the START/STOP button with the brake held, then press the button with the fob still touching it. The backup reader sits at the button.

Can I use the Genesis card key instead? Yes. Tap the NFC card on the marked reader and press START/STOP. The card needs no battery, so it works even when the Smart Key cell is flat.

Where is the emergency keyhole? Behind the driver’s door handle, revealed when you pull the handle to its open position — there is no cap to remove.

The emergency blade wasn’t in my fob — is that normal? On some GV60 builds the metal blade is supplied as a separate key rather than folded into the Smart Key. Keep it with the card key as your backup set.

Which battery does the GV60 Smart Key take? A single CR2032 3V lithium coin cell, available almost anywhere.

If a warning light stayed on after the no-start, look it up on autodtcs.com to confirm it was just the fob and not a stored immobiliser fault.