There’s nothing worse than getting to your car after a long day only to realize your key fob’s battery is dead. The Mazda 3 key fob contains a hidden key for situations just like this.

In order to find your Mazda 3 hidden key, just walk through these simple steps:

Look on the underside of your key fob for the auxiliary key release button. Once you find it, press and hold.

Now grab the looped end at the top of the key fob and pull out the key.

Pull out the driver’s door handle to find the keyhole.

Insert the key and unlock the door!

How to start a Mazda 3 when your key fob battery is dead

Now that you’re in the car, it’s time to get it started! You can place the emergency key back in the fob because even with a dead battery, you can still use the fob to start your Mazda 3. All you need to do is:

Ensure your car is in park (P) or neutral (N) and press down on the brake pedal.

Touch the back of your key fob to the push-button start.

Once the green light on the push button stops flashing and stays green, press the push button and start your engine!

Once you’re revved up and good to go, let your Mazda 3 idle for about 10 seconds before hitting the road. Next up, you’ll want to get a Mazda 3’s key fob battery replacement. When you get home, you can replace your Mazda 3 key fob battery with a CR2025 battery.

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How to enable Mazda 3 remote start

If you’re looking to warm up your Mazda 3 on a cool winter day from the comfort of your home, you’ll need to enable Mazda 3 remote start. To get set up with the Mazda 3 remote start, you’ll want to start by getting in the front seat of your car.

Take your Mazda remote and press “function.” From there, you’ll see the “engine start” icon appear on your LCD screen and press start. Once you hear one (or two) beeps, you’re all set! You can now start your Mazda 3 remotely.

Mazda 3 key fob basics

Every Mazda 3 key fob can perform a few basic functions, from unlocking doors to signaling for help in an emergency. These features are only helpful if you know how to operate your key fob, so let’s take a look at how to use each of the four buttons:

Lock: if you press this button once, the doors, liftgate, and fuel-filler lid will all lock. The hazard lights will flash once to confirm you’ve locked up, but you can double-check by clicking “lock” a second time and waiting for the beep.

Unlock: press once to unlock the driver’s door and fuel-filler lid and twice to unlock the other doors and liftgate.

Trunk button: the trunk button has a small icon of an open trunk. Hold this button down until the trunk opens.

Panic button: to set off the vehicle’s alarm system, hold down the panic button. To turn it off, just press any other button on your fob.

Don’t forget! If you leave your key fob in your car, these functions will be suspended to protect your vehicle from theft. To reactivate the functions, you’ll need to press the unlock button on the functions-suspended key in your Mazda 3.

How to reprogram your Mazda 3 key

Believe it or not, losing your Mazda 3 key fob can be a huge (and expensive!) inconvenience. Because your key is programmed to work specifically with your Mazda, you can’t just order a new one on Amazon and hit the road.

Rather than getting your Mazda 3 towed and paying your local dealership to reprogram a new set of keys, why not learn to do it yourself? You’ll need at least two working keys, but the process for Mazda 3 key fob programming is simple:

Place the first working key into the slot and set your ignition to ON.

Leave the key in for five seconds, and then remove it.

Repeat with the second working key.

Take your new (or spare) key and place it into the slot, setting the ignition to the ON position.

Leave it in for five seconds and set the ignition to OFF.

It’s that simple! Your new key now has its information added to your Mazda 3’s system and will be able to start the car. If you don’t have two working keys, unfortunately, you’ll need to take your Mazda 3 into the dealership to reprogram the key.

How to reprogram your Mazda 3 fob

The process for reprogramming your Mazda 3 fob is a bit more complicated than reprogramming a key. Bring up to three fobs you’d like to set up and start by opening the driver’s side door. From there, you’ll:

Lock and unlock the door with the lock button, and leave it open.

Place your key in the ignition and set it to ON–wait three to four seconds before turning it off.

Repeat this twice without removing the key, and leave it in the OFF position.

Shut and open the driver’s door three times, finishing open.

You’ll know you’ve done it correctly if your Mazda 3’s computer locks and unlocks the door.

Press a button on each of the fobs you are reprogramming, and you’re good to go!

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How to protect your car key fob from theft or damage

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