Farady pouch

I was just wondering. What is the lifespan of the farady pouch that was mentioned on this forum? I was trying to search for it but couldn't find it. When I first purchased it I was able to put the remote in the pouch then manually locked the door and I would try to open it by putting my hand close to the sensor and it wouldn't activate. Lately I am now not only able to unlock the doors with the fob inside the pouch but I am also able to start the vehicle also. Is it time to replace the pouch?

 

I would suggest to make a habit to deactivate key - it's more reliable in my opinion. Or use some sort of metal box which lasts forever : )

 

Wrap it in tin foil and put it under your hat...

 

I use an old ammo can where I removed the rubber seal and replaced it with aluminum foil as a new "seal". Neither of my cars are able to communicate with the fobs when the they are placed inside the can.

 

It probably depends on its construction, quality, etc. I don’t think it would have gotten any sort of “X number of open/closes expected” rating.

But if it’s no longer working, then I imagine something has worn out or broke. (yes I know, Captain Obvious here) Perhaps something tougher next?

 

Tinfoil hats are recommended too.

 

I should try that. I have a faraday box. Not sure if boxes go bad, or not.

This is what I got - https://amzn.to/3MNwf3t

 

You really get a two’fer with deactivation. It is really designed to save the battery but in addition prevents its use just like a pouch or box.

 

I put mine in a faraday pouch and the pouch in a faraday box. I keep the box buried under the house. My car hasn't been broken into or stolen since I started doing that; although, it wasn't broken into or stolen before I started doing that. I've also lost a few extra pounds since I walk everywhere now. Hope that helps indeedy.

 

Where I live it's used to be very safe area, but few years ago it became hot spot for car thieves. Nowadays I turn off keys even if I left my truck on grocery store parking lot. Don't trust all that faraday pouches or boxes, got my truck stolen in February and it's not fun at all.

 

I bought the same faraday box @kmeeg mentioned for my wife's (POS) BMW. If she leaves the key fob in her purse in the mudroom - just off the garage - the car sits alone in the garage flapping its mirrors, unlocking, locking, etc. constantly. That Amazon faraday box is a hassle, but it neuters the (POS) BMW.

 

https://keyshield.co/

 

POS?

 

Bought it new (2023) and it's just had lots of little annoying issues... while the Toyotas in the fleet have been largely flawless. It's almost like there's a lesson in there somewhere. ;-)

 

Ok, but wouldn't that be LLAI?

 

For the price… nah. POS.

 

The interesting thing about what you report is that there is nothing to break or wear out in a faraday pouch.

I don’t use a faraday pouch myself but I have tested a couple of layers of plain old aluminum foil and it worked like a champ.

 

I bought that box up there and drop my keys and pocket knife in it every evening. I also have a pouch for my extra key that stays in the drawer.

 

Drop this bullshit attempts to conflate reasonable precautions with conspiracies. Relay attacks, where radio signal of your key fob from inside the house amplified and re-transmitted to make appears as if key is in the proximity is a common car thief trick.

Modern car keys auto-deactivate when not moved, but 4Runner fobs, like the rest of the car, is old tech. It has to be shut down manually or put into signal-blocking pouch. Otherwise you might as well leave the keys in the car.

 

My guess is that blocking material inside the pouch now has hole(s) and it no longer works because of that.

Think of a bag holding water, it only needs a small hole to leak.

 

How do you deactivate the key? Just curious.

 

I often do.

 

press and hold lock button and while holding it press unlock button 2 times within 2 seconds. Small light on keyfob will flash 4 times and key will be off. It's in the manual.

 

Tested. My 2019 Faraday box still works.

 

Seriously? Lifespan of a Faraday box? Did you miss physics in high school?
A Faraday cage is a container made of conducting material, such as wire mesh or metal plates, that shields what it encloses from external electric fields. Faraday cages work because an external electrical field will cause the electric charges within the cage's conducting material to be distributed in a way that cancels out the field's effect inside the cage. There’s nothing to break in a cage/box.

 

The wire mesh won’t break? I can understand that it probably wouldn’t in normal use, but what if it got bet or something?

 

I would assume that cheap faraday pouches or boxes have a tear from stuff you put in and another weak place would be place when mesh is bending from opening and closing pouch or box. There's also possibility that materials might degrade with time from contact with oxygen, dust and metal. Temperature and humidity might affect it as well depending what materials used. If you build Faraday box well, keep it in controlled environment and never touch it it will last forever of course : )

 

I do not have a faraday box. I have a faraday pouch which goes with me wherever I go. That's why I asked. As for physics in high school. No I am not as bright as you. Only the smart students got in physics class. I took general and related tech sciences as I attended a specialized trade school where it wasn't emphasized unless you was going into engineering in college.

 

I did not mean to insult you. Most of my classmates skipped physics classes and had a cigarette in the bathroom. For my spare keys I use tinfoil. For sure my wife can find them when I tell her that it’s that big tinfoil ball in her jewelry box. What do you put in the pouch? The key only or the cellphone as well? To answer your question there is no expiration date on a Faraday pouch and without cutting one in half you can’t even tell what material they used. My suggestion is to buy another brand or use a box if you can.

 

Depending on the materials and construction, failure is at least possible. For example if the main functional element was a layer of plastic film with a thin conductive coating, it could have developed cracks or a seam failure or the coating could have worn off in spots. It might not be obvious if the film is embedded in other fabric. The seams would be the points of greatest vulnerability.