When it comes to error messages in your Nissan Altima, they are always unexpected and unwanted. Whenever you see your dash saying something to you again, you immediately imagine how much money you will give to the dealership or repair shop to locate and fix the problem. But not all issues are expensive and hard to solve.
If your Nissan Altima says “Key ID Incorrect”, it most likely does this because the key fob has a low battery, it’s the wrong key, or it’s not programmed. This may also happen after your key fell onto the hard floor and was damaged. The solution to the problem depends on the actual reason.
Here’s what I’m going to tell you in this article:
- Why can the “Key ID Incorrect” message show up in your Nissan Altima?
- How can you start the car if you see this message on your dash?
- What can you do to solve the problem with the “Key ID Incorrect” message?
- Preventing problems and keeping your key fobs always ready to go.
Reasons for the “Key ID Incorrect” error message in the Altima
First of all, you should know that when you see this message, you can’t start the vehicle. In most cases, this message will appear on the dash once you push the engine start button. It only appears in vehicles with a keyless engine start system. Instead of hearing the pleasant engine cranking noise, you see the “Key ID Incorrect” message and have to deal with it somehow.
When it comes to the reasons for such an issue, it’s hard to say for sure. But I’ve compiled a list of possible issues that can cause this problem.
Here’s why this may happen to your Altima:
- The key fob has a dead or low battery. When the battery in the fob is extremely low or dead, or even absent, the chip is not powered and it doesn’t emit any waves to communicate with the car. So, the vehicle doesn’t “see” the key.
- The key fob is damaged. In this case, your chip may be sending the wrong waves and the car just doesn’t understand that this is the needed key. Even though you were able to unlock the doors, the vehicle now doesn’t accept this key as the needed one.
- The key fob is not programmed. Maybe, you now have the key from another vehicle, or your key lost all its settings and now needs to be reprogrammed in the dealership or by a locksmith.
- The key is far away from the engine start button. Maybe, your key is in the bag that you placed in the trunk. Or you have a pocket in your jacket that doesn’t let the radio waves go through – they may be made of some insulated material.
- The key verification system is faulty. This is the most unwanted scenario because it’s quite hard to fix this problem. Fortunately, in Nissan Altima models, such things are not really common and may only happen when there is serious water damage after flooding.
If you see the “Key ID Incorrect” error message, you should check where the key fob is. I once had a problem with another Nissan model when I left the key outside the car – on its hood. I saw the “Key ID Incorrect” message but then I turned the vehicle off and on again and it worked. When I parked my Nissan in the garage at home, I couldn’t find the key and had to use the spare one.
So, check the location of the key fob in order to understand that the key fob is here with you and can communicate with the vehicle. If taking the key out of your pocket didn’t help you solve the problem, read further and you will learn several ways of fixing the issue.
Starting your Altima when it says “Key ID Incorrect”
So, how can you start the Nissan Altima if it throws this misleading message and doesn’t want to start? There are several ways to cope with the situation, and all of them are not that hard for you. Of course, several solutions will obviously require professional help. But what I offer is to try all DIY methods first before you spend your money on any help.
Here are some DIY methods you should try:
- Touch the engine start button with the key. This is the easiest way to bypass this error message. Even if the battery is absent in the key fob, you can still start the vehicle just after touching the engine start button with the back part of the fob.
- Use your spare key. If you are in your garage at home, you can quickly remember where the spare key is from your Altima and get it. This key may not be damaged and may have the full battery which will help you start the Altima.
- Replace the battery in the key fob. This is another DIY method but it needs a new battery and understanding how you can change it in the fob. Watch a short Youtube tutorial or read an article about how to change the battery in the Nissan Altima fob.
These are all DIY ways to solve the issue. In most cases, the first way will work. Just touch the engine start button with the fob and you will be able to start the car.
But what if none of these methods works? In this case, you will need some professional help. Again, you have several options:
- Call a locksmith. There are hundreds of available locksmiths in big cities that can even come to you wherever you are stranded with your car. They will reprogram the key or solve your problem in a dozen of different ways. Of course, this will cost you some money.
- Call your dealer. This may be especially helpful if your car is still fresh and under the warranty. You may be eligible for free or cheap road assistance and the guys from the dealership will come to you or pay for towing. After that, they will program a new key for you or repair the old one.
- Get your key to the dealer. If you don’t urgently need the car, then lock it and choose another way of commuting. Take the broken key to the dealership or to a good repair shop that can help you solve the issue.
- Buy another key and have it programmed. If you want a quick and probably the most expensive solution, you can buy another fob and program it in the dealership or by a local locksmith. Unfortunately, this will cost you a fortune.
Whenever it comes to professional help, you should be ready to pay some money. The new key for the Nissan Altima may cost you $300 and more, so you better find another way to solve the issue.
You can also wonder why your Nissan Altima shows the “Key ID Incorrect” or “No Key Detected” message so often. This is not something about your car. Read on to find out the reason.
Why does my Altima throw the “Key ID Incorrect” message so often?
You may remember your old Nissan (or any other) car without all those new features like keyless entry and engine start button. The key battery in that vehicle could live for several years, sometimes even up to a decade. You may not even know that the key in that car had some battery at all.
What’s wrong with the new Altima? Why it may throw that annoying “Key ID Incorrect” message almost every half a year or something like that?
The problem is in the technology of keyless entry. To understand that the key is correct, the vehicle needs to communicate with the key once you approach the car. Otherwise, the keyless entry will not work. For this, the key always emits some signals that help it communicate with the vehicle.
Your old key fob that didn’t have the keyless entry option emitted signals only when you pressed some button. And this is the difference. That’s why the new key fob drains the battery so quickly.
Also, this is important to understand for the spare fob that probably rests somewhere in your house. If your main fob is dying, the spare fob may also be dying. That’s why if you just take the spare fob, it may also show the “Key ID Incorrect” message. To avoid this, make sure you change the battery in both fobs or just keep the spare fob without the battery in it and insert the battery only when needed.
What kind of battery is needed for the Nissan Altima fob?
I recommend buying one or two batteries and putting them in the glovebox just in case you need to urgently replace it in the fob. All Nissan Altima fobs will use the standard CR2032 battery. This is a small round metal battery type that you can buy in any supermarket for several cents. Of course, it’s always best to choose the good brand – it will lie longer in the glove box and save the charge.
Before you take apart the Altima key fob, watch a tutorial on how to do it. If you do something wrong, you won’t be able to save the beautiful key fob in its original condition. It may get scratches and other types of damage to its body.
Final thoughts
So, the “Key ID Incorrect” message in the Nissan Altima is basically the same as the “Key Not Detected” message. It means that the vehicle doesn’t “see” the key fob and won’t start however hard you push the engine start button. Just use the tricks from this article to make your Altima start. If they don’t work, then call for help and be prepared to pay for assistance.