Every couple months my remote entry thingy starts acting up. Seems that it works if I press the unlock button *six* times. Then the seventh will open the other doors. Not two, not four, but the *sixth* press opens the driver's door.
Removing the battery in the remote, and replacing it seems to fix it, but I've had to fix it twice now. The battery is a few months old, and I use the remote four times a day, on average. '99 OBW. Any ideas?
-John O
Hi John
I'd replace the battery first -- the one you have now may have been sitting a while in the store. It could be near empty.
Remco
Good idea, and that was my first thought, too. I tested it with a battery tester that provides a load. It checks out good, well past the 'marginal' range for button cells. It even looks Ok when tested as a AAA cell.
The clincher with this is that when I remove the battery, then put it back in, the remote works for a month or so at a distance. (I believe the max is about 30 feet for these, or thereabouts.)
John O
Does your battery tester allow you to switch between voltages? Not all button cells are equal. Some are 1.5V, like a AA cell, while some are 3V. In fact many remotes use one or even two of the 3V cells. Mine, an aftermarket unit, uses something called a 23A or A23 which is 12V. If yours only tests 1.5V cells, testing a 3V one, even a weak one, is going to check out good.
-Matt
Yeah, it's a pretty decent Radio Shack tester. But whattya know...it IS a 3V cell. (I had to look once you mentioned it.) I'll check that out this evening, and use a real voltmeter and a real load. 200 ohms then 100 ohms should be decent test loads. Lots of possible tests to do... (shame on me for missing that voltage, I really should know better)
But...that doesn't explain why the remote works on the *sixth* attempt. I could see a low battery making it work on random tries, but why on exactly the *sixth* try, even if I hold the remote right on the windshield? LOL, that's probably going to be an unsolved mystery.
-John O
(CLIP) why on exactly the *sixth* try, (CLIP) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
6 X 1.5 volts = 9 volts. Maybe it needs a 9 volt battery.
Now that's something I hadn't thought of. I wonder why.
I'm curious about your aftermarket unit. I didn't even know such things even existed. Is it a straight replacement for the stock remote or does it do something different?
I've noticed my 04 Forester remote has a significantly shorter range than my former car, an 01 Mitsubishi Galant. Does the aftermarket remote increase the range?
Matt
What I have is a combination remote start and keyless entry unit. It's an entire aftermarket system that can be retrofitted to most cars without keyless entry. Unfortunately, the remotes that came with it are pretty flimsy, and both have lasted about two years each. Replacements are in the $99 area if I'm not mistaken, so when the 2nd remote finally goes, I'll probably take it back to where I had it installed and just have the system yanked, as the power lock actuator likes to fight against the old locks, which I believe are cable driven. That's only when the remote isn't used though.
-Matt
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