Key Fob responsiveness

[s1rk]

How far from the car do you have to be before your car senses you and releases the door handles?

I ask this because I usually have to stand about less than a foot from my driver passenger door before my car recognizes that I'm around and unlocks itself. Sometimes it takes longer than 5 seconds before it even recognizes that the key fob is near.

I have not tested my spare key but I will do it tonight. I figured I'd ask here and see the responses.

I also have this https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51N-OEUHRaL._SL1001_.jpg as my keyfob cover.

 

[RV8R]

I have the exact same experience, which is fine with me. It means it would be harder to 'steal' the code at any distance. The double click command works at much greater distances.

 

[Lukez]

Same issue here on my 2013, always been this way.
SC suggested new key fobs, bought them, didn't make a difference

 

[Struja]

I guess there is no real solution here? I wear a suit to work most days and if my keys are in my jacket pocket on the back seat, I often get the “key is not detected” warning. I have new batteries in both fobs but it doesn’t seem to make a difference.

 

[S-ALSET]

Have you guys installed 2 channel dashcams? I have this same issue since I installed the Viofo a129. Some people have had similar experience with older blackvue cameras... These emit RF that affect the car's keyfob antennas, charging port sensors, and even your GPS.

 

[Buster1]

No dashcam here, but my FOBs are similar. Seems when I approach from the nose of the car the handles work every time. Not always when I approach from the rear of the car.

 

[Struja]

Have you guys installed 2 channel dashcams? I have this same issue since I installed the Viofo a129. Some people have had similar experience with older blackvue cameras... These emit RF that affect the car's keyfob antennas, charging port sensors, and even your GPS.

I have nothing of the sort. I do have a "transponder" which I use for the one toll road here in Toronto, but I have NO idea if that could be the culprit.

 

[Struja]

No dashcam here, but my FOBs are similar. Seems when I approach from the nose of the car the handles work every time. Not always when I approach from the rear of the car.

There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to mine.

Sometimes, they work normal and other times, they just don't work (regardless of where I am), but as I wrote originally the strangest one is when the key is IN the car, ON the back seat and suddenly I will get a warning saying "key not detected". When this originally happened, I had assumed it was the key fob battery but I replace mine at least once a year but usually (now) twice a year and it still happens even with new batteries.

 

[S-ALSET]

There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to mine.

Sometimes, they work normal and other times, they just don't work (regardless of where I am), but as I wrote originally the strangest one is when the key is IN the car, ON the back seat and suddenly I will get a warning saying "key not detected". When this originally happened, I had assumed it was the key fob battery but I replace mine at least once a year but usually (now) twice a year and it still happens even with new batteries.

Same happens to me, but im sure is my dashcams. the cable that connect both cameras is the responsible subject. When I disconnect the cable all works flawlesly... Have you intalled any other devices to the car?

 

[Struja]

Same happens to me, but im sure is my dashcams. the cable that connect both cameras is the responsible subject. When I disconnect the cable all works flawlesly... Have you intalled any other devices to the car?

I don't believe I have anything that emits any type of RF frequency. I've done some lighting upgrades and things of that sort, but nothing that should impact the responsiveness of the key fob connection.

 

[murphyS90D]

Is your cellphone also in the jacket in the back seat? If so, that is the problem.

 

[Struja]

Is your cellphone also in the jacket in the back seat? If so, that is the problem.

No, cell phone is charging and typically sitting in my cubby drawer.

 

[s1rk]

New key fobs resolved my issues with the keys. It now opens as long as I approach from the front or when I get near the driver side. It will not unlock if I'm standing by the back of the car. The new key fob also resolved the key undetected issue I was having.

 

[s1rk]

To add on, I also stopped using the metal key cover. Maybe this was the real reason it started to work again.

 

[Dithermaster]

I have some RFID cards in my wallet; I wonder if they affect the fob (same pocket).

 

[Gu$ G]

Mine are pretty weak also. I'll often have to take the key out of my pocket and hold it right in front of the door handle / window. I heard there was an antenna that could be adjusted somewhere?

My second key fob is also really inconsistent. It seems to be draining batteries... We choose to use it as our secondary key. I'll pull it out every 30 days or so and the battery is usually dead or almost dead. When I replace it I can eventually get the key working again, although sometimes it takes having both keys present to get the car to recognize the bad one.

Perhaps I just need to use it more. I'm afraid Telsa Hawaii is gonna charge me like $300 for a new one (paradise tax).

 

[murphyS90D]

A metal cover on a fob is a bad idea. Radio waves do not go through metal, they are absorbed by it.

Is the secondary fob stored close to the car? If it can hear the car asking who is there, it will respond.

 

[Struja]

Mine are pretty weak also. I'll often have to take the key out of my pocket and hold it right in front of the door handle / window. I heard there was an antenna that could be adjusted somewhere?

My second key fob is also really inconsistent. It seems to be draining batteries... We choose to use it as our secondary key. I'll pull it out every 30 days or so and the battery is usually dead or almost dead. When I replace it I can eventually get the key working again, although sometimes it takes having both keys present to get the car to recognize the bad one.

Perhaps I just need to use it more. I'm afraid Telsa Hawaii is gonna charge me like $300 for a new one (paradise tax).

When I get the "key not detected" warning, it happens (at times) when I've already been driving for a while, meaning that the car already detected the key and now it has lost the detection, even though it is on the seat behind me in a suit jacket pocket. On those occasions, the only thing that works is to reach around, grab the key and put it in the cup holder and then the are will almost always recognize the key being back in the car.

 

[pf-flyer]

Have you guys installed 2 channel dashcams? I have this same issue since I installed the Viofo a129. Some people have had similar experience with older blackvue cameras... These emit RF that affect the car's keyfob antennas, charging port sensors, and even your GPS.

To solve the problem with my dash cam (Blackvue), I found installing ferrite cores on the cords greatly helped improve the performance of the keys and my GPS.

 

[S-ALSET]

To solve the problem with my dash cam (Blackvue), I found installing ferrite cores on the cords greatly helped improve the performance of the keys and my GPS.

To solve the problem with my dash cam (Blackvue), I found installing ferrite cores on the cords greatly helped improve the performance of the keys and my GPS.

Yes! I did the same thing... It got better but I wish there was other things we could do...
How many cores did you installed? I ended up up putting more than 10 along the length of the cable.