C4 General Discussion General C4 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech

PKE range

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 25, 2004 | 08:00 AM
  #1  
bsimard's Avatar
bsimard
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
From: Yarmouth ME
Default PKE range

My PKE works with a diminished range. I walk up to the car and hold the FOB about a foot forward of the door handle and then the system will work. As soon as I get into the car, with the keys in my hand, the car will lock. I replaced the battery, with no change in range. I checked the voltage of the 3 volt battery, (it read 3.24 volts) so do not suspect that as the issue. I've cleaned the contacts within the FOB with no improvement. Range is similar at both doors.

Any ideas?
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2004 | 08:11 AM
  #2  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

Originally Posted by bsimard
My PKE works with a diminished range. I walk up to the car and hold the FOB about a foot forward of the door handle and then the system will work. As soon as I get into the car, with the keys in my hand, the car will lock. I replaced the battery, with no change in range. I checked the voltage of the 3 volt battery, (it read 3.24 volts) so do not suspect that as the issue. I've cleaned the contacts within the FOB with no improvement. Range is similar at both doors.

Any ideas?
GREETINGS,

WHILE I HAVE NO "DEVICE" SUCH AS THAT ON MY CAR, I HAVE FIXED ONE FOR A MERCEDES THAT WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WHAT I DID WAS OPEN THE UNIT AND FOUND AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THE FREQUENCY THAT THE UNIT WORKED ON. APPARENTLY, FORM GETTING BANGED AROUND A BIT, THE FREQ. SHIFTED. SO, WHAT I DID IS MARK THE CURRENT LOCATION/SETTING OF THE ADJUSTMENT (LOOKS LIKE A BRASS FLAT SCREW OF SORTS) WITH "WHITE-OUT" AND LET DRY. THEN, I INSERTED A SCREWDRIVER OF SORTS (NON-METALLIC, BUT NOT TOTALLY NECESSARY) INTO THE ADJUSTMENT (AS ABOVE) AND "BUMPED" IT OVER A BIT TO EACH SIDE 'TILL THE FREQ. WAS MATCHED AND THE THING WORKED! THEN, I TOOK HOT CANDLE WAX AND DRIPPED A DROP ON THE EDGE OF THE ADJUSTMENT SO THAT THE THING WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!!...EVEN BETTER THEN WHEN MY FRIEND BOUGHT THE CAR. HOPE THIS HELPS.........LET ME KNOW!
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2004 | 08:27 AM
  #3  
bsimard's Avatar
bsimard
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
From: Yarmouth ME
Default

Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
GREETINGS,

WHILE I HAVE NO "DEVICE" SUCH AS THAT ON MY CAR, I HAVE FIXED ONE FOR A MERCEDES THAT WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WHAT I DID WAS OPEN THE UNIT AND FOUND AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THE FREQUENCY THAT THE UNIT WORKED ON. APPARENTLY, FORM GETTING BANGED AROUND A BIT, THE FREQ. SHIFTED. SO, WHAT I DID IS MARK THE CURRENT LOCATION/SETTING OF THE ADJUSTMENT (LOOKS LIKE A BRASS FLAT SCREW OF SORTS) WITH "WHITE-OUT" AND LET DRY. THEN, I INSERTED A SCREWDRIVER OF SORTS (NON-METALLIC, BUT NOT TOTALLY NECESSARY) INTO THE ADJUSTMENT (AS ABOVE) AND "BUMPED" IT OVER A BIT TO EACH SIDE 'TILL THE FREQ. WAS MATCHED AND THE THING WORKED! THEN, I TOOK HOT CANDLE WAX AND DRIPPED A DROP ON THE EDGE OF THE ADJUSTMENT SO THAT THE THING WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!!...EVEN BETTER THEN WHEN MY FRIEND BOUGHT THE CAR. HOPE THIS HELPS.........LET ME KNOW!
Thanks - I would never have thought of that. I'll give it a try.

Any other ideas?
Reply
Old Oct 25, 2004 | 08:28 AM
  #4  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

Originally Posted by bsimard
Thanks - I would never have thought of that. I'll give it a try.

Any other ideas?
.........A-OK......ANYTIME
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 07:33 AM
  #5  
bsimard's Avatar
bsimard
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
From: Yarmouth ME
Default

Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
GREETINGS,

WHAT I DID WAS OPEN THE UNIT AND FOUND AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THE FREQUENCY THAT THE UNIT WORKED ON. MARK THE CURRENT LOCATION/SETTING OF THE ADJUSTMENT (LOOKS LIKE A BRASS FLAT SCREW OF SORTS) WITH "WHITE-OUT" AND LET DRY. THEN, I INSERTED A SCREWDRIVER OF SORTS (NON-METALLIC, BUT NOT TOTALLY NECESSARY) INTO THE ADJUSTMENT (AS ABOVE) AND "BUMPED" IT OVER A BIT TO EACH SIDE 'TILL THE FREQ. WAS MATCHED AND THE THING WORKED! THEN, I TOOK HOT CANDLE WAX AND DRIPPED A DROP ON THE EDGE OF THE ADJUSTMENT SO THAT THE THING WOULD NOT MOVE. IT WORKS LIKE A CHAMP!!............LET ME KNOW!
I must believe that by "...open the unit..." you mean the sending unit in the car as there does not seem to be any adjustment on the FOB. Is this correct? It will take me another few days when I have some time to tackle that, as I understand that unit is located behind the information center in the 95's, but I'll keep you posted.
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 07:36 AM
  #6  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

Originally Posted by bsimard
I must believe that by "...open the unit..." you mean the sending unit in the car as there does not seem to be any adjustment on the FOB. Is this correct? It will take me another few days when I have some time to tackle that, as I understand that unit is located behind the information center in the 95's, but I'll keep you posted.
NO.....YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE "HAND HELD UNIT". SOME OF THESE ARE TRICKY TO OPEN BUT, THEY DO OPEN. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT OR SHOULD I SAY, YOU SHOULD NOT BE FOOLING AROUND WITH THE CAR MOUNTED UNIT.........
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 08:05 AM
  #7  
bsimard's Avatar
bsimard
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
From: Yarmouth ME
Default

Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
NO.....YOU HAVE TO OPEN THE "HAND HELD UNIT". SOME OF THESE ARE TRICKY TO OPEN BUT, THEY DO OPEN. THERE IS NO ADJUSTMENT OR SHOULD I SAY, YOU SHOULD NOT BE FOOLING AROUND WITH THE CAR MOUNTED UNIT.........
Darn, the "hand held unit" or FOB does not seem to have the adjustment you found on the Mercedes. It is simply a printed board and contact posts so the manual button will work.
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 08:08 AM
  #8  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

Originally Posted by bsimard
Darn, the "hand held unit" or FOB does not seem to have the adjustment you found on the Mercedes. It is simply a printed board and contact posts so the manual button will work.
WHEN YOU OPEN IT UP, EXACTLY, AND TO THE BEST OF YOUR DESCRIPTION, WHAT DO YOU SEE?.....IN SOME CASES THERE IS A COIL OF WIRE OF SORTS THAT HAS A "FERRIT SLUG" ON THE INSIDE. THE POSITION OF THIS SLUG VARIES THE INDUCTANCE OF THE COIL AND WILL CHANGE THE FREQ. .
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 08:12 AM
  #9  
bsimard's Avatar
bsimard
Thread Starter
Racer
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
From: Yarmouth ME
Default

Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
WHEN YOU OPEN IT UP, EXACTLY, AND TO THE BEST OF YOUR DESCRIPTION, WHAT DO YOU SEE?.....IN SOME CASES THERE IS A COIL OF WIRE OF SORTS THAT HAS A "FERRIT SLUG" ON THE INSIDE. THE POSITION OF THIS SLUG VARIES THE INDUCTANCE OF THE COIL AND WILL CHANGE THE FREQ. .
I'll be damned. I'll take a picture of it tonight and post it so you can see what I'm looking at. Thanks for your help.
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 08:14 AM
  #10  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

Originally Posted by bsimard
I'll be damned. I'll take a picture of it tonight and post it so you can see what I'm looking at. Thanks for your help.
CHECK YOUR "PRIVATE MESSAGES"
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 03:21 PM
  #11  
PreferEuroRacing's Avatar
PreferEuroRacing
Pro
20 Year Member
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 749
Likes: 0
From: South Boardman MI
Default

Mine was doing the same thing and the battery read fine on a meter. Remember, however, that the meter reading is with no load. You can have a battery read full voltage but put a load on it and down it goes.

I was getting about 1-2 ft. range, too. I changed the battery and it's fine now, about 10-15 ft.
Reply
Old Oct 26, 2004 | 03:49 PM
  #12  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

I Agree. All That I Have Said Was/is The Reasonable Assumption Of A Good/new Battery Which I Am Sure Was Tried.
Reply
Old Oct 27, 2004 | 01:12 AM
  #13  
yellowlust's Avatar
yellowlust
Burning Brakes
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 931
Likes: 3
From: Portland OR
Default

Originally Posted by Da Mail Man
I Agree. All That I Have Said Was/is The Reasonable Assumption Of A Good/new Battery Which I Am Sure Was Tried.
Sweet Lord, someone finally found the Cap Lock...
Reply
Old Oct 27, 2004 | 07:25 AM
  #14  
Da Mail Man's Avatar
Da Mail Man
Safety Car
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 3,845
Likes: 30
Default

Originally Posted by yellowlust
Sweet Lord, someone finally found the Cap Lock...
WHAT'S IT TO YOU?...I FOUND IT AND NEVER LOST IT AND THERE IT SHALL STAY.....
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To PKE range





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:10 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE