I have a 1993 Corvette. The passive remote keyless entry worked good until today...it no longer works. I have replaced the fob battery, that's not the problem. Where is the receiver located in the car? How do you troubleshoot the PKE system? Is my transmitter bad or is my receiver bad? Any info would be helpful...

 

Did you try to re-programe the FOB ? Also did you try to re-cycle the FOb. You re-cycle by holding the fob button untill you hear the door locks cycly back and forth twice. then let go of the button.

 

Reprogram...yes
Recycle...yes (that is normal practice to turn the PKE mode on and off)
Nothing works, so where do you start when it is totally dead? Where is the receiver located? Maybe it is the fob (remote), how can you tell?

 

PKE Receiver is in the dash. I can look up the exact location if you need (based on our 94).

However, I'd suggest your problem is likely something else.

The most likely issue my be your door switches.

Does your interior lights turn on (at night), the 'door ajar' light on the dash, and radio turn off (if left on when removing the key from ignition) when the door is openned? If not, then the CCM hasn't been 'told' that you have exited the car, so it doesn't 'enable' the PKE receiver.

Next possible problem is the FOB itself. Our C4's PKE system's FOB has a built-in transmitter, but to prevent it from transmitting all the time and wearing out the battery, it also has a motion sensor which it uses to 'sleep' when needed. Its 'motion' sensor is a small gold ball, inside a metal housing, which as it moves around, makes contact with multiple contact strips, to tell the microprocessor to 'wake up' and start transmitting.

So, do you hear that small ball moving around? is the inside of the FOB dirty? If no or yes, consider removing the battery, then spraying some tunner cleaner inside the metal housing (I removed the metal housing VERY GENTLY and cleaned the ball and contact strips).

Last idea is the FOB has actually died. Do you have a friend with a C4 to which you could try programming your FOB to test your FOB (and/or try programming one of your friend's FOBs to your car). If it has died, they are available via many of our sponsors and via many ebay stores (e.g. partsladi).

 

Yesterday I checked everything you suggested. The interior lights, radio and door ajar worked just as you described. I could hear the little gold ball rattle in my fob. The keyless entry still didn't work. I did not start looking for the receiver but as you said it is probably in the dash somewhere. Got up this morning and went outside to get the paper. I had my keys in my pocket and as I approached the car I hear the keyless entry unlock. It's a miracle, things are working once again. Thanks for all your help.

 

If you keep your keys in your pocket / on you, then the transmitter would be transmitting virtually all of the time. How long do batteries typically last in these fobs?

 

So far I am at 3 or 4 years on this FOB and battery. Although my keys stay on my desk at work. They also stay in the car which is in the garage at night. Time will tell when the battery gets bad enough where I have to replace it.

 

Two scenario questions:

Will the doors ever lock if the keys are left in the ignition?

Will the doors lock if the keys are left sitting on the seat?

 

A wild stab. Try disconnecting the negative battery pole for a few minutes, and then reconnect it...then reprogram the keyless door program from your owners manual. It's worth a shot. Good luck!

 

Yes
Yes.

If you rock the car the ball will activate the FOB and un-lock the doors. Sometimes they lock by themselves but it does not seem to be a problem if things are working correctly.

 

My 95' did the exact same thing good one day gone the next. I went to Advance Auto and they have a Transmitter signal Tester.Well,mined flunked the Test.No Signal Transmitted.Took my spare from my 96' Re-programed it and it works fine. I'll bet it's your Transmitter.

 

Did you leave your cell phone in the house when you picked up the morning paper?
My cell phone in my pocket reduces the effective PKE range (95 coupe) to about 6". If the phone is in the car, PKE is totally dead. No phone nearby and the range is well over 10'.
Phone is an old Nokia; perhaps a good excuse to get a new photophone?

 

The module is located under the dash pad, behind and underneath the center air duct. It's not to bad to get to if you have a FSM to show you all the screws and such to remove. Once top dash pad is removed you will find it under the chime module (it is velcroed to the top of the PKE receiver). If you do attempt to replace the receiver remember to be getle while removing screws and the like as 14-16 year old plastic gets very brittle.

GM part number is 10261112 for PKE receiver and runs about $400.00 from dealer. Try all other possibilities before replacing trust me I'm in the middle of the job now.

-Dave

 

I'd buy a Viper alarm before paying that to replacing that item.


Funny behavior from my PKE: it has been working fine since I got a (brand new) fob about a week ago. Just earlier, it wouldn't notice me when I walked up to it. I waved it around with no response. Then after a minute I waved it right in front of the door handle and it opened. I climbed in the car and before I put the key in it locked. I waved my keys around for another minute or so before it unlocked. Sensor or receiver going bad, maybe?

 

That passive keyless entry can be a pain sometimes. Especially when you are at a gas station. Everyone keeps looking at you wondering why your horn keeps honking while you fill up. I made the mistake one time of leaving the keys in the ignition...the doors shouldn't lock but one time they did...spent five minutes trying to shake the car to get that sensor to unlock the doors..sure looked like an idiot. Ten minutes later I ended up calling AAA.

Who ever designed the stock system so that if you have the passive off you can only use the FOB to unlock the passenger door? I am pretty ready to just buy an aftermarket system with a normal FOB.

 

My 96 PKE module is out. I troubleshooted the antennas, new battery and different transmitters and worked fine.

I was going to disassemble the whole thing to get the PKE out, it just sounds so easy to do but, to get to it you have to basically take the entire center console frame out ansd other dash components.

I chose to just do what a 1953 -1992 Corvette Owner did or still do. I'll unlock the doors the old fashion way besides, I rarely use the PKE in my 95. It is 99% off

 

Could be the remote battery. Check its voltage. If you have a FSM it will guide you through a code pulling process for the PKE Module. I think if you ground out pin 8 to pin 5 and put the key into ignition you can read code from flashing PKE light. It is pretty basic and will tell you if you have no remote signal, bad receiver memory or a few oher things I can't remember. If you need I can look it up for you tom. as I'm at work tonight.

BTW, how do you like the new remotes. GM finally got wise and put screws in so that little plastic tab won't break anymore! It's about time.


-Dave