I have a 94 vette it had the passive keyless entry.Well i was coming home one day and all of a sudden the doors unlocked and locked and the hatch opened. And now the passive entry does not work. I followed what was in the owners manual but it won't come on or work. Any ideas?

 

I also have a '94 and had the same problem last year. Before I got it ready for it's spring release from garage lockup I checked everything. I checked the anteanna in the drivers door and the rear storage area, and the lock pawls and alarm connections in the door locks and even the door lock switches. No problems anywhere. So I broke down and bought a new PKE Module. I found that after installation and reprogramming all remotes it seems to work just fine.

Long story short, replace the module. It's a 99.9999999999% chance that is what it is. Hope you have an FSM or it cam be a real bear to find all the dash parts and pads you'll need to remove to get to the module. Good luck and feel free to ask any ?'s you might have.


-Dave

 

I would suggest a different and much easier and less expensive solution.

Your door ajar switch(es) have gone bad (electrically).

Oddly enough, when they fail electrically (short out internally, usually due to water) they indicate to the PKE/CCM that the door is open, which causes the door locks to cycle. Even more odd is occasionally, this sudden 'signal' that the door is open, can cause the hatch switch, which is on the door, to energize, popping the hatch.

The reason the PKE system is not working now is since the door ajar switch isn't working right, the PKE/CCM doesn't know the door has gone from being closed to being open and then closed again ( basically, it's out-of-sync).

Simple test -- get in car, close door, turn on key (don't start engine), turn on radio, turn off key and remove, radio should continue to play, open door -- radio should go off? if not, door switch is toast !!

Other test is the 'door ajar' light on the dash -- does it go on when the door is open? If not, door switch is toast!!

Other way to test is within the FSM, for the CCM, is the ability to have the CCM display its 'inputs', which can show the 'state' of the door switches...

BTW, how do I know this, cause our 94 did the same thing when we got it 5+ yrs ago, but after switch replacement (a couple of times due to bad switches), all was well with the PKE system.

good news is the door switches can be replaced right through their hole, without having to take the door apart.

Buy them from GM or NAPA, but test them first (some new ones stick or are questionable in their construction). Only use vaseline to lube, other products swell the plastic and make any sticking worse.

BTW, if you have the FSM, the procedure for replacement is in there, if not, post back and I'll type it out for you...

Lastly, you might need to reset everything to restore full functionallity (i.e. pull negative battery terminal for a bit).

 

Sorry I forgot to add that I also checked the door switches and the rear hatch switch and all were ok in my case anyhow.

Not trying to start an argument Admiral, as I have read many many threads that you have assisted people with and you are very intelligent with these things . In fact I'm reasonably sure you may have assisted me in the past (thanks again). That is just what worked for me. I will amend my previous post by stating one should check all the possibilities listed by the Admiral and myself. I was merely suggesting that one could save time by just replacing the module, as I trouble shot mine for days and traced wires for shorts and so on and so forth only to find the only thing left for me to do was replace the module .

A good lesson for all of us. Remember to check all possiblities before spending big bucks on a part that might not be the issue.


-Dave

 

I love the Corvette forum...
Turns out my driver side door ajar switch is not working.
I had no idea this switch was tied to my PKE system.
These threads are an invaluable source of troubleshooting information.
Thank you so much for your input guys.
Scott

 

This post was of particular interest to me in that I also had the same problem and after reading the post and doing the radio check, realized I had a bad door switch.

However, the hatch thing has me baffled. On 2 separate times while traveling a highway speeds, the hatch suddenly popped opened. This happened several months apart. I was going to adjust the actual locking mechanism at the hatch, but now wonder if I have also solved the popping hatch issue? How are the two related?

If I have violated some protocol about establishing a separate post, please correct me.

 

Sometimes my 96 will do that

 

My GS has been doing this also. It did it coming home last night actually. The neighbors looked at my funny as I was driving up our street and the hatch swung wide open! My door ajar switch has been working sporadically as well. I was dreading the PKE module but I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. A new switch is on its way! Thanks for the tip. -Karson

 

I have also had a problem with the drivers side door switch and bought a new gm piece that is sticking every couple of months , so after working it a bunch of times it starts working again.

When i replaced it the orignal screws would not catch any threads in the door so my switch sits loose in the door has anyone else experienced this problem and should i get longer screws?

 

I'd look for some slightly longer screws at the hardware store and get some dry graphite lock-lube for the little plunger on the switch. Wet lubes attract dust and get gummed up. Dry silicone spray might also work.