Hi all,

As some of y'all are aware, the PKE system can sometimes malfunction and cause the hatch to open while driving, as has been documented on this forum previously. For me, I've had 3 experiences with this in my 96 Corvette:

1. August 2024, PKE light turns on when sitting in traffic, about 30 seconds pass before light turns off, then another 10 seconds pass before hatch opens and latch is heard constantly cycling. Solved by pulling PKE fuse, re-installed a few days later.
2. April 2025, PKE light turns on while driving at 70mph, immediately pulled off but hatch never opened even after waiting 3 mins. Pulled PKE fuse just to be safe, never re-installed.
3. December 2025 (today). Door electric lock noise is heard, PKE light turns on a second after this while driving at 30mph, turns off after about 10 seconds, then 1-2 seconds pass before hatch opens. Latch is not cycling after this open. Pull over and shut hatch.

The end-all solution online to this issue is to pull the PKE system fuse, yet as mentioned earlier, this fuse (#26) was removed (see below) yet the system still activated:



I don't use the keyfobs with this car, I don't believe they're even paired and they sit at home, far far away from the car during each of these events. I'm stumped as to why the PKE light even came on with the system power removed, as shown above, unless that fuse cuts power to something different and the PKE computer still has a path to 12V other than through that fuse. Has anyone else had this issue/have a solution other than pulling the fuse? I just got back from a cross-country road trip with this car; thankfully there were no incidents or issues but had this happened a couple days earlier I would have been picking up my luggage from the highway in the middle of Kansas, so I'd like to ensure this system has no way to trigger that hatch even if it means removing the PKE module entirely. I've pulled the driver's and passenger's side door plungers and cleaned them out with contact cleaner now, hoping that was somehow the issue even though the PKE light lit up, am all ears to suggestions.

 

Does the car have or had an aftermarket security?? If the fuse was removed not sure how the hatch would unlatch. Do the doors cycle too at the same time??

 

Nope, no aftermarket security system, I'm just as confused. That's why I was wondering if the PKE computer has a separate source of power other than what the fuse cuts off (i.e. the fuse cuts power to the prox. coils instead of the computer, perhaps? I need to look through the schematics). Doors cycled before the hatch opened this time, and may have been cycling after the hatch opened but it also could have just been wind noise, I couldn't tell very well. By the time I pulled over and stopped there was no noise coming from either the door locks or hatch release.

 

PKE Fuse 26 is the "Ignition ON" input. It tells the PKE module that the key is on. Removing fuse 26 does not disable the PKE. The PKE just thinks the car is parked with the key off.
The PKE module is powered at all times (includes when the car is parked) by Fuse 40 RDO. Unfortunately, removing fuse 40 will also disable the radio head and receiver box.

To access the PKE module requires removing the upper Instrument Panel (IP) pad. If you disconnect all the connectors you will have to jumper between or inter-connect 5 wires in the blue C1 connector 8 cavities) so that the door buttons will still activate the power locks. Cavity A to Cavity B and Cavity H. (3 wires.) Cavity G to Cavity D. (2 wires.)

An alternative to removing the IP pad would be to intersect the lt blue wire in Cavity J at connector C209 under the RH dash. C209 is a 15 cavity connector to the wiring to the rear of the car. Disconnect the dash board side of the wire. Run a new wire from the lt blue on the rear-of-car side to the center console yellow button. Remove the existing lt blue wire and connect your new direct to the relay in the rear wire. You have bypassed the RKE and the release switch on the Left door. If you have an automatic, the console button will not function iunless the shifter is in P or N. If you have a 6-speed, the console button won't work with the key in RUN unless the park brake is set.

Consult your wiring diagrams. You'll figure it out.

Personally, I would remove the IP pad, remove the PKE module and interface an Avital 2102 Remote Keyless Entry to the wiring at the PKE connectors. Pretty much every wire needed is at the PKE. For $60 and a couple hours work you'll have the convenience of RKE without the oddities of the PKE. Cheers.

 

IHBD,

Thank you for the detailed instructions! Was worried I would have to manually disconnect the module, I just had the dash pad off to replace the heater core so I should've done away with it while I was in there. I'll look into doing the quick disconnect for now just so I can have the system safed for the time being, then will look into the Avital mod later down the line. Personally, I don't trust keyless on a car this old even if the system is newer haha, but it would be nice to have. Would prefer to keep the functionality of the OEM keyfobs but I suspect any electrical issues are logic-level in the PKE system which is out of my wheelhouse.

Will update this thread with pictures after I make the changes. Thanks for the info again!

 

Fuse 45 is the power to the hatch release. Fuse 45 does nothing else. Removing 45 will disable the hatch release. Not real convenient if you open the hatch regularly, but it would solve the unexpected hatch release until you get around to taking the IP off again. You can still get into the cargo area from behind the seats.

 

Life got in the way, but finally got around to the install earlier this week and have been buttoning things back up. Before I fully close it up, wanted to see if anyone had insight on one small issue I'm having with the security system arm.

Lock/unlock/hatch all work fine now with the fobs, and on unlock the cabin lights come on and on lock they turn off after a few seconds. However, on lock, the parking lights are supposed to flash and horn is supposed to honk, but neither of those happen.


From the above, the CCM is supposed to do all those missing functions when it receives an Arm UTD signal from the PKE, which makes me think the new kit isn't doing that.



The above 2 pictures are the schematics for the CCM wiring. Note that it highlights Security Disarm is high by default, and pulled to ground by either the door key switches or the PKE module to disarm the system. Also note that it isn't specified if the Arm UTD line is high or low by default.



The above picture is one of the schematics for the PKE wiring. Again, note that the PKE connects ground to the Security Disarm line (labeled as door key) on the CCM, but doesn't specify which way it pulls the arm line.



Finally, we have the pinout from my RKE kit (Avital 2103L, new version of what IHBD recommended). I've connected 13 to security disarm and 16 to security arm, and based on the schematics I can only confirm 13 is connected right (plus the lights come on on unlock, as they should). Is security arm supposed to be pulled to ground when arming, or does it need 12V injected to work right (rather than being pulled to ground as 16 does)? Or is something in my CCM just busted and it can't honk the horn/flash the lights? If anyone has any insight it would be appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT: Thinking I can possibly probe Pin B7 (UTD Status) before and after locking through the fob to detect if the CCM sees a change, as this pin is not used by the new system

EDIT 2: Reading through the schematics more, found the PKE holds the UTD status line high with 5V, and the CCM pulls it down to low if the system is armed (pg. 9K-14). Unfortunately, there is no mention of diagnosing pin B1 (arm UTD) in Section 9K or anywhere else in either manual, so still no clue if it needs to be pulled high or low.

 

The PKE module honks the horn for the "chirps" associated with PKE. The CCM only honks the horn in association with the alarm. PKE never flashed the tail lights. There are no connections at either the CCM or the PKE for the tail lights. So you have to wire the 2103 directly to the horn and lights.

Disconnect #16 orange Ground When Armed. Because this wire is grounded at all times the 2103 is 'set', depending on what it is connected to can cause a battery drain. Leave the #16 orange disconnected.
Connect #12 brown to the black wire at the PKE connector C16. turn signal wire at the base of the steering column. The 2103 will activate the horn directly.
For light flash you have to connect #10 white to the tail light circuit. Tail lights are a brown wire. The easiest places to find it and tap to it are at the turn signal switch connector and at the 15 cavity connector under the RH dash that interfaces the IP harness to the harness that goes to the rear of the car.

If the 2103 behaves the way the old 2101 and HV211 did, here's how the horn 'chirps' function. Normally, push lock or unlock and there are no chirps, but you do get 1 or 2 light flashes. Briefly push hatch release, then push lock = 1 chirp, or unlock and 2 chirps. I use this feature when I can't see the light flashes in sun light, or I want to annoy the neighbor I don't like. The horn also honks in programming mode.

To arm the factory alarm, you have to lock the doors with the power locks prior to closing the last door. You can use the fob to lock the doors, but do it before you close the door. Without a Factory Alarm Arm output, I can't think of a way to have the 2103 set the alarm after the doors are closed. You'll get used to hitting lock on the fob before you close the door. I have. You can also just close the door and lock it with the fob, but the alarm won't be set. The car will still be protected by VATS (if still functional).

Cool that you have the 2103 working. You did well. Cheers.

 

Hello IHBD,

Yep, seems I was mistaken, I could've swore I read that the PKE system flashed the parking lights too but I don't see it anywhere now so guess not. Will disconnect #16, does the PKE system only pulse to ground to arm the UTD rather than hold ground? I understand this wire is more for using a separate starter kill relay but was hoping it could activate UTD, same as the old system. Doesn't seem to be doing anything right now, so no harm in disconnecting it for me (plus, I bypassed my VATS months ago and this car is a stick shift )

For C16, do you mean connect to it from the CCM connector? The PKE connector doesn't have a tap for the horn circuit nor C16, but I do see it on CKT 28 on the CCM:


For lights, will keep an eye out for the harness connector under the dash if I can find it but that's not too much of a concern.

Did find this old thread from a while ago, someone believes that the Arm UTD line is pulled to ground momentarily to arm the system using the CCM but they never got time to scope it to get the pulse width. I have my PKE module and a scope but unfortunately my fobs are a couple hundred miles away so no testing this now, but would be cool to implement this way using a 555 timer in the future with #16 as input. Could also only arm on the rising edge of the signal (i.e. when ground is removed), will poke around a bit with this before going to the horn/lights directly.

 

I shouldn't post at 10:00 at night after a long day. I missed that "C16" is indeed on the CCM, not the PKE. Sorry. The horn wire is also present at the base of the steering column on the turn signal switch connector.

 

Haha all good.

Confirmed pin B1 for arming UTD is 12V High by default from the CCM, and the PKE pulls it to ground momentarily to arm the system. Unknown how many mA this flows, my ammeter had too much resistance to even register as a short to ground (or it's just broken, equally likely). Meter was in fact blown, confirmed its 5+/-0.5mA now so probably a 2.4k internal pull-up resistor on the CCM.

I've successfully managed to arm UTD by shorting pin B1 to ground for somewhere between 0.25 and 0.5 seconds, with doors closed and locked using the key fob while inside. Heard a relay click behind the passenger airbag right after ground was removed, and the horn sounded for one chirp. System went off when I tried using the power door lock switch in the door, as it should. Holding ground for any longer than half a second will not register, and it needs to be pulsed again (doors can stay locked, system just doesn't react to anything longer than that).

I've also disarmed UTD by shorting pin B2 to ground with doors closed and me inside, which I established worked earlier since the lights came on.

Gonna see if I can build a simple 555 timer circuit to convert the ground-when-armed held pulse from wire 16 to a 0.25s ground to open collector with minimal idle power losses, since this would allow me to use the UTD just like factory without any door workaround, and I won't have to cut any more wires than I had to already.

Alternatively, I can wire the Aux 2 output on the Avital (which provides a momentary -200ma ground) to Pin B1 on the harness and have 2 separate buttons on my keyfob: one to lock doors, and one to arm the system EDIT: Tested this, unfortunately the Aux 2 pulse width seems to be too long as the system is not reacting. Will still go ahead with making the circuit as described above.

EDIT: Tested the horn wire and parking light wires since they pulse ground on lock as well. Parking light wire has too long of a pulse, horn might have worked but I believe I've just blown up that part of the RKE system haha. No longer getting continuity to ground and getting 6k to 30k ohms on panic mode, so I think it's unfortunately fried.

 

Write-up complete!
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1609507660