Hello all - a little advice needed...

Background...
2007 Coupe, 50K miles, had one episode last year with letting the batt go dead (wife left trunk open just before we went out of town for a week). I have used charger and batt back up to speed.

Dilemma...
Have no problems for many, many months but lately after car sits for 2 or 3 days, I am having a difficult time opening the door. Red light comes on in the car but switch in door handle won't activate sometimes for up to two minutes of pushing and pushing then 'bingo' the door will open. After driving 1/2 mile to grocery store, the door works just fine after brief shopping. I thought it was the batt on the key fob so took it to the dealer and they tested and said your fob battery is fine. My first guess is that since the door will open just fine after I've driven the car (even a short dist) that perhaps it's the car battery. This is odd because once the door opens, the engire fires right up with no power shortage at all (unlike it did when the battery had gone dead in the past and wasn't yet fully charged). Dealer (parts dept.) said he thought it might be the receiver unit on the car instead of the key fob (he was also aware that I have an extended warranty). I'm wondering if there are multiple receivers in the car that may have one frequency for locking and unlocking and another receiver for opening the door - and possibly the receiver for opening the door is malfunctioning and in need of replacement??? That still may not explain why the key fob works normally after the car has been running (and the battery has a recharge??).

Anybody have similar experiences or suggestions? I'd like to get some ideas before taking it back to the dealer for repairs. If it's a battery issue, I'll make a run to Costco or something and get a replacement. Just hate to do that if it's not a battery issue.

Thanks in advance and I'll -

type to you later....

 

Ive had a similar issue on my 08 and also in the service drive with my service tech watching and trying it.

It going in this week for a check up.

 

Have you changed the pocket where you keep the key fob? Hold the key fob in your left hand away from the car and see if it works. For some reason, my '05 C6 does this occasionally, usually with more use it opens up just like it should. I did buy the window valet to "fix" the problem. If the door doesn't open, I just roll the windows down and use the inside button.

 

It could be anything from Radio Frequency interference in your area to the batteries going on your fob to the door switch pad needing replacement (if the contacts are dirty, the repeated pressing could scrub the surface enough to allow it to make contact until it oxidizes again).

 

Try opening the other side door if the driver side doesn't open and see what happens.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and advice. I have tried both doors but had same results. I used the spare fob and no problems at all. I put the car battery on the charger (just in case) but that didn't change the behavior. After just a couple of hours of sitting, the car door and my fob act the same way (no worky). That would make me think that the car dealer that said my fob checked out fine may not have been accurate. I still can't understand why my key fob works just fine after I drive the car - as if it is charging up. (which it isn't) I'm hoping it's something simple but should be enlightened shortly as I'm sitting in a Chevy dealership right now. (the dealership that I trust and has taken pretty good care of me over the years)

Again, thanks for the responses. This forum is the FIRST place I go to for advice on the Vette.

type to you later....

 

Put a new battery into the fob and see if it fixes it. I've had to replace the battery in my '07's #1 fob already as it got weak.

 

I don't think its RF interference because the spare fob works just fine. My hope is that I just need to replace the fob battery. As for dirty contacts - I sure hope that is NOT the problem. The door switch contacts being dirty wouldn't explain the spare fob working just fine.

I do NOT like mysteries when it comes to things I count on. Yesterday the car door wouldn't open and I had to use the key to get in the trunk and pull the lever. Of course the alarm went off at that point. Once in the car the green light to start never came on and the key fob wouldn't deactivate the alarm. After about a minute the DIC said to press the brake to start the car. Still no green light but I tried it anyway and she fired up. Yep, I hate mysteries like this. (FYI, this was before I got the bright idea to retrieve the spare fob)

My car payments are too high to take this kind of embarrassment.

ttyl....

 

My FOB does not like my Battery Tender. If I have just unplugged the Tender, it takes about 3 or 4 seconds before the door will unlock with the FOB. If the Tender is unplugged from the car and the wall plug it will open immediately. It is a frequency deal of some kind. Next time unplug your charger (from the wall) for 5 minutes before you try to open the door, I bet it will work.

 

Since you've introduced facts in this reply that were not present in your original post then yes, I'd say the first likely place to look is the battery in your fob. For about five bucks and about five minutes of your time you can find out.

 

As I understand it, there is an antenna system to keep you from locking the fob inside and sometimes that system gets confused. Walk away from the vehicle and re approach and it works (sometimes) and hold the key in the opposite hand, as far away from the vehicle as possible and that sometimes works, and buy the window valet to avoid the embarrassment of looking like you are trying to break into the car. I don't have a dog in the window valet race, but it solved my embarrassment, I just lower the windows and press the inside button.

I think the antenna system senses tentativeness on your approach and if you hesitate, it will not let you in. If you approach purposefully, quick and decisive, it grants entry. Now this sounds like voodoo but there may be some explanation in signal delays from the the different antenna. Now that I have a fall back system of entry, window valet, the problem seems to have abated for the most part, probably now I have more confidence in being able to enter without hassle. Try it, it works if you approach with confidence.

What would be really great would be a remote modification that would allow the door open switch to activate from the fob

 

I had this same issue on the way to the Corvette Bash with my wife this year. I got out of the car at a gas station and the doors auto locked as usual. When I came back to the vehicle the light on the door flashed but would not unlock.

I later found that it was a cheap IPhone charger cable plugged into the accessory plug in the center console. Anytime it was plugged in it caused interferrence with my fob. When we removed the cable, the doors would unlock fine.

This may or may not be the issue with your's but, worth a check.

 

If one fob works perfectly and the other doesn't, then that implies a problem with the fob. I would put in a new battery in the fob. It's a couple of bucks for a new CR2032 battery. It is not worth having the dealership test the fob battery and they do not have the ability to test it under load anyway. Use a nickel to pry the fob open and note the position of the battery...many have installed the new one upside down. No Ray-O-Vac...Energizer or Duracell only.

 

I have also had this issue with my 05, and noticed that if I walk up to the car with a friend, the passenger door will open, but the driver door will only flash the LED. Once the passenger opens their door, driver can too. I've also changed my fob battery with no success.

 

The car knows that you are not giving it full attention

 

That is not correct. The only time the car's entry system interrogates the keyfob is when you squeeze the door pad or press the buttons on the fob. There is no other way for the car to know you are "approaching". It does not periodically scan for the keyfob. The car listens for the keyfob button press like all remote control type systems, but does not actively search for the keyfob until you press the door pad or trunk button.

However, for cars that are having antenna problems, the location of the fob and what is between it and the antenna (solid, RF producing, etc) makes a big difference.

 

Do you sometimes have a cell phone in your pocket or hand when you have this problem? If so change the pocket your cell phone is in. I've seen that be a problem for some.

 

Are you saying that vettes haves no personality or feelings?

So if your last bit of information is true, then changing the location of the fob or your body posture and subsequent fob positioning may bypass the interference.

Glad I bought the windows valet.

 

No I didn't say that!

Posture not really, but positioning and blocking yes. If you turn so your body is between the fob and the car, or turn so that there is nothing between the fob and the car yes. Also the angle between the fob and the antennas is also important. Remember that it uses several antennas in order to determine the fobs location, so that it can refuse to unlock when the fob is inside the car. It also only unlocks the trunk from the license plate area button only when the fob is behind the car.

Oh and btw my car often refuses to start if I put my cell phone in the same pocket with the fob, so location of RF devices to the fob and the antennas is also important.

I've watched these posts for a few years, and some people have problems with the antennas and some get them replaced under warranty if they get to it quick enough. Other problems are mostly the fobs, half battery, half the fob. Replacing the battery isn't as easy as most fobs, and many people end up breaking the fob while replacing the battery. New fobs aren't too expensive fortunately.

In this case, if another fob works reliably, it must be the original fob at fault.

 

Having the same problem with my 05. Replaced inside button and outside door pad with no results. Took it to dealer and they told me the driver side door actuator is locking up. He said its like a computer at your house locking up. Gonna get it fixed Friday. Will let you know if it works.