Help!! Electrical problems - key fobs
 

MY2005. The car refuses to recognize either key fob and will not unlock. If I touch the pad to open the door the red led flashes and door won't open. Luckily the windows are down. When I stick the key fob in the car and press the ignition, says no key fobs detected. Attempt to open door with emergency release sets off the alarm, as does trying to open the trunk with the key. Checked Fob battery voltage - it is fine at 3V.

Last week the door opened after several tries and started / drove just fine thereafter. This week, nada.


Any ideas?

Would have been extremely unlikely both fob's developed battery problems at the same time. More than likely you have weak/bad batter in the car. Just for starters unhook the battery for 20 mins and reset the system. Hook it back up and see what happens.... You can also get the battery checked but it's almost always a weak battery causing all those electronic problems.. :thumbs:

:iagree: And if the battery checks out OK, you need to check out the RCDLR (Dealer trip...)

Thanks guys. Battery unfortunately is just fine, 14.4V. I think the BCM is toast. Tow coming Monday. Wondering how they will release the stupid column lock which is of course locked up wuth the wheels turned sideways. At least it happened in the garage but this really gives me pause on what my next car will be. I am sick and tired of the crappy electronics / problems.

With the column lock issue and all, I think I'd try to reteach the fobs if you are sure the battery(s) are all OK, the battery cables tight, no oxidation on them, etc.....the fobs aren't working now anyway, so if it gets you at least able to get in neutral it's easier to have it towed, or better yet, drive it there if it works again.

The 05 model had a few problems. I had an 05, but didn't have most of the problems posted here. My 06 has been relative trouble-free. Just to be expected on a first year model with some many innovations.

Both my fobs got weak at the same time. Early '05.
Did you try the fobs in the emergency slot in the glove box?

A weak battery may also cause the DIC to display
NO FOBS DETECTED when you try to start the vehicle. If
this happens, place the transmitter in the glove box
transmitter pocket with the buttons facing towards the
passenger’s side. Then, with the vehicle in PARK (P) for
an automatic transmission press the break pedal and the
START button, or if your vehicle has a manual
transmission, press the clutch and the START button.
Although this will start the vehicle, it is recommended that
you replace the transmitter battery as soon as possible.
The DIC may display FOB BATTERY LOW.

14.4 volts???? A battery may indicate over 13 volts just after pulling a charger off it. Then it will drop to 12.6 volts for a fully charged battery. 14.4 volts would be more like what you see when a car is running, which is the voltage being output by the alternater, and this voltage has little to do with having a good or bad battery.

:iagree:Try to start the car with the fob in the glove box before you get a tow. If the car starts then your fob batteries are toast and should be changed. BTW, the life expectancy of the fob battery is 3 years, if you've never changed them on an '05, you're overdue.

:iagree: 14.4v indicates nothing about the condition of the battery. You could read 14.4V with no battery in the car. 14.4v only indicates that the alternator is working.

FOB battery voltage also means nothing unless it is under load.

I suspect the car battery first. Have you ever replaced it? Next would be both FOB batteries have gone away at the same rate. If you have never changed them they are both long over due. Put one in the glove compartment slot and if you still have a problem starting then your main battery needs to be replaced. It is far more likely that one or more of the 3 batteries has died than the FOB receiver (not the BCM).

:iagree:with Fort Morgan Al, 14.4 volts does not indicate anything about the car battery. That voltage is being generated by the alternator. Put a voltmeter on it while you are trying to get it to open and/or start. I would put a charger on the battery and bring up the voltage and then try opening and starting the car. You need to try the glovebox slot also.:thumbs:

Thanks guys. The car battery is definitely not the issue. Is there anything to the Fob relearn other than sticking in that slot? Also, do I need to do fob relearn after new fob batteries? The fob batteries tested at 3V but I should go ahead and buy new ones since it sounds like I'm way past the expiry date and it's cheaper than a tow.

ANd the fact that it sort of worked last week (the door opened after 3 tries on the touchpad last week) might suggest a fob battery that is near dead.

Sticking the fob in the slot in the glove box does not "relearn" anything. No relearn is require after changing the fob battery. When the fob is laying open, put the positive side of the new battery down. Press it into the holder firmly.

The only thing that putting the fob in the glove box slot does is to allow the car to start with a dead fob.

FOB battery replacement tips:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...y-warning.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...our-vette.html

Update. Put new battery in one fob, could not get car to open door etc. Same deal as before with alarm going off if I opened trunk with the key or used emergency door pull to open the door. Pulled the fuses, then put them back in. Then I put the fob in the slot (good thing I always keep the windows open), went around the other side and pres sed ignition button. "Service column lock" comes up and that releases. Cool. AT least I can turn the wheel straight for the tow truck, which I do. Feeling bold, I pull the emergency door release. Magic! The door opens with no alarm. I then get in, and feeling my oats, hit the starter. Engine fires up and I drive the car around the block, then reverse it back into the garage, wheels straight and shut it off. Then ACC on and pull the fob from the slot. "No fobs" immediately comes up. Then "off or run". So I hit off, exit the car via emergency door pull, and shut the door. Car goes to sleep.

And we're back to square one: door pad will not unlock and it sees no fob. New battery. Go figure. AT least I can drive it to the stealership.

ah...
 

Way better to drive than have it towed...

So... when they figure out what's up.. let us know... cause that is wierd.... :thumbs:

what happened after you went to the dealer ? im having the same problem on my 05.

Is the car supposed to say "service column lock" when it is started??? I don't have an '05, so I don't know. He implied that it was a good thing that it said that.:thumbs:

When batteries and the car come back from the dead, that is a common code thrown, among others. Although I don't actually recall a non-'05 MN6 showing that one, it can be ignored.

Well it unlocked - that's the only reason I was happy to see the mesg., which otherwise would be bad news...

Update of sorts. Took it to the dealer, who passed on it because the motor is modded. What that has to do with the BCM / Fobs, I have no idea. Then he told me I probably needed new fobs (yes, not batteries, fobs!!), without even looking at the car. Needless to say, I got the car out of there quick. More California nonsense...

Luckily, there is a shop in town that does a lot of Corvette work. After also repeating 10 times the car was illegal and how any repair they made would be a non-warranted off road repair bla bla bla, I finally told the guy I needed him to focus on the problem, which had nothing to do with the motor. The State really has these poor blokes brainwashed :rolleyes:

Sooooo, the shop called today and believe the programming got screwed up and will reprogram everything. I'll report back with the results.