Keyless entry stopped working.

[CalvinT]

About a week ago we had several days of rain. My keyless entry stopped working for my passenger door and tail gate. After a day or two without rain it started working again. I did not drive my Bronco during that time.

The dealer can't fix it now because it's no longer broken. Does anyone have an idea what I could check? I go to a touchless car wash without any problem. I've also driven through rain storms with not problem. I think the system senses a change in capacitance to detect me grabbing the door handle.

I could still lock and lock my Bronco with the fob. So I think the problem could be in the wiring harness. But all that is inside the Bronco.

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[Dan-O]

You mentioned maybe it’s a problem with wiring harness……The keypad is wireless and runs off of a battery. Once the battery is dead the whole unit needs to be replaced. Maybe the keypad battery is getting weak and the rain may have been causing reception issue.

 

[CalvinT]

You mentioned maybe it’s a problem with wiring harness……The keypad is wireless and runs off of a battery. Once the battery is dead the whole unit needs to be replaced. Maybe the keypad battery is getting weak and the rain may have been causing reception issue.

Thanks for your input.

I'm not using a keypad. Just a key fob. It's a new Panasonic battery. I tried three different fobs.

I haven't talked to the dealer yet because it started working again. But I'm going to bring it up when I go in to get the recalls taken care of.

 

[Dan-O]

I'm not using a keypad. Just a key fob. It's a new Panasonic battery.

I apologize, my old eyes I guess. I guess I saw “keyless” and my mind told me keypad. That is mysterious.

 

[CalvinT]

I apologize, my old eyes I guess. I guess I saw “keyless” and my mind told me keypad. That is mysterious.

That's OK. I decided to cheat and read the manual (unAmerican I know). It says keys or other metal near the fob can affect its operation. It did solve one problem. I was having to pull the door handle twice to open the door. Manual says to give the computer time to read the chip. So now I grab the handle and wait to hear the door unlock.

Also you're right about a low key fob battery causing intermittent operation.

 

[Dan-O]

I just read another post on here that they were having same problem and turned out the main vehicle battery was low causing some vehicle functions to close down. I was going to send you a link to that thread but I don’t know how

 

[CalvinT]

I just read another post on here that they were having same problem and turned out the main vehicle battery was low causing some vehicle functions to close down. I was going to send you a link to that thread but I don’t know how

I've thought about that, but battery is good. And that wouldn't explain everything working once things dried out. I've had good luck with my dealership. The service manager is a real nice guy and listens. I'm going to ask him if he has a tech who's really sharp with keyless entry.

If I learn something I'll definitely post it on here.

 

[CalvinT]

I was going to send you a link to that thread but I don’t know how

I copy the link from the address bar in my browser and paste it into this box. There may be another way, but I'm unaware of it.

 

[Dan-O]

I've thought about that, but battery is good. And that wouldn't explain everything working once things dried out. I've had good luck with my dealership. The service manager is a real nice guy and listens. I'm going to ask him if he has a tech who's really sharp with keyless entry.

If I learn something I'll definitely post it on here.

Oh ya, that wouldn’t make sense. Please do post what you find. All the electronics can surely be irritating!
Out of curiosity, which dealer do you use, my service guy over at Chapman has been great for me too.

 

[CalvinT]

Sanderson.

What's really mystifying is the driver's door still worked. But not the passenger door nor tailgate. I only tried unlocking. I should have checked to see if I could still lock those doors with keyless. maybe we'll get another few days of rain, could always hope.

 

[Brian_B]

Hmm. Is the tailgate lock run by the Passenger Door module? I don't know but that could be a common point to check out.

May try pulling the passenger door off, checking that wiring harness connection is good, clean and dry, and going from there.

 

[HighVelocity]

This is why you bought a vehicle with removeable doors.

 

[CalvinT]

Good questions everyone.

Keyless entry has three antennas. They're labeled Keyless vehicle front antenna LH, Keyless vehicle front antenna RH, and Keyless vehicle center antenna. All have different connections into the Body Control Module. So they detect the presence of a key fob, but not someone grabbing the door handle. Anyway, nothing common with the antennas.

I think the problem is with the circuitry that detects the presence of a hand grabbling the door handle.

I can't find anything common, even grounding points. No single point failure for the passenger door and tailgate that doesn't also include the driver's door. There are other diagrams, but non that show common points.

I can't tell which wires connect to the door handle itself. Therefore I can't determine their path.

I think I'm missing something.

 

[Ducati1098]

Good questions everyone.

Keyless entry has three antennas. They're labeled Keyless vehicle front antenna LH, Keyless vehicle front antenna RH, and Keyless vehicle center antenna. All have different connections into the Body Control Module. So they detect the presence of a key fob, but not someone grabbing the door handle. Anyway, nothing common with the antennas.

I think the problem is with the circuitry that detects the presence of a hand grabbling the door handle.

I can't find anything common, even grounding points. No single point failure for the passenger door and tailgate that doesn't also include the driver's door. There are other diagrams, but non that show common points.

I can't tell which wires connect to the door handle itself. Therefore I can't determine their path.

I think I'm missing something.

There’s also 2 rear antennas.
If they can’t detect the fob, grabbing the handle isn’t going to do anything. A lot of issues like this are caused by the antennas.

 

[Lej512]

I've noticed that the "touch handles" won't work if the respective door isn't shut tight. I have to unlock all doors some other way, then shut the door tight, then touch handles work again. Just another "quirk" I live with until i get rid of it.

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