Keyless Remote Problem

[AMarx]

My keyless remote has been acting sporadically lately, so I replaced the batteries. For a while (last summer), the remotes were not fully locking and opening the doors. I opened the doors and cleaned up the switches (they had lots of black residue on them. After cleaning them, they worked beautifully.

Now, this winter, there are times the remotes do not work at all. This problem came and went during the fall. Over the past couple of months, I've pulled out the remotes and they still don't work. The odd part of this is that as long as the doors were functioning, the trunk switch worked. When the lock switches don't work, the trunk switch doesn't work.

This is my first car with a remote, I'd always driven older Volvos before, so I'm pretty clueless in this area. Does anyone out there have some advice about this?

[Barney Eaton]

I don't think the problem is with the remote, it is the receiver.

Cars see extreme heat, cold, dirt, and humidity. Some of the electrical components suffer with these conditions. As we all know, hot and cold expand and contract materials. This movement also allows the dirt and dust to get between the mechanical connectors and cause intermittant electrical problems.

Most often this is seen on Reattas with instrument clusters that work sometimes and don't at other times. So much for the basics, back to your problem.

You could have a problem at the receiver antenna..... this is the top loop in the back window. A crack in the loop will move with hot/cold weather and break contact, inspect the antenna. At the center-top of the back window is the connection. This is made like a 9V battery connector, I have seen this disconnected or one of the contacts has come loose from the glass, check it out.

The last and hardest to get to is the receiver module. It is in the side panel behind the drivers seat and the entire left side panel must be removed to access the module. Unplug the connector, clean with contact cleaner (or WD-40) and replug. Hopefully you will solve the problem by checking the above.

[AMarx]

Thanks much! I'll look into things immediately. I really miss using my remotes.

And thank goodness for this forum! I don't know what I'd do without it! Luckily, tomorrow is supposed to be a clear, cool day. Perfect for doing a little DIY work!