Now what?

[1stHEMI]

Get a new vehicle, they said.
You need something reliable, they said.
Five times for warranty repairs in 3 years, about to take it for the sixth time.

Today, I pushed the unlock button on the keyfob and it unlocked only the driver's door. The door lock switch would not unlock the other doors at all. I got home, thankfully, and as I was driving the lock/unlock button worked.

Got home, and now I can't even get into my truck at all. I push the unlock and the alarm turns off, and the lights flash, but the doors won't unlock. I tried the emergency key - it won't open the driver's door at all. What the hell? I grabbed the spare fob that I have never used, and it does the same thing. So angry right now.

Remote start works, but I still can't get into the vehicle.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Get a new vehicle, they said.
You need something reliable, they said.

I know for a fact that wasnt me... lol...

 

[1stHEMI]

Sorry. Not in the mood for jokes. can't even get into my damn truck right now.

 

[huntergreen]

Well this sucks. Are you still covered under the roadside assistance part of the warranty?

 

[1stHEMI]

Well this sucks. Are you still covered under the roadside assistance part of the warranty?

I purchased the 90k mile extended warranty, so hopefully I'm covered. It just sucks because right now I have five vehicles and three are being worked on, so my "reliable" transportation is letting me down... again.

 

[huntergreen]

I purchased the 90k mile extended warranty, so hopefully I'm covered. It just sucks because right now I have five vehicles and three are being worked on, so my "reliable" transportation is letting me down... again.

I hear you. Keep us updated.

 

[1stHEMI]

I hear you. Keep us updated.

Well, I finally got into the truck with the key, sprayed some graphite and worked it back and forth and finally got in.
Weird: started it, shut it down, hit lock - all doors locked. Hit unlock... nothing. hit it repeatedly, all doors and tailgate unlocked - except the driver's door. At least now I can get into it.

 

[GTyankee]

sounds like your FOB may need to be FIXED or Flashed

First check in your radio settings to see what the settings are for the door locking settings

Next open your FOB, over something like a paper towel, to catch anything that may drop out.
Clean every contact point on the green circuit board
Check the nubs ( nipples ) on the inside of the button part of the case, sometimes they break off & move, they can be glued on with flexible glue.

Next take something like a metal paper clip & bend it into U
Take one end of the clip & touch the center of the large contact, the other end of the clip needs to touch something to make it work, i think it was something near the edge of the large contact point, i saw it in a video about FOBs.
In that video the guy ended up buy just a replacement outer case to get his to function.

a video with some hints, not the one that i wrote about

How to Fix Your Dodge/Ram Key Fob..! (Remote Start Issues!!!)

I've been having issues with my Ram's Remote Start as well as the lock and unlock buttons for about 2 years! I want to share my experience with you on how yo...

www.youtube.com

this is the one that i was referring to, it is part one of 4 videos

dodge ram key fob remote fix part 1 of 4

This is a video of my test of the remote start on my 2009 Dodge Ram 1500.. After hours of troubleshooting it comes down to this.

www.youtube.com

Don't be thrown off by the different FOB type, the passive FOB just does not have as many functions as the Enter and Go Smart FOB

https://myaccount.carandtruckremote...archyear=2017&searchmake=RAM&searchmodel=1500

several locksmiths now carry most every kind of FOB & the device needed to program them
such as ACE Hardware, etc.

 

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

sounds like your FOB may need to be FIXED or Flashed

First check in your radio settings to see what the settings are for the door locking settings

Next open your FOB, over something like a paper towel, to catch anything that may drop out.
Clean every contact point on the green circuit board
Check the nubs ( nipples ) on the inside of the button part of the case, sometimes they break off & move, they can be glued on with flexible glue.

Next take something like a metal paper clip & bend it into U
Take one end of the clip & touch the center of the large contact, the other end of the clip needs to touch something to make it work, i think it was something near the edge of the large contact point, i saw it in a video about FOBs.
In that video the guy ended up buy just a replacement outer case to get his to function.



several locksmiths now carry most every kind of FOB & the device needed to program them
such as ACE Hardware, etc.

Both of his FOBs are doing this so it has to be something else ... I would say the it's the RF antenna, company truck at dish was doing this and went in to the dealer and they replaced the RF antenna and everything was good after than ....

 

[GTyankee]

You are correct, i forgot about that possibility

I still don't know much about them
Some vehicles have the RF Hub on the cabs rear wall, others have it incorporated in the ignition switch

 

[CheechDogg.0n37s]

You are correct, i forgot about that possibility

I still don't know much about them
Some vehicles have the RF Hub on the cabs rear wall, others have it incorporated in the ignition switch

I believe the rf hub for the 2019 classics is also behind the rear left passenger seat just like ours ....

 

[1stHEMI]

Well, here's more oddities so I think maybe the master switch or the lock solenoid:

Sometimes, when it's running, or the key is in the ignition, I can push lock/unlock and it works. Sometimes, three doors lock, but not the driver door. When I take the key out of the ignition, the lock/unlock doesn't function at all. So I put the key back in the ignition and tried the lock/unlock and it didn't work. The fobs will always turn the alarm (security) on and off, they both will remote start the vehicle, the fob will rarely lock/unlock the doors, but a couple of times it did.

Basically there is something haywire in the truck... it's not the fobs, the fob batteries or the contacts, because the master door lock button works randomly, but seldom. I'll bring it to the dealer next Friday so they can tell me it's the battery in the fob, then tell me it's the contacts in the fob, then finally listen to me and see that the master switch and the solenoid in the driver door is where the problem lies.
Thanks for the suggestions, but I highly doubt the fobs are the problem.

 

[1stHEMI]

Another follow up: It seems to be the master switch is malfunctioning, or something in the harness in the driver door.
• My driver window switch will 'auto-down', but won't 'auto-up' - I have to hold the switch for the window to raise. All other windows and switches work fine.
• The door lock/unlock switch works randomly, and often will only unlock the other three doors, not the driver door. The lock/unlock switch on the passenger side works every time.
• The fob has been working sporadically, sometimes if I keep pushing the unlock or lock button on the remote, the doors eventually respond. But it's not the fob, because buttons on the door master switch are wigging out on me.

Thanks for all who tried to help, I might just see if I can buy a new switch rather than deal with the warranty wait times and have to put up with how they handle warranty: bring it in because they can't trust your diagnosis; after 7 hours they'll say to bring it tomorrow because they didn't get to it, or they couldn't duplicate it; bring it back and after another 7 hours they will order the part; then bring it back and after 7 hours they couldn't get to it so it needs to stay overnight. lol This will be my sixth warranty issue in 4 years.

 

[Mister Luck]

Could be the vehicle battery or the intelligent battery sensor.

I’d definitely look at the CAN bus possibilities.

Do you live near any microwave antennas like hill tops or fire stations , do you own a 5G phone ?

 

[Daw14]

Another follow up: It seems to be the master switch is malfunctioning, or something in the harness in the driver door.
• My driver window switch will 'auto-down', but won't 'auto-up' - I have to hold the switch for the window to raise. All other windows and switches work fine.
• The door lock/unlock switch works randomly, and often will only unlock the other three doors, not the driver door. The lock/unlock switch on the passenger side works every time.
• The fob has been working sporadically, sometimes if I keep pushing the unlock or lock button on the remote, the doors eventually respond. But it's not the fob, because buttons on the door master switch are wigging out on me.

Thanks for all who tried to help, I might just see if I can buy a new switch rather than deal with the warranty wait times and have to put up with how they handle warranty: bring it in because they can't trust your diagnosis; after 7 hours they'll say to bring it tomorrow because they didn't get to it, or they couldn't duplicate it; bring it back and after another 7 hours they will order the part; then bring it back and after 7 hours they couldn't get to it so it needs to stay overnight. lol This will be my sixth warranty issue in 4 years.

No better time to get top dollar ,and try something else.

 

[1stHEMI]

No better time to get top dollar ,and try something else.

...and lie about the fact that it's been in the shop for warranty six times? LOL... I actually love the truck, hate the problems. I've had my 1965 Plymouth for over 20 years and it's been more reliable. haha

 

[1stHEMI]

Could be the vehicle battery or the intelligent battery sensor.

I’d definitely look at the CAN bus possibilities.

Do you live near any microwave antennas like hill tops or fire stations , do you own a 5G phone ?

The only problem with all these interference or battery suggestions is that the rest of the switches and functions work. It would be extremely unlikely that any battery/interference issues would focus on one switch module. If every other switch was giving me issues, I could see that. But the locking/unlocking centers around the master switch module, and that is the only switch that is malfunctioning.

 

[Mister Luck]

If all switches ran off the same frequency as you state the locking mechanism and rolling codes,

I missed were you used more than one fob to test the bad fob theory. EDIT found it in the first post
( Change both batteries out ? )

The battery sensor if adversely affected will tell the PCM to shut systems down to conserve energy. (In sight of that) a bad sensor may be sporadic and unpredictable which being exposed to environmental factors when the hood is up and next to a favorite fuzzy place ( the battery blanket ) for rodents to retire.

But yeah the drivers side switch could be contaminated by moisture because when the window is down rain or moisture falls right on the door panel but why would it be the only one occasionally working ?
Did you know ?
There is a manual sequence to reset the auto up function.

Basic electrical advice is what’s been given and the best thing to do is diagnose a problem instead of throwing parts hoping for a solution.
but then it cost time to acquire testing and then parts.

As you can see it is difficult to diagnose remotely.

 

[boblonben]

Get a new vehicle, they said.
You need something reliable, they said.
Five times for warranty repairs in 3 years, about to take it for the sixth time.

Today, I pushed the unlock button on the keyfob and it unlocked only the driver's door. The door lock switch would not unlock the other doors at all. I got home, thankfully, and as I was driving the lock/unlock button worked.

Got home, and now I can't even get into my truck at all. I push the unlock and the alarm turns off, and the lights flash, but the doors won't unlock. I tried the emergency key - it won't open the driver's door at all. What the hell? I grabbed the spare fob that I have never used, and it does the same thing. So angry right now.

Remote start works, but I still can't get into the vehicle.

Welcome to the new electronics world of ALL vehicles. My friend's Ford F-150 did same thing, they ended up with his breaking into the truck on the passenger side. The control module had died. So these wonderful accessories will just get back ya at some point. So did yours end up being the module or the remote its self? MMopars seem to be more remotes problem than modules.

 

[Marshall]

If it is just your drivers door , and you had to spray the hell of the lock for the key to work, than I bet your linkage in the door is all gummed up, nothing to do with the fobs, I have had my fob stop working a couple times, I thinkit is the truck not picking it up,
put new batteries in both.
If you pulled the door panel off, you could check with a meter to see if the lock solinoid is getting 12 volt , while you hit the fod button, and lub up the linkage in the door