Occasionally stubborn remote functions

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MrBonez

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I don't know if this is just a thing with these or not but on occasion the truck won't respond to the remote.
All functions simply don't work and if it's locked and I use the key to unlock the door, the alarm goes off (Quite annoying :jnono:).

It's almost like it "Goes to sleep" and only after doing something like that it starts working again - I say it in that way because a few minutes ago from this post it woudn't respond and all I did was get in, turn on the key without starting the engine, turned it back off and then it responded.
It can do it after sitting overnight or just going into the store and coming right back out in like 3 minutes of time.

Any sugestions?
As for it responding and starting, it did what it was supposed to do after I did that, it's warming up in the carport right now after I used the remote start function.
 

RamDiver

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I don't know if this is just a thing with these or not but on occasion the truck won't respond to the remote.
All functions simply don't work and if it's locked and I use the key to unlock the door, the alarm goes off (Quite annoying :jnono:).

It's almost like it "Goes to sleep" and only after doing something like that it starts working again - I say it in that way because a few minutes ago from this post it woudn't respond and all I did was get in, turn on the key without starting the engine, turned it back off and then it responded.
It can do it after sitting overnight or just going into the store and coming right back out in like 3 minutes of time.

Any sugestions?
As for it responding and starting, it did what it was supposed to do after I did that, it's warming up in the carport right now after I used the remote start function.

The usual response to this type of inquiry is, when was the last time the FOB battery was replaced?

Do you have a second FOB with a fresh or tested battery that is behaving the same?

Has this happened in different locations?

In the past, I discovered my FOBs functioned poorly or intermittently when in close proximity to my cell phone. This happened even while the cell phone was in airplane mode.

I have read several stories of users having proximal difficulties when near a specific location.

Another angle is that the RF Hub has been known to misbehave to a low B+ and result in poor FOB connectivity. :cool:

This low B+ can often be attributed to an aging or failing battery, compromised wiring, or connections at the RF Hub.

.
 
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MrBonez

MrBonez

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FOB battery was replaced after the first time it happened and that didn't affect it at all.
Still had to "Tickle" the truck to get it responding again after the battery was swapped. Conditions here (Home) are the same since I'm not changing things on an everyday basis here and it can (Did this morning) still do it when it's worked perfectly before. It's also as said, just does it randomly and it may be OK for a few months or do it on back-to-back days, it's never really consistent in when it does it.

Location doesn't seem to matter, it just does it whenever it feels like doing it.
 

RamDiver

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Do you have any cell or radio device in proximity to the FOB when it fails?

What is the resting voltage on the starting battery?

Any problems with water ingress at the back wall of the truck?
The roof-mounted antenna, a damaged sliding back window frame, or back-wall cab vents are known to cause water ingress that can potentially compromise connections to the RF Hub or the RF hub itself isn't water-resistant.

.
 
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MrBonez

MrBonez

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Do you have any cell or radio device in proximity to the FOB when it fails?
No I don't - Can't say when I'm in a parking lot if that's so or not but here at home, that's a definite no.
Speaking of interference, I can literally be at the driver's door with my hand on the door handle and it still doesn't respond when it does it.
What is the resting voltage on the starting battery?
Haven't noted any deficiency in the battery and it's done this eversince I've owned it with the same battery.
Truck starts right up without issue so I can more or less rule out a weak(er) battery or just one with a problem here. Also my battery gauge isn't showing anything abnormal in terms of charge when it's running to indicate a weak(er) battery or one going down on me.
Any problems with water ingress at the back wall of the truck?
The roof-mounted antenna, a damaged sliding back window frame, or back-wall cab vents are known to cause water ingress that can potentially compromise connections to the RF Hub or the RF hub itself isn't water-resistant.
No leaks noted at the back of the truck by either visual evidence or any staining of the interior.
The sliding window frame is good and seals properly.
As for back-wall vents I haven't noticed anything related there either by your symptom description.

I can check and see if the base of the antenna has a bad seal/gasket in play.
That's something I haven't looked at yet. However everytime it's done this it wasn't raining and hadn't rained for at least 48 hours minimum with today being no exception to that.
 

RamDiver

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Do you own or have access to a digital multimeter?

It doesn't take much effort to connect to the battery and read the voltage.
This is just part of troubleshooting to diagnose a fault.

How you think or feel about the battery's condition may not match how it measures.
Just because it may be adequate for other tasks does not translate to how it may perform elsewhere.

As an alternative, you could dismantle the back seats, remove the interior wall cover, and measure the B+ on the RF Hub, but that's a bit more effort. :cool:

A wild-a$$ed guess with the info provided so far is that the RF Hub is misbehaving due to the 12-volt signal into the module, a marginal ground on the same, or something is causing interference with the CAN bus signal at the RF Hub, causing grief with reception of the FOBs.

I've read about several similar instances in the past. The RF Hub is one of the more picky modules when it comes to a clean B+ signal.

.
 
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MrBonez

MrBonez

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I have both, digital and analog meters here.
Do you own or have access to a digital multimeter?

It doesn't take much effort to connect to the battery and read the voltage.
This is just part of troubleshooting to diagnose a fault.

How you think or feel about the battery's condition may not match how it measures.
Just because it may be adequate for other tasks does not translate to how it may perform elsewhere.

As an alternative, you could dismantle the back seats, remove the interior wall cover, and measure the B+ on the RF Hub, but that's a bit more effort. :cool:

A wild-a$$ed guess with the info provided so far is that the RF Hub is misbehaving due to the 12-volt signal into the module, a marginal ground on the same, or something is causing interference with the CAN bus signal at the RF Hub, causing grief with reception of the FOBs.

I've read about several similar instances in the past. The RF Hub is one of the more picky modules when it comes to a clean B+ signal.
That's something I'll need to check when I have time, since it's only something that doesn't happen often it's a bit low on the priority list ATM. I do have both meter types available so just having a meter isn't a problem, esp when I used to work on industrial equipment out in the field and had to buy my own tools.

I will check what's in your post when I have time and don't need to drive it anywhere for awhile, that way I can take my time with it and nail it if that's what's going on.
 
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