key fob work intermittently

[nzbkn4]

I have a 2017 energi Titanium.  I went out this morning with the key we always use and the car wouldn't start.  The display had the check engine light, red triangle hazard indicator and press brake to start except when I step on the brake and press start nothing happens except the display comes back, all accessories powered and press the brake to start.  My battery was fully charged so I was thinking I might need a tow but then I thought I may have a key problem so I went in the house and got our backup Key and the car started so I figured the first key lost programming.  Then I put the backup key back in the house and tried the first key again and it worked?  So the first key that wasn't working started working again only after I started the car with the backup key.  

 

I'm concerned my family will get stranded someplace.  Has anyone seen this problem?

[murphy]

There is no programming in the fob. It has a permanently assigned serial number that the car matches to the entries in its key memory.  That sounds to me like a weak fob battery or one that has finger prints on the battery surface and is corroding. 

 

You didn't mention trying the dead fob battery procedure.

There is a slot in the left front corner of the console.  Place the fob in the slot with the key ring up and the buttons facing the rear of the car.  That will allow the car to start even if there is no battery in the fob.

 

Another possibility:  Do not put the fob and your cellphone in the same pocket.  The transmitter in the cellphone will block the receiver in the fob and it may not be able to hear the car.

[jj2me]

The car gave no indication that there was a key fob problem.  Hazard, check engine, push to start (implying it saw the key).  Couldn't it just be coincidence?  For example, if you never tried the second fob, it could have been exiting the car, shutting and re-opening the door, and the passage of time that reset the car enough for it to start.

 

The reason I'm saying this is because I've experienced similar lights (and chimes) and three of those times it just so happened that it fixed itself after exiting the car, closing the door, and re-entering.

 

As far as I could tell, my problems' causes were two-fold:

- ODB2 bluetooth dongle left in the car before attempting to start (a known problem with using Android app "Torque Pro"). These occasions always left the check engine light on after getting it to restart.

- possibly battery related (just my wild guess, could be wrong, these could also have been caused by remnants of bad state left over from leaving the dongle in the car).  These failures had the Check Engine light disappear once I was able to start.  These failures got fixed within a minute or two, and I know in the last two the car re-started right after opening and closing the driver's door.

 

Maybe something like door opening, exiting, and closing and re-opening the door resets enough of the crazy state the car is in?

 

P.S. I've seen no more problems, about 500 miles later (and with no OBD2 dongle plugged in).  Also, after getting it to re-start every time after those several failures by just random fiddling, I'm (falsely?) confident that I can get it re-started if it occurs again.

Edited August 27, 2017 at 04:38 PM by jj2me

[Paul Creed III]

The car gave no indication that there was a key fob problem.  Hazard, check engine, push to start (implying it saw the key).  Couldn't it just be coincidence?  For example, if you never tried the second fob, it could have been exiting the car, shutting and re-opening the door, and the passage of time that reset the car enough for it to start.

 

The reason I'm saying this is because I've experienced similar lights (and chimes) and three of those times it just so happened that it fixed itself after exiting the car, closing the door, and re-entering.

 

As far as I could tell, my problems' causes were two-fold:

- ODB2 bluetooth dongle left in the car before attempting to start (a known problem with using Android app "Torque Pro"). These occasions always left the check engine light on after getting it to restart.

- possibly battery related (just my wild guess, could be wrong, these could also have been caused by remnants of bad state left over from leaving the dongle in the car).  These failures had the Check Engine light disappear once I was able to start.  These failures got fixed within a minute or two, and I know in the last two the car re-started right after opening and closing the driver's door.

 

Maybe something like door opening, exiting, and closing and re-opening the door resets enough of the crazy state the car is in?

 

P.S. I've seen no more problems, about 500 miles later (and with no OBD2 dongle plugged in).  Also, after getting it to re-start every time after those several failures by just random fiddling, I'm (falsely?) confident that I can get it re-started if it occurs again.

 

Have you been to the dealer in the last month or so? There have been a slew of software updates in the past few months, including one for the Body Control Module that came out only a month or so ago. 

[jj2me]

(

Have you been to the dealer in the last month or so? There have been a slew of software updates in the past few months, including one for the Body Control Module that came out only a month or so ago. 

 

Yes, for a 12V battery replacement, which in their view fixed my problem.  Thanks for the heads up.  If I experience another such incident within my initial 12-month CPO warranty, I'll ask for the BCM update.  I'm assuming I'd have to pay for updates if I couldn't show a problem.

[Paul Creed III]

(

 

Yes, for a 12V battery replacement, which in their view fixed my problem.  Thanks for the heads up.  If I experience another such incident within my initial 12-month CPO warranty, I'll ask for the BCM update.  I'm assuming I'd have to pay for updates if I couldn't show a problem.

You shouldn't have to pay for any software update since the vehicle is under warranty and the updates are to fix known problems.