FOB range

[Daly]

I know someone posted changing FOB range but the link in the other post did not work. Anyone know where to find the post to increase the distance of the remote?

[tom4bren]

I believe that it's the gray wire under the kick plate on the driver side. Just re-route it up the door pilar.

[carlymac]

Here's a How-to I wrote several years ago about moving the remote/alarm antenna wire...Hope it helps.

Moving the alarms antenna wire works. After reading this post I decided to experiment with my '99 Ironmans alarm antenna. Before I had about 15 ft. range with the remote. Now I have 60 ft.

HOW TO SECTION:

Tools needed: phillips head screwdriver, a few wire ties and a pair of wire cutters (to trim the wire ties)

Time needed: about 30min.

Cost: $0.00 if you have the tools and wire ties.

1) Remove the 4 phillips head screws from the scuff plate of the drivers door. Then lift the scuff plate from the door Sill ( bottom edge of the door) Be careful and pry the christmas tree fastener out of its hole in the very front edge of the scuff plate. This will free the scuff plate for removal. Pull the rubber door seal off to about the "Oh ***** handle" on the headliner.
2) Remove the carpet edge clips from a lip that runs down the door sill. Exposing a wire harness.
3) Locate a gray bobtail wire that extends about half way down the door sill this is the alarm antenna on the '99 models (may be white on newer VX's)
4) Begin unthreading the wire from the harness, by backing it out through wire ties holding it to the harness. work your way to the dash.
5) Once you've unthreaded the wire to the dash. Remove the kick plate under the hood release lever. Exposing several more wiring harnesses. Again unthread the gray wire until you reach the alarm box.
6) Now that the alarm antenna is free you should have about 3 ft. Don't remove the wire from the alarm box.
7) Next remove the phillips head screw in the dash just above the dash light dimming switch (it's a turn knob just above the hood release) This frees up the left corner of the lower dash panel.
8) Now remove the fuse box panel cover on the drivers end of the dash and CARFULLY pull the lower dash loose. Don't force it!!
this will expose a crack where the lower and upper dashes meet on the end of the dash.
9) Then thread the cut-off end of the gray wire around the wire harnesses, from the alarm box out the end of the dash through the crack. It should exit the dash at the bottom of the A-pillar.
10) Now remove the gray inner A-pillar moulding by CAREFULLY prying it away from the headliner and pulling straight toward the steering wheel. There will be 2 metal clips and a plastic hook on the inner moulding.
11) Next run the antenna wire up from the end of the dash and wire tie it to the two existing wires in the A-pillar. there shoud be about 6 inches of the antenna wire leftover. Just tuck it under the headliner.
Finally, put everything back together by following these directions in reverse, And enjoy the extra range of your alarm remote.

[JoFotoz]

AWESOME....


Here's a How-to I wrote several years ago about moving the remote/alarm antenna wire...Hope it helps.

Many Thanks for this...nice little evening project.

:thumbup:

Jo

[RickOKC]

Thanks x2. I was thinking about this the other night when my fob battery was low and it got down to 1 foot range! New battery and I'm back to about 5-10 ft. :rolleyes:

[LittleBeast]

Haha, yeah I did that mod while I was sound deadening the entire VX, but the FOB range is still not that great compared to others.

[MSHardeman]

I think I've posted this around on the site before, and I can't remember who showed me this trick, but if you point the fob at your temple and press the arm/disarm button on the stock remote you can double and sometimes triple the range of your fob. I have NO idea why this works, but it does. Maybe your skull amplifies the fob's signal?:_confused I am not pulling your leg here, it really does work. Next time you arm or disarm the VX stand at a distance where the fob won't work, then point it at your temple and press the button again and see what happens.

I don't do it that often because I really never need to arm or disarm the VX from a long way away, but I'm sure that I'll give myself some sort of brain tumor in the long run. Guess the fob can't be any worse than my cell phone....

[Scott Harness]

I think I've posted this around on the site before, and I can't remember who showed me this trick, but if you point the fob at your temple and press the arm/disarm button on the stock remote you can double and sometimes triple the range of your fob. I have NO idea why this works, but it does. Maybe your skull amplifies the fob's signal?:_confused I am not pulling your leg here, it really does work. Next time you arm or disarm the VX stand at a distance where the fob won't work, then point it at your temple and press the button again and see what happens.

I don't do it that often because I really never need to arm or disarm the VX from a long way away, but I'm sure that I'll give myself some sort of brain tumor in the long run. Guess the fob can't be any worse than my cell phone....

I'll second that...It really does work!

[evillecutter]

...or you could just walk 8 steps and press the button...

[dietz99vcross]

So that cat is out of the bag. Check the second row from the bottom on the right hand side.
http://autos.yahoo.com/news/50-quirky-car-facts-blow-mind-infographic-185340026.html