Keyless Remote Range

[PorkChopXpress]

I just got my new piece of VX sweetness a couple of weeks ago. Maybe it's the battery in my keyless remote, but I don't seem to get very far range with my remote. Really I can only get to about one step from the back of the car to use it. Should I change the battery or is this regular for the car?

[Moncha]

You'll find the answer to this question in this post (http://www.vehicross.info/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&id=8) and probably others in the How To's Section (http://www.vehicross.info/modules.php?name=Content).
You can find lots more sections aka Modules in the dropdown menu in the Main Links block in the upper left corner.

Welcome even if it's been said before and enjoy your baby!! I love mine!!

[jimbo]

I'm wondering if the remote was designed to have a short range on purpose.

I'm forever unlocking my door as I walk away from the truck and shove the keys down into the pocket of my jeans. The type of button it has pushes very easily by accident (takes almost no pressure at all).

I usually carry the keys in my hand for about 20 ft then stick them in my pocket. If it worked far away (50 or 60 ft or more) then I'd have to carry them a very long ways.

Of course the short range is a pain when I'm approaching the truck, especially from the rear, and I have to be right up on it for it to work.

Possibly a remote with one of those membrane type buttons, that you really have to "push" to make work would have been a better design.

Anyways for the most part I'm glad it has a short range because it makes unlocking by accident less likely.

Oh ... and sometimes when I get in the car and am taking the steering wheel lock (the club) off I squeeze the remote slightly by accident and then the "panic alarm" squeals at me til I get my hands free and close the door. :p

[mbeach]

I'm forever unlocking my door as I walk away from the truck and shove the keys down into the pocket of my jeans. The type of button it has pushes very easily by accident (takes almost no pressure at all).


I have this same problem. In fact, I list this as the single most annoying feature of the car.

Rather than spend time stacking batteries and rearranging antenna wire, I'm just putting on an aftermarket unit with more features and a better designed remote.

[Cobrajet]

I'm wondering if the remote was designed to have a short range on purpose...because it makes unlocking by accident less likely.This shouldn't be issue. Mine automatically re-locks after 30 seconds if I don't open the driver's door. I have had it re-lock while trying to get my grandson situated in the passenger seat. So, if you had a really long range remote, you might not make it to the car before it re-locks. Of course, having to be right next to it to unlock is kind of ridiculous. I need to do the antenna mod. Tucking it under your chin works, too, but looks silly.

[Moncha]

You think the range on our remote is short? I drive a Ford Escape (Patrol Vehicle) on a daily basis and I literally have to be no less than 10 feet before it's remote will work. Comparing the two, I'd take the VX's any day.

There is alway the forehead technique ;)

mbeach, I did the same. I went aftermarket after blowing up my unit while trying to modify it.. OOOOPS!

[TDAWG]

Hey Scott,
It's Ford's way of making sure someone can't use a code grabber for your escape. LMAO

[WyrreJ]

The 30-second relock works great for me. If I have any doubt that I locked it, I just hit the button again and forget about it, because I know that if it unlocks, its only for 30 seconds. The chance of someone stealing the car in those 30 seconds is effectively zero.

[mbeach]

Yes, the passive rearm is handy, but does this happen to anyone else:

You unlock the car (with the remote), then you open the rear door (with the key), load stuff in the back, and had the alarm rearm itself while you were loading up.

It's pretty obvious that the rear door is not protected by the factory alarm, or is this just my VX that does this?

[jimbo]

The rear door has nothing to do with the alarm.

This happens to me also. I unlock the door with the remote, not thinking, then open the back and start loading the groceries, then beep, they lock up again before I am even finished.

For some reason this seems to happen most often when it is pouring rain.

This is usually followed closely by me mumbling a certain word that rhymes with duck, as I fumble for the keys again.

I guess the relock feature is another clue that Isuzu knew it was easy to accidentally unlock your doors, as I believe it doesn't work if you just get out of the car and leave, but don't lock the door.

It only relocks when you have unlocked the door, but not opened it within 30 seconds.

[VehiGAZ]

There's a fix for the rear door/alarm/remote lock system quirk... Tone's rear door popper kit. The kit will let you wire the rear door into the interior light circuit, which will do three handy things:

1. Opening the rear door will trigger the alarm (if it's activated)
2. If you unlock the VX with the remote, then open the back door, the system will not relock the front doors on you while you load your groceries
3. Opening the rear door will activate the interior dome light

I just got my kit in the mail last week, but I haven't hooked it up yet.

[VehiGAZ]

Follow up - I'm about half-way through the door popper install, but not quite done. I forgot how much I love running wires in cars (not).

Anyway, a couple of questions for anyone that might know...

1) what kind of wire should I use to extend the length of the antenna wire? Copper is probably not going to work, but I don't know what would.

2) has anyone ever checked if there was an output from the alarm system activated by the "option" button? If so, I'd wire it to a relay that would pop the read-door solenoid circuit, so I could open the back without the key.

[Moncha]

Actually, just the point of moving the original wire makes a huge difference. If you still want to extend the wire a good computer supply store will have a small guage steel or aluminum wire.. There is a wiring diagram here somewhere for the OEM remote system allowing the option button to work.. I just can't remember where.

[smorris65]

I just got my VX a few weeks ago and have wondered why the doors to not relock, but the alarm does arm itself. I thought this was kinda lame myself.
But i read here that your doors do lock themselves. Can you tell me the setting to make the door's lock automatically?

[Moncha]

Here's a link to the Manuals in the Downloads (http://www.vehicross.info/modules.php?name=Downloads) section.. That will help in learning the operations.

[Raque Thomas]

Actually, just the point of moving the original wire makes a huge difference. If you still want to extend the wire a good computer supply store will have a small guage steel or aluminum wire.. There is a wiring diagram here somewhere for the OEM remote system allowing the option button to work.. I just can't remember where.

Actually, it works with the second click of the unlock button (which normally unlocks the passenger door). I'll see if I can find the post.

[Raque Thomas]

Here's the link to the thread with instructions to make the rear door popper work from the factory remote:

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=2069

One thing that is not real clear in the diagram is that you have to splice the two lt grn/blk wires coming from the alarm box together so that both your doors open on the first press, and the trunk opens on the second press. I don't know of a way that you can determine which of the 2 wires is for the driver's door vs. the pass door - I just cut one and spliced it into the other and it worked - you may have to do trial & error on that portion. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to walk you through it - it's not as daunting as it may sound/look - just hard to explain here. It's been operational in my VX now for over a year and works great!

[VehiGAZ]

Thanks Raque!! I did some more research on the topic on this site, and was discouraged with what I found - Tone admantly stating that there was no way to wire up the solenoid to the "option" button on the remote (which is still true, but your mod does what I want to do). I will give it a go when I get a chance to play. My Bilsteins just came in yesterday, so the next free weekend will be spent replacing my KYB Gas-A-Justs (too soft). I will be doing the antenna wire relo sometime this week, though.