No Key Detected

[One Ranger]

At a certain location, every time I leave the Ranger, and using the key fob, the doors do not lock and the horn does not sound. It works every other time except this one location.

it happened again yesterday, I was able to lock the Ranger by opening and closing the driver side door, then clicking the lock button on the fob. When I returned later, it took a few tries to open the door, but I am eventually able to get it open each time this happens.

On some occasions, the Ranger wont start and it displays “key not detected” or something like that. After moving the fob to another location, it detects it.

I am not too worried, but always seem to get in. Anyone have ideas? Should I take it to the dealer to get checked out? Is this a major lock out failure about to happen? Bad battery in the fob? Or maybe just radio frequency interference at this location. Any one else have this issue?

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[Andy]

If its only the one location that it happens then It could be frequency interference. If it happens at other locations then it could be a weak battery in the fob.

 

[Toytec]

I've found fob batteries start showing their age at around 2.9V. I agree with Andy.

 

[Radioman]

At a certain location, every time I leave the Ranger, and using the key fob, the doors do not lock and the horn does not sound. It works every other time except this one location.

it happened again yesterday, I was able to lock the Ranger by opening and closing the driver side door, then clicking the lock button on the fob. When I returned later, it took a few tries to open the door, but I am eventually able to get it open each time this happens.

On some occasions, the Ranger wont start and it displays “key not detected” or something like that. After moving the fob to another location, it detects it.

I am not too worried, but always seem to get in. Anyone have ideas? Should I take it to the dealer to get checked out? Is this a major lock out failure about to happen? Bad battery in the fob? Or maybe just radio frequency interference at this location. Any one else have this issue?

Can we assume that you have tried using the second fob and you are still having the same problem?

 

[One Ranger]

Can we assume that you have tried using the second fob and you are still having the same problem?

No, I have not tried any further diagnosis. I just now have figured out it is this one location. I was checking with others on this forum to see if this was a "one-off" for me, or if others were experiencing the issue. By the low response count, I'm assuming it's a "one-off". Next steps are to replace the battery and try to my other remote at the same location. Since this is my church, and I only go there about once or twice a week, it will take me a few weeks to experiment and see what happens.

Thanks for the replies and ideas. More later..

 

[DeathRanger]

I've seen reports of this before. Some tow drivers have been taught to drag a car around the corner of shopping areas to see if radio interference is the issue causing car to not start or recognize remote entry key.
https://windsorstar.com/news/local-...es-mystery-of-dead-zone-where-cars-wont-start

 

[One Ranger]

No, I have not tried any further diagnosis. I just now have figured out it is this one location. I was checking with others on this forum to see if this was a "one-off" for me, or if others were experiencing the issue. By the low response count, I'm assuming it's a "one-off". Next steps are to replace the battery and try to my other remote at the same location. Since this is my church, and I only go there about once or twice a week, it will take me a few weeks to experiment and see what happens.

Thanks for the replies and ideas. More later..

I'm zeroing in on the issue. I was out running errands today. So, I first bought and installed a new battery for the fob, then stopped by the church. There was not another vehicle in the lot. My key fob would not work. I could not even get the doors to lock, and previously I had. When I get back in the truck, it recognized the key, so I started it up and left. Tomorrow, I will take the 2nd fob and see what happens. At this point, my guesses are radio frequency interference, or something going on with the fob. My daughter tells me God is trying to tell me something.

More tomorrow...

 

[One Ranger]

I'm zeroing in on the issue. I was out running errands today. So, I first bought and installed a new battery for the fob, then stopped by the church. There was not another vehicle in the lot. My key fob would not work. I could not even get the doors to lock, and previously I had. When I get back in the truck, it recognized the key, so I started it up and left. Tomorrow, I will take the 2nd fob and see what happens. At this point, my guesses are radio frequency interference, or something going on with the fob. My daughter tells me God is trying to tell me something.

More tomorrow...

So, today I took the 2nd key fob with the originally installed battery from the factory. Same result, it would not lock the doors or sound the horn. But, I was able to get into the Ranger and start it. It seems as though the "no key detected" message occurs after being away for an hour or longer.

I drove around the parking lot and tried several other locations. It seemed as though the closer I parked to the building, the more likely it occurred. I found a new parking spot further away from the building where the fob was working OK. That will probably become my new "go to" parking spot. My best guess is wifi, wireless microphones, or other church band sound equipment is generating some sort of radio frequency interference.

 

[Radioman]

So, today I took the 2nd key fob with the originally installed battery from the factory. Same result, it would not lock the doors or sound the horn. But, I was able to get into the Ranger and start it. It seems as though the "no key detected" message occurs after being away for an hour or longer.

I drove around the parking lot and tried several other locations. It seemed as though the closer I parked to the building, the more likely it occurred. I found a new parking spot further away from the building where the fob was working OK. That will probably become my new "go to" parking spot. My best guess is wifi, wireless microphones, or other church band sound equipment is generating some sort of radio frequency interference.

During my technician days, I received a call from a police department that their radios stopped working in a 2 block area near downtown. Using direction-finding equipment I traced the source to a brick building that housed the local telephone company's museum. The police called out a rep from the telephone company who turned off their building alarm. With the alarm off, the interference to the police disappeared. I had the rep turn on the alarm system again and the interference returned. The police requested the phone company leave off their alarm until they could have it repaired.

It sounds as though you are experiencing the same issue from the church. If you are, then maybe others are also. I would request a church member work with you by turning off electronic equipment one at a time to see if the interference goes away. It is much better to resolve the problem yourselves than to have someone call in the FCC enforcement team as they have a tendency to levy fines. Good luck.

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