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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Focus / September 2005Remote Key Fob not working Well!
My remote key fob for my Focus (UK-1999) is not working very well, and only has very limited range. I thought it might be the battery that had gone, so changed it, but that didn't really help. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the transmitting frequency needs re-tuning sometimes on key fobs! Does anyone know if this is true and might be the problem I'm having with my fob? If so can it be re-tuned to the correct frequency? Any help appreciated. Thanks, Chris. > My remote key fob for my Focus (UK-1999) is not working very well, and > only has very limited range. I thought it might be the battery that had [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Thanks, > Chris. I had the same problem also on a '99 UK Focus. I tried resetting the fob to the car using the "ignition on/off" method with no success. (Google in this group for details). As a dealer sourced and programmed key was about 100UKP I decided to manage without. Some time later I needed a CR2032 battery whilst fixing a friend's door bell so I used the one from my fob. About a month later I was scrapping a computer motherboard when I realised it used the same battery, so I removed it and put it in my fob. To my complete suprise my fob then worked! In fact it seemed to work better than when the car was new. That was about two months ago and it is still working. I can't offer any explanation for this, or suggest how long it would be necessary to leave the battery out for, but maybe it is worth a try? Of course I may have tempted fate by posting this and it will never work again! Chris also  SignatureRemove prejudice to reply > <snip> > I can't offer any explanation for this, or suggest how long it would be > necessary to leave the battery out for, but maybe it is worth a try? I've noticed the same thing with mine. After taking the battery out and giving the connections a quick clean and sticking the battery on a battery tester, it's been back to normal. Battery been out for no more then ten mins. Can't offer an explanation either. Though I have noticed with alkaline cells used in low drain situations, that sticking them on a tester or *briefly* short circuiting them restores them to health when they appear to be dead but you know they aren't because they're relatively new. Though of course you wanna be careful short circuiting batteries... Gary. >> <snip> >> I can't offer any explanation for this, or suggest how long it would be [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Gary. Well, yes but the OP mentioned that he had replaced the battery with a new one. I had tried two new ones in mine from different sources. Oh, and the Focus key fob battery is definitely *not* an alkaline cell! Chris SignatureRemove prejudice to reply Thanks everyone for the advice. I've tried removing the battery, cleaning the contacts, and even breifly shorting the battery termials, but it makes no difference. The battery still has plenty of charge, so that's not the problem. I'd like to try resetting the key fequency with the 'ignition on off method' that is mentioned by an earlier poster. Does anyone know how to do this? I've had no luck finding instructions on google. Thanks Chris >>> <snip> >>> I can't offer any explanation for this, or suggest how long it would be [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Chris > Thanks everyone for the advice. I've tried removing the battery, cleaning > the contacts, and even breifly shorting the battery termials, but it makes [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Thanks > Chris This only works for certain remotes - there are at least two types. Mine is a Siemens one, although I don't know if that is relevant. Get in car and close all doors Turn the ignition key from fully off to fully on 4 times within 6 seconds. Stop at fully off position. The door open/lights on alarm will "bong" once. Press the open button on the fob. The alarm will sound once more. The procedure is complete. Not that although I tried this half a dozen times or more, it made no difference to my fob. When the fob finally stopped working altogether I didn't get the second alarm bong. If you do get it working by this means, or by my other suggestion of leaving the battery out for an extended period, please post back and let us know. Chris SignatureRemove prejudice to reply Thanks for this, it seems to work! Having followed the ignition on off method of resetting the key (Siemens type), I can now remotely lock and unlock my Focus from about 10 metres away. I guess the key must have been transmitting slighty off the optimum frequency before. Chris >> Thanks everyone for the advice. I've tried removing the battery, cleaning >> the contacts, and even breifly shorting the battery termials, but it [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > Chris > Thanks for this, it seems to work! > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Chris Let us know in a month :-) Chris SignatureRemove prejudice to reply In alt.autos.ford.focus Chris Whelan <cawhelan@prejudicentlworld.com>: >> Thanks for this, it seems to work! >> [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >> >> Chris > Let us know in a month :-) Sounds interesting, got used to the 2m max, a new battery improved things (shortly). If it wouldn't only allow me to close all 4 windows remotely but although open them, longer distance (10-20m) would be great.;) SignatureMichael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94) mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/' #bofh excuse 93: Feature not yet implemented >In alt.autos.ford.focus Chris Whelan <cawhelan@prejudicentlworld.com>: > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >all 4 windows remotely but although open them, longer distance >(10-20m) would be great.;) As the Top Gear TV program in the UK once demonstrated - walk away from the car until the remote stops working - walk a tiny bit further - now hold the remote to your head with your mouth open, facing the car. You will find that the remote now works over a much longer distance :) SignatureAlan mailto:news2me_a_2003@amacleod.clara.co.uk Hi thanks from some else it worked for me to. >>In alt.autos.ford.focus Chris Whelan <cawhelan@prejudicentlworld.com>: >> [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > hold the remote to your head with your mouth open, facing the car. You > will find that the remote now works over a much longer distance :) > Hi > > thanks from some else it worked for me to. And me! The second suggestion about holding the keyfob to my head works as well! Lol. G. <snip> > I'd like to try resetting the key fequency with the 'ignition on off > method' that is mentioned by an earlier poster. Does anyone know how to do > this? I've had no luck finding instructions on google. Worth a try I suppose, but isn't that only telling the car to recognise the key? I could well be wrong, but I can't imagine it actually makes any changes to the operation of the key. Oh I've just remembered that one of the other things I've tried with mine was to bend the terminals up slightly so they make better contact with the battery. Being careful not to snap them off of course. As mentioned earlier, this is only a suggestion based on my own observations! G. > Well, yes but the OP mentioned that he had replaced the battery with a new > one. I had tried two new ones in mine from different sources. Oh, and the > Focus key fob battery is definitely *not* an alkaline cell! Indeed. Perhaps I could have phrased my last post better. The battery is of course a Lithium one. I was offering the observation that I've seen problems with alkaline batteries before and it might be something to try, as it's one of the things I did and *may* have contributed to the solution. Though of course in essence I will never know! Lol. I've had the OP's problem with brand new batteries too, and have never found any concrete explaination as to the behaviour. G. > My remote key fob for my Focus (UK-1999) is not working very well, and only > has very limited range. I thought it might be the battery that had gone, so [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Thanks, > Chris. Same thing happened to me too...the remote got progresivelly weaker and one day it stoped. took it to a auto alarm shop. they re-programmed the remote (it was out of its operating frequency range) for free.. Ahmet Turkey In alt.autos.ford.focus dragon <dondragon38@hotmail.com>: >> My remote key fob for my Focus (UK-1999) is not working very >> well, and only has very limited range. I thought it might be >> the battery that had gone, so changed it, but that didn't >> really help. [..] > Same thing happened to me too...the remote got progresivelly > weaker and one day it stoped. took it to a auto alarm shop. > they re-programmed the remote (it was out of its operating > frequency range) for free.. Belief it or not, but mine has improved dramatically with just reading this thread, without applying any of the more or less humorous advices in this thread, 5-8m are no problem right now.;) SignatureMichael Heiming (X-PGP-Sig > GPG-Key ID: EDD27B94) mail: echo zvpunry@urvzvat.qr | perl -pe 'y/a-z/n-za-m/' #bofh excuse 81: Please excuse me, I have to circuit an AC line through my head to get this database working. |
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