FOB stops responding in garage but ok outside

[hpad06]

Now my 2011 ford explorer does not respond when I park it in my garage, even when I stand besides the door, it would not respond, if I sit in the driver seat and move the fob close the head light, lock/unlock button would work.

If I move the car outside garage, my fob works fine up to 10 meters.

I have 4 Fobs, all behave the same.

All these started yesterday after I try to install a usb cable from overhead windshield to fuse box for my dashcam, before yesterday, FOBs work very well in the garage.

Now I have everything removed , no usb cable anymore, nothing connect to fuse box, but still FOB does not work within garage.

If I stand in garage hoding the FOB, but explorer stays outside, FOB works, as soong as explorer comes in the garage, FOB no longer works.

Is it my explorer FOB receiver damaged, what should I do ?

 

[Dr Plastic]

Pull the battery and see if there is an oily substance on the positive side of the battery. If so wipe it all off to include the contacts inside the remote.

 

[COEXSPORT]

Sounds like you have something in your garage transmitting on the same frequency as your fobs.

 

[wilsoda]

As COEXSport suggested might be something interfering. Not the exact same thing, but after putting LED bulbs in my garage door opener and all the opener remotes stopped working if the light was on. Switched back and the problem went away.

 

[hpad06]

It has to be something inside the house interfering, however I did not change anything at all in the house or in the garage.

Sometime even when I sit in the driver seat, the fob would not respond, I don't think I have anything in the house/garage has such strong signal.

Dr Plastic, do you mean the battery in my car or battery in my FOB? I tried 4 FOBs all the same. Besides this FOB lock/unlock not responding, my car starts fine, so don't think car battery is at fault.

Also the range outside the garage is only half of what it was .

This only start happening since last night after I wire the usb cable. Now with cable removed, I don't know if computer still remembers something

 

[peterk9]

Do NOT wipe off any grease from the remote's battery. From the Owner's Guide; Note: Do not wipe off any grease on the battery terminals or on the back surface of the circuit board.

Do you have something plugged into the USB port? There have been posts that mentioned that sometimes a device left plugged into the USB can cause problems.

Peter

 

[Dr Plastic]

Peter the substance is silicone oil and is leeched by the circuit board it has to be cleaned off or the contacts in the FOB will not work. It prevents the contacts from working. It also forms on the positive side of the battery due to electrical attraction. It is a well known problem. I proved that right in front of a service manager who was trying to tell me I needed to buy expensive new FOBS. The manual tells you not to do because ordinary owners may not know how to to it properly and damage the remote.

The link outlines the same issue with a TV remote but the issue is still the same. I just had to take apart my TV remote and clean it because of this very problem. I have been an electronics technician for over 30 years and it has been a major problem with the advent of silicone contact pads and lithium batteries.


http://www.michaelshell.org/gadgetsandfixes/keypadsiliconeoil.html

 

[dco43054]

Sounds like you have something in your garage transmitting on the same frequency as your fobs.

 

[peterk9]

Peter the substance is silicone oil and is leeched by the circuit board it has to be cleaned off or the contacts in the FOB will not work. It prevents the contacts from working. It also forms on the positive side of the battery due to electrical attraction. It is a well known problem. I proved that right in front of a service manager who was trying to tell me I needed to buy expensive new FOBS. The manual tells you not to do because ordinary owners may not know how to to it properly and damage the remote.

The link outlines the same issue with a TV remote but the issue is still the same. I just had to take apart my TV remote and clean it because of this very problem. I have been an electronics technician for over 30 years and it has been a major problem with the advent of silicone contact pads and lithium batteries.


http://www.michaelshell.org/gadgetsandfixes/keypadsiliconeoil.html

Thanks for that info. I read some where that it is a dielectric grease, not an oil. When I opened mine it definitely looked like 'grease' and the consistency was more like a grease than an oil. Looked a bit like petroleum jelly. In any case, I've left the substance on mine and have not had any issues.
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Peter

 

[FordServiceCA]

Now my 2011 ford explorer does not respond when I park it in my garage, even when I stand besides the door, it would not respond, if I sit in the driver seat and move the fob close the head light, lock/unlock button would work.

If I move the car outside garage, my fob works fine up to 10 meters.

I have 4 Fobs, all behave the same.

All these started yesterday after I try to install a usb cable from overhead windshield to fuse box for my dashcam, before yesterday, FOBs work very well in the garage.

Now I have everything removed , no usb cable anymore, nothing connect to fuse box, but still FOB does not work within garage.

If I stand in garage hoding the FOB, but explorer stays outside, FOB works, as soong as explorer comes in the garage, FOB no longer works.

Is it my explorer FOB receiver damaged, what should I do ?

Hi hpad06,

Have you contacted your dealer about this? Send over the current odometer reading; I'll do some research on my end.

Nikki
Ford Service CA

 

[hpad06]

now it magically comes back to normal. and I am so scared to try again connecting the usb cable, may try it later when it's warmer.

 

[1995E]

Thanks for that info. I read some where that it is a dielectric grease, not an oil. When I opened mine it definitely looked like 'grease' and the consistency was more like a grease than an oil. Looked a bit like petroleum jelly. In any case, I've left the substance on mine and have not had any issues.
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Peter

I believe they used dielectric/ silicone grease as it is commonly used on electrical components to protect rubber. This comes from wikipedia: (Dielectric grease is electrically insulating and does not break down when high voltage is applied. It is often applied to electrical connectors, particularly those containing rubber gaskets, as a means of lubricating and sealing rubber portions of the connector without arcing)

If it is all over the battery, it could end up insulating the connection and prevent a good signal from the battery to the remote.

 

[TerryVanpool]

I believe they used dielectric/ silicone grease as it is commonly used on electrical components to protect rubber. This comes from wikipedia: (Dielectric grease is electrically insulating and does not break down when high voltage is applied. It is often applied to electrical connectors, particularly those containing rubber gaskets, as a means of lubricating and sealing rubber portions of the connector without arcing)

If it is all over the battery, it could end up insulating the connection and prevent a good signal from the battery to the remote.

Ford put the grease on the battery and terminals for a reason. See the following paragraph from the 2014 Explorer "Owners Guide, 3rd Printing".

>Replacing the Battery​

>Note:​

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Refer to local regulations when disposing of transmitter batteries.​

>Note:​

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Do not wipe off any grease on the battery terminals or on the​

>back surface of the circuit board.

But it is your car so do as you want.

 

[Dr Plastic]

Mine does not have any grease on the battery. None of my last three Fords have ever had dielectric grease on the battery terminals in the FOB. I have been doing this for over 10 years with all my cars that had remotes and it has fixed FOB problems 9 of of ten times!