fob works but doors will not lock or unlock, nor does panic button work | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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fob works but doors will not lock or unlock, nor does panic button work

dB2000

Member
Joined
April 27, 2019
Messages
17
Reaction score
3
City, State
San Diego
Year, Model & Trim Level
2009 XLT
I have a 2009 Explorer XLT. Week before last the key FOB suddenly stopped working. This after it worked several times earlier in the day. I only have the one FOB. It has never worked since.
Even though the battery was at 3.08 Volts, I replaced the battery, tested 3.4 Volts.
I had a locksmith, using information from some website, to reprogram the fob to the car. This was after he used a tester to verify that my fob was transmitting a signal when a button on the fob was pressed. The process started and finished correctly, but the FOB still did not work. So the locksmith used a new fob. The process started and finished properly. But the new fob did not function either. Locksmith says it has to be something in the vehicle that is not functioning correctly send a voltage to the doors. The internal door switches to lock and unlock the doors function just fine.

Later at home using the procedure that is in the owners manual for programming the car to the fob I repeated the process. Three times I went through the routine getting the locking and unlocking and horn beeps as described in the manual. But there is no response to the fob after programming has been completed.

From looking at other threads covering earlier version of the explorer. One response says that I should have a device called a "body security module" that may be the problem.

Where would I find that thing and what does it look like? One comment said it MIGHT be behind the glove Box. More importantly how would I test it to see if it is receiving and sending signals?
 



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I have a 2009 Explorer XLT. Week before last the key FOB suddenly stopped working. This after it worked several times earlier in the day. I only have the one FOB. It has never worked since.
Even though the battery was at 3.08 Volts, I replaced the battery, tested 3.4 Volts.
I had a locksmith, using information from some website, to reprogram the fob to the car. This was after he used a tester to verify that my fob was transmitting a signal when a button on the fob was pressed. The process started and finished correctly, but the FOB still did not work. So the locksmith used a new fob. The process started and finished properly. But the new fob did not function either. Locksmith says it has to be something in the vehicle that is not functioning correctly send a voltage to the doors. The internal door switches to lock and unlock the doors function just fine.

Later at home using the procedure that is in the owners manual for programming the car to the fob I repeated the process. Three times I went through the routine getting the locking and unlocking and horn beeps as described in the manual. But there is no response to the fob after programming has been completed.

From looking at other threads covering earlier version of the explorer. One response says that I should have a device called a "body security module" that may be the problem.

Where would I find that thing and what does it look like? One comment said it MIGHT be behind the glove Box. More importantly how would I test it to see if it is receiving and sending signals?
DB,
This is covered well in other posts.
I had the same issue 2 months ago, and this is how it was solved.
After re programing your fob, remove the car battery connection for about 10 minutes. Reconnect the battery. This solved the problem for me, and has worked fine since.
 






thank you!
for whatever reason all Iwas coming across were posts for a lot older explorers but I thought there had to be others.
 






DB,
This is covered well in other posts.
I had the same issue 2 months ago, and this is how it was solved.
After re programing your fob, remove the car battery connection for about 10 minutes. Reconnect the battery. This solved the problem for me, and has worked fine since.
Disconnecting the battery did the trick. While it was disconnected I cleaned the turminal and the clamp. Now the doors unlock and lock. Ye'Ha!

One thing is different. You have to press the unlock button to get the driver's door to unlock which also unlocks all the other doors. It used to be one click unlocked the drivers door and a second click unlocked all the other doors. Now I will not have to worry that the doors are unlocked accidentally with the keys in my pocket. Then if the truck is unlocked I will know for sure it was the last idiot that used it forgot to lock it. . . . I am the only one that uses it.
 






Disconnecting the battery did the trick. While it was disconnected I cleaned the turminal and the clamp. Now the doors unlock and lock. Ye'Ha!

One thing is different. You have to press the unlock button to get the driver's door to unlock which also unlocks all the other doors. It used to be one click unlocked the drivers door and a second click unlocked all the other doors. Now I will not have to worry that the doors are unlocked accidentally with the keys in my pocket. Then if the truck is unlocked I will know for sure it was the last idiot that used it forgot to lock it. . . . I am the only one that uses it.
I think there is a setting in the info display that lets you toggle between unlocking the driver's door or all of them on the first click. Maybe this got reset. I know there is also a setting that unlocks all doors when the engine is shut off.
 






There is no separated module.
Security module its a part of SJB module (also radio receiver for TPMS inside-the same one).


Is forscan or dealer tool used for reprogramming?
Note that universal locksmith scanners will work 50/50 with explorer fob reprogramming.
 






There is no separated module.
Security module its a part of SJB module (also radio receiver for TPMS inside-the same one).


Is forscan or dealer tool used for reprogramming?
Note that universal locksmith scanners will work 50/50 with explorer fob reprogramming.
Thank you for the clarification of the correct module.

The locksmith and I used the manual "switching the key off and on 8 times" method. No tools used. He had found a procedure on the internet. He tried three times with my fob. Then tried a new fob he had in his bins. I used the procedure in the owners manual.

Just to clarify any misunderstanding I have. The FOB is not actually being reprogrammed. The car module is being reprogrammed to recognize the unique signature being transmitted by the FOB, correct?
 






Yep.
You should try "GEM/SJB module" reprogramming feature (also, GEM module KAM memory should be restarted as well) using forscan/dealer tool acc. to workshop manual.

Basically
PATS immobilizer code stored inside instrument cluster module eeprom memory chip and keyless entry code stored in SJB module eeprom chip acc. to workshop manual.
 






I bought a set of two fobs on Amazon for $15. Using the procedure in the owners manual, I programmed those two and my original fob together, which is required by the procedure. Thus, I have three working fobs now. Time will tell if the knock off fobs last.
 






I bought a set of two fobs on Amazon for $15. Using the procedure in the owners manual, I programmed those two and my original fob together, which is required by the procedure. Thus, I have three working fobs now. Time will tell if the knock off fobs last.
It is good to note that when programming a fob all the fobs you intend to use need to be programmed again with the new fob. Otherwise the older fobs will no longer work.
 






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