Panic alarm can't be shut off with fob? (if fob battery is low)

[robinlanark]

So I accidentally set off the panic alarm sometimes, presumably by hitting the button on the fob. But then I cannot turn it off again with the fob. I have to get into the vehicle and start it up before it will shut off. That is crazy. This is what I found in the manual.

Sounding a Panic Alarm
Note: The panic alarm only operates when the ignition is off.
-Press the button to activate the alarm.
-Press the button again or switch the ignition on to deactivate.

Anyone else have any experience with this? Is the manual wrong? I'd like to test it by trying it but prefer to not annoy my neighbours unless I have to.

Thanks.

 

[Odrapnew]

Go to an empty parking lot and try it out.

Any time I accidentally hit the panic button, pressing it again turns off the panic alarm.

 

[texsn95]

I could never get mine to turn off unless I got in the vehicle and pressed the ignition On, and we set it off on accident quite a bit. So I cut that little tab off inside the remote for the panic button so essentially disabling it.

 

[J_C]

I'd wonder if the fob switch is contaminated or just failing. I assume you've tried a fresh battery.

 

[peterk9]

I'd wonder if the fob switch is contaminated or just failing. I assume you've tried a fresh battery.

In another post he mentioned he cleaned the inside of the fob using alcohol. Doing that removed the dielectric grease that is supposed to be there. Not sure if that is causing the issue but it doesn't help.

Peter

 

[J_C]

Lack of dielectric grease shouldn't cause this. It's not really even needed based on the design of the circuit, though I could accept putting some on the gasket to make it more water resistant.

What are the supposed benefits of the dielectric grease besides as a gasket lube? I can't think of anything beneficial in having it anywhere else.

I am assuming the keyfob has mechanical, discrete switches soldered to the PCB, not just carbon, nickel, or gold plated contacts with a silicone keypad plunger using a carbon coated backing to make contact? If it is a silicone keypad plunger, those can leak silicone oil as the silicone rubber formula breaks down, that isn't even supposed to be there and eventually fouls the contacts if not wiped off, but mostly I see this design on cheaper electronics like TV remote controls or average/lower-end computer keyboards.

On the other hand, if cleaning it resulted in dielectric grease getting into areas where it shouldn't be, like the battery contacts or into a mechanical switch, then sure, that could be a problem. Alcohol won't actually dissolve and clean off silicone dielectric grease, more like just a lubricant that helps spread it around so there's still a thin film of it anywhere it was spread. It should not be on the battery contacts.

 

[Odrapnew]

To expand on what J_C said, dielectric grease does not help with conductivity. It's actually an insulator to protect from moisture and corrosion.

Wiping it off should not affect (reduce) the function of the contacts short term, but without it you might get corrosion buildup over time which could affect it. If anything, wiping it off could temporarily improve the contact (before corrosion sets in).

 

[robinlanark]

I appreciate all the inputs. In response:

- I tried another fob and it worked to disable the panic alarm remotely.

- I changed the batteries in the first fob and it now also works the same way, but is finicky (sometimes requires more presses for any button) (I apologise for not thinking of the battery before but the batteries were changed only a few months ago so I didn't think it could be that).

- I am not 100% sure but I think the Ford service person told me to clean the contacts when I told them I had already changed the batteries and still had problems with all the remote buttons.

In summary, it seems to be the batteries in the fob, but also possibly the fob electronics. I'm going to use the other fob for now and see how long the battery lasts, while I take to drinking or something to deal with the endless micro-stress. Maybe I should buy one new fob in order to see how a new one compares. I don't see how they could wear out.

My last vehicle was a 2012 Ford Escape, with nothing fancy or electronic except a remote unlock - I never changed the batteries in 5 years! This is getting out of hand, and I bet people are expected to pay when minor things like this happen.

So it's a great help for us to have each other to chat with.

 

[robinlanark]

I could never get mine to turn off unless I got in the vehicle and pressed the ignition On, and we set it off on accident quite a bit. So I cut that little tab off inside the remote for the panic button so essentially disabling it.

I forgot to address your post. It seems to make sense that if the battery is dead-ish (see previous response) and the panic alarm goes off, that I'd have to get into the truck to cancel the alarm. But it doesn't make sense that it goes off with it in my pocket, assuming an accidental press, but won't turn off from the same distance. Thx

 

[J_C]

If the battery is low, it might have just enough voltage to send a signal, especially if it only takes a short press to set off the alarm but a longer one to deactivate it, so once it has used the power to do that, suffers from a voltage depression. It would be good to measure the battery voltage to see its health. Granted this is a fringe case, but could be repeatable with any battery just starting to drop below minimum voltage needed, if you used it regularly then you are more likely to observe something like that happening. IDK the minimum voltage those fobs can use, but would assume a lithium coin cell battery below 2.8V is too low.

Another thing to do is look at the circuit board for signs of a crusty residue, as moisture can cause problems on semi-modern PCBs that used water soluble flux and had some left behind. While looking at the circuit board, also check for solder cracks, particularly at the battery contacts and the switches themselves. I'd also clean the battery contacts again, not just wipe with a solvent but more of an abrasive action with a dry paper towel.

 

[texsn95]

I forgot to address your post. It seems to make sense that if the battery is dead-ish (see previous response) and the panic alarm goes off, that I'd have to get into the truck to cancel the alarm. But it doesn't make sense that it goes off with it in my pocket, assuming an accidental press, but won't turn off from the same distance. Thx

Yeah me either, but we've tried multiple times trying to disarm it with the fob to no avail. Just one of those things I guess.