Car won't unlock? - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

wickysupafly · 11-28-2016, 03:50 PM

About a week or so ago, I went to unlock my car with the key fob, and the unlock button wouldn't work. Also, the trunk wouldn't pop.

I assumed that the key fob battery was dying, and put the key into the lock and went on my way.

Later that day, I went to unlock my car with the fob, and it worked.

This has been acting this way for the last few days. I figured I just needed a new battery.

Then, the other day my wife was needing to get into the passenger side. My key wasn't working (again), so I unlocked the car, sat in it, and hit the unlock button on the door. nothing happened. I kept pressing it, and it wouldn't work. I turned the key to the "ON" position, and the unlock worked.

SO, that is making me think the failure to unlock has nothing to do with the fob, but rather the unlock mechanism itself? Has anyone else experienced this, where the unlock doesn't work until you turn the car to "ON," and then it works perfectly fine?

FX86 · 11-28-2016, 03:58 PM

Do you have a second fob? See of the other key fob is stable.

So did you already replace the battery? If not you can swap batteries from the other fob and see if does the same thing just to rule out it the battery as the culprit.

wickysupafly · 11-28-2016, 04:01 PM

I haven't tried switching out the fob yet. I'll have to try that. I just thought it was strange that the button in the actual car wouldn't work either. And then once I turned the car to "ON," it all of a sudden started working again. I've never had to turn on a car just to unlock a door before.

Impureclient · 11-28-2016, 04:18 PM

It's never easy to hear this but your car may be rejecting you.
It used to be that cars were dumb. Now they have many complex computers running them. Back in the day a car would punch a rod through
the block or the transmission would lock up when they were done with you. They've smartened up and realized they can just lock you out.
It could be lock motor but it's probably just time to let go. Fill the gas tank, make sure there's decent pad life left on the brakes, give it a
final wash and wax and then let it go free back into the wild.

Tcoat · 11-28-2016, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Impureclient

It's never easy to hear this but your car may be rejecting you.
It used to be that cars were dumb. Now they have many complex computers running them. Back in the day a car would punch a rod through
the block or the transmission would lock up when they were done with you. They've smartened up and realized they can just lock you out.
It could be lock motor but it's probably just time to let go. Fill the gas tank, make sure there's decent pad life left on the brakes, give it a
final wash and wax and then let it go free back into the wild.

wickysupafly · 11-28-2016, 04:25 PM

I can't let her go! She's been so good to me for the 4 years I've had her (besides the crickets). But if I must...

Tcoat · 11-28-2016, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wickysupafly

I can't let her go! She's been so good to me for the 4 years I've had her (besides the crickets). But if I must...

Try the other fob and if still having a problem unhook the car battery for a few minutes too reset everything. Been a few people that the control just got confused somehow and a reset worked. My money is on the fob battery still because the switch not working baffles me and I don't like to be confused.

Chimera · 11-28-2016, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wickysupafly

I can't let her go! She's been so good to me for the 4 years I've had her (besides the crickets). But if I must...

so funny enough my car has actually been doing something similar, where after I park it and start walking away sometime I hit the lock button and nothing happens.. sometimes has been 2x, I just assume I need a new fob battery. and perhaps also a new starter battery, although shouldn't be an issue immediately after stopping the car. although my battery is about 4 years old now, and the car is starting slowly on cold mornings. I have just been going on the thought that my car is giving me early warnings to replace batteries.

humfrz · 11-29-2016, 01:16 AM

My FR-S has been quite dependable with the fob opening the door.

However, mrs humfrz's car is another story. Sometimes, one fob won't work and the spare will. Sometimes the spare won't but the main one will. Sometimes they will both work ..... sometimes neither of them will work. I can change the batteries and sometimes that will fix them ...... for a while ...... and sometimes not.

What the hell was wrong with just putting a key in the door lock and turning it, to unlock the door ......

humfrz

FX86 · 11-29-2016, 09:55 AM

On the 370Z their is a fobgina so if you are having difficulties then just stick your key fob into the fobgina...too bad our cars don't have one

NOHOME · 11-29-2016, 05:27 PM

Not so sure if the battery disconect thing is a good idea. I know for a fact that in some cars it will trigger the anti theft mode and the car wont start until it has been freed by the dealer.

Have personally seen this in a Dodge SUV. Owner decided to save on the $600 new battery quote from the dealer and installed his own. Maybe disconnected for 15 minutes. Car was locked out when he tried to start. Tow and reset pretty much put him back to the $600 quote.

Tcoat · 11-29-2016, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NOHOME

Not so sure if the battery disconect thing is a good idea. I know for a fact that in some cars it will trigger the anti theft mode and the car wont start until it has been freed by the dealer.

Have personally seen this in a Dodge SUV. Owner decided to save on the $600 new battery quote from the dealer and installed his own. Maybe disconnected for 15 minutes. Car was locked out when he tried to start. Tow and reset pretty much put him back to the $600 quote.

Doesn't seem to be a problem with these. Hundreds have done it. It also fixes an amazing array of things that you would never guess it would.

finch1750 · 11-29-2016, 05:56 PM

Usually if the car was locked by the fob the door lock switch doesnt work like when you tried to let your wife in. Starting the car may have reset that?

Switch keys and I bet everything works fine. Mine went out a couple months ago and Ive been without issue since

BRZnut · 11-29-2016, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Doesn't seem to be a problem with these. Hundreds have done it. It also fixes an amazing array of things that you would never guess it would.

Yup...T coat is correct. Replaced mine at home with a Red Top with no ill effects, and it corrected the front LED flicker at idle!

11-28-2016, 03:50 PM	#1
wickysupafly Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Drives: Scion FR-S (Asphalt 6AT) Location: Virginia Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Car won't unlock? About a week or so ago, I went to unlock my car with the key fob, and the unlock button wouldn't work. Also, the trunk wouldn't pop. I assumed that the key fob battery was dying, and put the key into the lock and went on my way. Later that day, I went to unlock my car with the fob, and it worked. This has been acting this way for the last few days. I figured I just needed a new battery. Then, the other day my wife was needing to get into the passenger side. My key wasn't working (again), so I unlocked the car, sat in it, and hit the unlock button on the door. nothing happened. I kept pressing it, and it wouldn't work. I turned the key to the "ON" position, and the unlock worked. SO, that is making me think the failure to unlock has nothing to do with the fob, but rather the unlock mechanism itself? Has anyone else experienced this, where the unlock doesn't work until you turn the car to "ON," and then it works perfectly fine?

11-29-2016, 05:56 PM	#13
finch1750 Undisputed El Presidente Join Date: Jun 2012 Drives: Zenki 37J ZN6 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 11,571 Thanks: 9,382 Thanked 9,397 Times in 5,261 Posts Mentioned: 374 Post(s) Tagged: 33 Thread(s)	Usually if the car was locked by the fob the door lock switch doesnt work like when you tried to let your wife in. Starting the car may have reset that? Switch keys and I bet everything works fine. Mine went out a couple months ago and Ive been without issue since __________________ "Just like how a strut bar somehow enables you to corner 20MPH faster around a cloverleaf on-ramp, when the reality is, you can do it already but you just don't have to balls to do it." - CSG David

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11-28-2016, 03:58 PM	#2
FX86 Banned Join Date: May 2016 Drives: on the wrongside of the road Location: rear floor mats Posts: 2,240 Thanks: 1,084 Thanked 2,087 Times in 1,015 Posts Mentioned: 14 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	Do you have a second fob? See of the other key fob is stable. So did you already replace the battery? If not you can swap batteries from the other fob and see if does the same thing just to rule out it the battery as the culprit.

11-28-2016, 04:01 PM	#3
wickysupafly Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Drives: Scion FR-S (Asphalt 6AT) Location: Virginia Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I haven't tried switching out the fob yet. I'll have to try that. I just thought it was strange that the button in the actual car wouldn't work either. And then once I turned the car to "ON," it all of a sudden started working again. I've never had to turn on a car just to unlock a door before.

11-28-2016, 04:18 PM	#4
Impureclient Banned Join Date: May 2015 Drives: 2015 FR-S Location: NPR, Florida Posts: 2,404 Thanks: 1,802 Thanked 2,903 Times in 1,282 Posts Mentioned: 25 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	It's never easy to hear this but your car may be rejecting you. It used to be that cars were dumb. Now they have many complex computers running them. Back in the day a car would punch a rod through the block or the transmission would lock up when they were done with you. They've smartened up and realized they can just lock you out. It could be lock motor but it's probably just time to let go. Fill the gas tank, make sure there's decent pad life left on the brakes, give it a final wash and wax and then let it go free back into the wild.

11-28-2016, 04:25 PM	#6
wickysupafly Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Drives: Scion FR-S (Asphalt 6AT) Location: Virginia Posts: 5 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I can't let her go! She's been so good to me for the 4 years I've had her (besides the crickets). But if I must...

11-29-2016, 01:16 AM	#9
humfrz Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: 2013 FR-S, white, MT Location: Puyallup, WA Posts: 29,925 Thanks: 28,883 Thanked 31,919 Times in 16,467 Posts Mentioned: 709 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	My FR-S has been quite dependable with the fob opening the door. However, mrs humfrz's car is another story. Sometimes, one fob won't work and the spare will. Sometimes the spare won't but the main one will. Sometimes they will both work ..... sometimes neither of them will work. I can change the batteries and sometimes that will fix them ...... for a while ...... and sometimes not. What the hell was wrong with just putting a key in the door lock and turning it, to unlock the door ...... humfrz

11-29-2016, 09:55 AM	#10
FX86 Banned Join Date: May 2016 Drives: on the wrongside of the road Location: rear floor mats Posts: 2,240 Thanks: 1,084 Thanked 2,087 Times in 1,015 Posts Mentioned: 14 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	On the 370Z their is a fobgina so if you are having difficulties then just stick your key fob into the fobgina...too bad our cars don't have one

11-29-2016, 05:27 PM	#11
NOHOME Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Drives: RAVEN Location: LONDON ONTARIO Posts: 787 Thanks: 86 Thanked 786 Times in 341 Posts Mentioned: 12 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	Not so sure if the battery disconect thing is a good idea. I know for a fact that in some cars it will trigger the anti theft mode and the car wont start until it has been freed by the dealer. Have personally seen this in a Dodge SUV. Owner decided to save on the $600 new battery quote from the dealer and installed his own. Maybe disconnected for 15 minutes. Car was locked out when he tried to start. Tow and reset pretty much put him back to the $600 quote.

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