Poor key fob range?

[smarrick]

Any fix's. Both transmitters have new batteries they work fine but the range sucks and makes my auto window worthless. Any way to boost range or is the reciever crap. Also anyone know what module the transmitters communicate with?

Thanks

[RED1.8T]

The receiver is in the driver side rear fender I believe. I pulled that out of my a**...its either spot-on or on the pole opposite side of the car haha

[giacb6usp]

put your fob under your chin... right below the lower mandible. The IR frequency from fob transmitted through your teeth and it greatly enhances the work range. The charges on the teeth align at a certain pattern when you press the button and it work just like the dish for those directv thing. I'm not kiddin..

[Teratorn]

^^ he isn't kidding. I do this all the time. You can even extend the range if you open your mouth.

[Exanimas]

And then when people look at you like a jackass just play it off like you were rubbing or scratching your chin.

No but seriously, it does work.

[llau515]

put your fob under your chin...

yup, he aint kidding, works everytime.

[nihil]

^He has to be kidding, IR is infrared light, which our remotes do -not- use to communicate with our cars...

Also, unless you have metal in your head, holding the remote to your face will do nothing but make you look silly. Holding the remote higher however might help.


Is this problem location specific? A couple weeks back I replaced the battery in my remote, and everything was working great for a couple days until I had to go to my dentists office two days in a row. Both days, the remote refused to work in the parking lot. After looking around, I noticed I was right in the middle of three large antenna towers (radio station, traffic camera network, government mind control, etc...). Works fine anywhere but around there.

Also if you're in/around structures with a lot of metal in the walls, you might have effectively quarantined yourself in a Faraday cage, which also inhibits RF communication.

[got boost.]

is true. forgot what episode it was but in Topgear jeremy clarkson shows how if you point the remote next to your head it increases the range and i personally do it all the time.

[02SILVANT]

Dont even get me started on the range of our key fobs, they suck balls. but putting it next to your hear right above your ear in the temple area it works much better. I shall try the under the chin tomorrow. LOL

[ThreePointOhh]

is true. forgot what episode it was but in Topgear jeremy clarkson shows how if you point the remote next to your head it increases the range and i personally do it all the time.

but is jeremy ever serious about anything. i dont know if i could take that kind of advice from him.

[gdawg'05a4]

Yep, the chin trick works every time I'm walking to the car from my building at work. I can stand far away and hold the remote high in the air and try to lower the windows but won't work. But in the same spot with it under my chin, it rolls down the windows.

[pondside36]

Very interesting... this calls for Ripley's Believe It or Not... let's see some video proof.. lol

[CaRtharsis]

Anyone have any other suggestions? I get about 5' range with one unit and maybe 10' with the other. Both have new batteries as well. My aftermarket units in my other cars work in excess of 1/4 mile. Even the factory setup in my wife's P5 worked at about 500'.

I only have 2 complaints about my Avant. Useless remote's and even less useful cup holders.

[gdawg'05a4]

Is this distance problem only specific to one place, such as work or home?

I have noticed that sometimes when I park near or next to one of those electrical boxes (that may control traffic signals, lights, etc) will interfere with the remote and I have to be next to the car for it to unlock.

[smarrick]

First of all the chin trick is totaly true. I work at a car dealership and when you walk outside to 300 hundred cars in a parking lot to find something I always just hold it to my chin for range and set off the alarm to find the damn thing.

It doesn't matter where I am the range blows. I know the chin adds a couple 10 20 feet but, I was looking for a permanent fix to increase the range. Anyone.