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2011 Dodge Nitro - Flaky Keyless Entry - Solved
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Versa09
User
Sep 8, 2023, 3:05 PM
Post #1 of 2
(434 views)
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2011 Dodge Nitro - Flaky Keyless Entry - Solved
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Please disregard. I replaced the (two-month-old) battery in my fob, it seems to be working now. Naturally, I completely ignored the first step in every keyless entry troubleshooting guide... CHECK THE BATTERY. New CR2023, 3.3VDC. Fob battery, 2.6VDC. My aftermarket fob is apparently draining the battery.
I'd been noticing for a while that my emergency flashers would flash a few times every time I got into the car and I had no idea why. Today I discovered that all I had to do was jingle my keys to make the flashers flash (I'm guessing the fob is sending unlock/disarm when that happens). I'll assume that's how the fob's battery discharged so quickly.
The fob buttons are on a single-piece gasket that fits into the head of the key, but not very well, and may have been folding in on itself when the fob was reassembled. I repositioned the gasket today, making sure it stayed where it was supposed to stay as I pressed it closed, and now, shaking the fob no longer causes the flashers to blink.
Fingers crossed... sorry for the false alarm.
I bought a 2011 Dodge Nitro a couple of months ago. The seller said the remote was hit-or-miss (it was very worn). I ordered an aftermarket key and had it cut and programmed by a locksmith, and it worked perfectly for a couple of months until this week, when both remotes mostly stopped working. Both fobs have new batteries.
Randomly, I had washed the car in my driveway earlier in the week before the problems started (the hood remained closed during the wash and no water was intentionally directed into the engine bay). Some internet posts have mentioned moisture in the TIPM, so that may be a factor. It did seem dry when I was checking fuses yesterday.
Now, sometimes (maybe one keypress in ten) one of the remotes will trigger a lock/arm, but not an unlock/disarm. The interior lock/unlock switches work fine, and the issue doesn't seem to be linked to another system (other forums' posts have reported links with cabin lights and/or wipers, and/or a "No Fuse" dash display, and no fuses are blowing that I can tell).
A post on another forum had me check a few fuses yesterday (J14, M13, M15 & M20). None were visibly blown and by the time I'd finished pulling and replacing all four, the new key/remote was working perfectly again.
Today, though, the problem is back without the car having been driven at all.
I'm seeing a B1A0A code (Remote Keyless Entry Fob 3 Performance) but that code has been present ever since I bought an OBD scanner last month (so it seems like the code was present even when the fob was working). I cleared it a couple of weeks ago, but now it has returned.
Finally, I pulled the negative battery cable today for 10+ minutes hoping a reset might improve things... it did not.
So I'm not seeing a lot of helpful info on the internet that I haven't already tried... does anyone know how I might troubleshoot this situation?
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2011 Dodge Nitro SXT
SUV 4D (3.7L V6 SMPI)
Odometer: 100,800 miles
(This post was edited by Versa09 on Sep 8, 2023, 4:31 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 8, 2023, 3:25 PM
Post #2 of 2
(424 views)
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Re: 2011 Dodge Nitro - Flaky Keyless Entry
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Those aftermarket transmitters are all Chinese junk and the failure rate is over 70%. You can't simply ignore codes related to the keyless entry system, especially if you can't erase them.
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