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Key Fob Distance is awful?????

25K views 45 replies 23 participants last post by  JeeperBeeper 
#1 ·
I have a 2014 Rubicon and when I first got it the key fob had the distance of any other car or truck I have owned. Sometime about a year or so later the distance got terrible. I thought I will just switch to the spare key. That did not work more than 10 feet either. So then I opened a fob up and got the battery out, went and got two new batteries. This did not help either. Distance was still about 10 feet for both key fobs. Well now I am not happy and took it to the dealer to check out. They could not find anything wrong, a matter of fact the service writer brought it back out and the key fob worked from across the service bay, about 75 ft or more. I was confused but said ok. Got it home from the dealer and it was back to 10ft or less. If I am walking up from behind the jeep I have to get to the tail light before the doors unlock. Anyone have this problem and have a fix????? Sometimes I would like to use the remote start, but if it only works from 10 feet, I could open the door and start it easier!
 
#4 ·
I have a 2014 Rubicon and when I first got it the key fob had the distance of any other car or truck I have owned. Sometime about a year or so later the distance got terrible. I thought I will just switch to the spare key. That did not work more than 10 feet either. So then I opened a fob up and got the battery out, went and got two new batteries. This did not help either. Distance was still about 10 feet for both key fobs. Well now I am not happy and took it to the dealer to check out. They could not find anything wrong, a matter of fact the service writer brought it back out and the key fob worked from across the service bay, about 75 ft or more. I was confused but said ok. Got it home from the dealer and it was back to 10ft or less. If I am walking up from behind the jeep I have to get to the tail light before the doors unlock. Anyone have this problem and have a fix????? Sometimes I would like to use the remote start, but if it only works from 10 feet, I could open the door and start it easier!
Try touching the keyfob to the bottom of your chin and then push the button. Don't know why but it extends the range a lot.
 
#6 ·
Key Fob

I tried the chin thing, with my suburban it extends the distance twice as much! Jeep nothing.

It happens every where! I had this problem for about a year now. No matter where I am at it is exactly the same.
 
#7 ·
Do you have a 12V to 5V USB converted plugged in? Sometime they generate a lot of RF noise which will interfere with the remote RF.
 
#9 ·
Key Fob



I read that on another post and I do have that for my phone, I left it unplugged for a week and still no luck. Same distance.

I ran into a problem with my 2014 JKUR about 4 months ago...key fob wouldn't work until right up on the jeep...only happened at work. Turns out it was a temporary microwave radio booster that the construction crew working on the freeway was using as soon as they moved on from the section near my workplace the range went back to normal.
This happens from Texas to Arkansas to Oklahoma to New Mexico. In the sticks or in the city I get the same thing.

On another note if you go to Kolh's in our town your key fob will not work! I have seen that on multiple cars!
 
#8 ·
I ran into a problem with my 2014 JKUR about 4 months ago...key fob wouldn't work until right up on the jeep...only happened at work. Turns out it was a temporary microwave radio booster that the construction crew working on the freeway was using as soon as they moved on from the section near my workplace the range went back to normal.
 
#11 ·
I have the same issue, it has been in the shop twice for repair and still not resolved. It is going onto the shop again next week and we will see what happens.

What is frustrating is I look for the auto starts in the winter for the heat to get going or summer to kick start the air, does not really help if I have to start the car from 5 feet away, By the time I open the door the car is just starting. LOL
 
#13 ·
Key Fob



yep that is frustrating, kind of defeats the purpose of having the remote start. As hot is in Texas remote start is great. That is one big reason I want the distance back with the key fob.
 
#14 ·
I too have limited distance on the remote start - but mine's aftermarket and have to lock 3 times to start it - getting tired of that so I'm thinking it's time to replace with a better remote start as I use my remote start ALL the time...

just too hot not to :)
 
#17 ·
I have a 2014 Rubicon and when I first got it the key fob had the distance of any other car or truck I have owned. Sometime about a year or so later the distance got terrible. I thought I will just switch to the spare key. That did not work more than 10 feet either. So then I opened a fob up and got the battery out, went and got two new batteries. This did not help either. Distance was still about 10 feet for both key fobs. Well now I am not happy and took it to the dealer to check out. They could not find anything wrong, a matter of fact the service writer brought it back out and the key fob worked from across the service bay, about 75 ft or more. I was confused but said ok. Got it home from the dealer and it was back to 10ft or less. If I am walking up from behind the jeep I have to get to the tail light before the doors unlock. Anyone have this problem and have a fix????? Sometimes I would like to use the remote start, but if it only works from 10 feet, I could open the door and start it easier!
Are there any steel poles around the parking spaces when it doesn't work?

Mine gets worse at work, but it's not always consistent. It gets really bad when my Jeep is parked in spaces where metal poles are driven into the ground around parking spaces... like a sign or flag pole.

I also get poor cellular and satellite connections in these same areas....

On the flip side... I can start my Jeep from inside the house - 50 feet away.

Go figure.

.
 
#18 ·
Key Fob



I acts the same way no matter where I am at. I can be in the middle of a field and it acts the same way it does when I am in the city. Maybe I am the one emitting some sort of key fob force field! LOL
 
#22 ·
Same problem here with 2013 10A. We are sometimes 3-4 persons walking towards the parking lot together and all my partners start their vehicles from as far as 1/8 mile away, while mine works some 10-20 feet from the jeep.... Frustrating to say the least.

Envoyé de mon E6653 en utilisant Tapatalk
 
#28 ·
Sounds more like the receiver is going bad than the antenna. If you can find exactly where the receiver is, is it easy to replace?

Mine work well in excess of 100'. My previous Chrysler vehicles were the same way, and I had one for 8 years and a second for 7. Previous vehicles with remotes, I never had more that 4 years. (All Chrysler built).
 
#29 ·
I believe you can access the antenna from behind the glove box. Haven't tried, but it looks like the receiver is there is the skematics and the antenna extends off of that.

The antenna is part # 68068009AA

The manual states the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) works from 66ft max, or less if "metal objects in the way. It also says remote start uses the same system and works with max distance of 300ft (which explains why some people say they have a greater distance with remote start than they do door unlock.

When I get some time I'll pull my glove box (just push in the plastic tabs on sides and pull outward, and I'll see if I can find the antenna.
 
#30 ·
I believe you can access the antenna from behind the glove box. Haven't tried, but it looks like the receiver is there is the skematics and the antenna extends off of that.

The antenna is part # 68068009AA

The manual states the Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) works from 66ft max, or less if "metal objects in the way. It also says remote start uses the same system and works with max distance of 300ft (which explains why some people say they have a greater distance with remote start than they do door unlock.

When I get some time I'll pull my glove box (just push in the plastic tabs on sides and pull outward, and I'll see if I can find the antenna.
Well, there you go.... that aligns with my observations.

Many metal poles around the parking lot at work.
flag poles, light poles, no parking sign poles..

.
 
#34 ·
One of those "metal objects" could be your Jeep itself. I haven't noticed issues with the fob because I generally only press it when I'm a few feet away, but when opening the garage door to my apartment parkade, I always had to hold the remote up to my windshield when driving my car. With the Jeep I can leave it in the cupholder, likely because the path from there is somehow more clear than from where the cupholder is in my PT.
 
#37 ·
Well just got back from the dealer. This was the third trip for key fob distance. I finally go a service guy that owned a jeep and finally believed me that the key fob distance was not good. There was some warranty software updates to jeep and he thought that would help. He called and said those did not help. So they started checking the key fob themselves. Now I have to new keys/fobs and the problem appears to have gone away. Both keys/fobs under warranty. A pain but maybe it is finally fixed!
 
#40 ·
They could not find anything wrong, a matter of fact the service writer brought it back out and the key fob worked from across the service bay, about 75 ft or more. I was confused but said ok.
Well just got back from the dealer. This was the third trip for key fob distance. I finally go a service guy that owned a jeep and finally believed me that the key fob distance was not good.
I wonder what changed at the dealership? Why did it work OK (75' +) the first time, but finally poorly at your third trip?
 
#44 ·
I have had the same basic key/fob combination on three of the last 4 new vehicles I have owned (the TJ bought used not in the above). That's a 2005 T&C, 2006 Ram 2500 and my JKU. I have never had an issue with any of the fobs. I know that in the case of the Ram, I used to walk out of a building at the scout camp, point the fob in the general direction of my truck well over 100' feet away and use the bed light to find it in the dark.
 
#46 · (Edited)
I know this thread is old asf, but what I read here helped me sort out my issue, so heres to helping others if I can.

Hey fellow jeepers I was facing this issue and something I read here seems to have solved my problem so sharing it for everyone.

My 2017 sahara 1945 edition with remote start started having this issue, and given the recent cold blast I really needed tobe able to start my car from more than 5 feet away, which was all it was doing. I was considering ordering one of the aftermarket remotes as a last resort although it was going to be a hassle.

Then I read here somewhere there is radio fields created by electronics like chargers and non stock radios etc.

I have a double usb fast charger in the armrest 12v, I thought of giving a shot disconnecting it and voila!

I am sitting at my office window 100 feet away hearing that beautiful remote honk working perfectly!

Hope this helps anyone with this issue as it did mine.

Keep mudding!

Added pictures of that black jeep before amd after starting from my window, thise red rings are the car started and heating now. Cheers!

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