Keyless system failure

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by victor_2019, May 23, 2019.

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  1. victor_2019

    victor_2019 Active Member

    The keyless system fails very often, as in at least 50% of the time.

    Many times i walk up to the car and try to open the trunk and nothing happens.

    Few times i walk up to the door and try to open it an nothing happens.

    And extremely often i get out of the car and walk towards the trunk and i hear the 5 rapid beeps.

    Most importantly this morning after hearing the 5 beeps i pressed on the door button and nothing happened, the doors didn't lock. This happened on two different occasions this morning.

    The car is new, i switched remotes and made no difference.

    Is this normal or is there something defective?

    I thought pressing the door handle button would lock the car even if the car doesn't sense the key?

    And why would it not sense the key when I'm right in front of the door?

    If i take the key out of my jeans pocket then it works, but don't tell me a piece of fabric blocks the signal??
     
    228ra likes this.
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  3. K8QM

    K8QM Active Member

    We've never had the problems you've described in 15 months of owning the Clarity. I typically put the fob in my pocket as I leave in the morning and never need to touch it again until I park the car for the night.

    geo
     
  4. 4sallypat

    4sallypat Active Member

    Same as @K8QM - never have to touch the remote whether in pocket (remote #1) or in my wife's purse (remote #2).

    That annoying multi chirping is occasional for me, but a touch of the door button locks the car fine.

    Since there are no error / fault codes that the dealer scanned - sounds like a "FCC Part 15 device that must accept interference" rule when it comes to your key fob.

    Try keyless entry lock / unlock in a remote / rural area away from where you normally live/work.
    Also try to remove any RF transmitting devices away from the key fob and car - bluetooth devices, cellphones, car key RFID, garage remote, wifi hot spots, etc...

    Also try changing out the battery in one of the remotes - it may be weak as evidenced by your jeans blocking the signal.

    Many times, the weak but constant radio frequency transmissions from your key fob may be blocked, over-ridden or interfered with by another source signal.

    Quite common to find in urban areas many sources of RF/EMI pollution: microwave, radar, pulse/burst home automation RF, HF/VHF/UHF commercial transmitters, AM (DSB) CB, and even neighbor amateur radio transmissions may interfere with the Honda signal.

    BTW I am an FCC ham radio licensed operator (amateur radio) for over 40 years...

    Also check if you have other keyfob remotes from other vehicles, RFID door keys, cell phone next to it, security entrance key card, etc...

    I had an issue with my work van's remote where it would trigger a theft alarm because I had my work RFID door tag key next to it while driving and parking.
    Once I separated it away from each other, the problem has never resurfaced.
     
    KentuckyKen likes this.
  5. craze1cars

    craze1cars Well-Known Member

    Car has a problem. Never experienced what you describe. Take to dealer and show them what’s happening.

    Before that, if less hassle for you, maybe try replacing batteries in fobs. It’s possible they are weak. It’s cheap and easy and probably the first thing the dealer is going to try anyway.

    And as 4sallypat says, pay attention to your environment...if this failure is repeatable in one specific location like your garage or somewhere else you park frequently, yet it works fine elsewhere, it could be a signal interference from an outside source at that one place. Or it could be you...your cell phone, hearing aid, pacemaker, pager, tablet, game other gadget you carry, etc? I don’t know you obviously but just think about the things with and around you that might wonky yer wavelengths....
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2019
  6. fotomoto

    fotomoto Active Member

    Order of investigation/troubleshooting:
    #1 Operating/operator error.
    #2 Change FOB battery.
    #3 Dealer.

    I find the system is a tad slower to wake/recognize the FOB than previous and other current cars we have.
     
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  8. Groves Cooke

    Groves Cooke Active Member

    Rapid beeping when you walk away from the car may mean the car is not turned off? Also, is there another key fob still in the car?
     
    ClarityDoc and fotomoto like this.
  9. fotomoto

    fotomoto Active Member

    Yup, see #1 above.

    Also, see: keyless operation in vehicle settings set to drivers door only.
     
  10. Kranberry

    Kranberry Member

    I've had the open trunk nothing happens the first time. Some times after several attempts it works. Also if I touch a button on the FOB everything starts working again. It also has happened at the door, try to open and nothing, but if I keep trying it eventually works.

    Not a big enough deal for me to get the dealer to check as it always works after time. I just attribute it to bad design or something else. Again not too worried about it right now.
     
  11. Clarity_Newbie

    Clarity_Newbie Active Member

    ...which is exactly why I carry a tin foil hat...lol
     
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  13. Mark W

    Mark W Active Member

    CT
    The main problem that I have had with it is the rapid beep situation. I would say that happens 25% of the time maybe? It's pretty annoying. I have never had any problem with the door not opening though.
     
  14. ab13

    ab13 Active Member

    Are you carrying more than one type of fob? Different fobs may interfere with each other.
     
  15. victor_2019

    victor_2019 Active Member

    my keys are in the same pocket as my cellphone. I have moved my cellphone to another pocket and will see if this stops the problems.

    in terms of environment, this happens pretty much everywhere as far as I can see, at home, in town, at work...
     
  16. Robert_Alabama

    Robert_Alabama Well-Known Member

    My cellphone will definitely interfere with the keyfob if in the same pocket. In fact, it did it to me yesterday after work.
     
  17. Kranberry

    Kranberry Member

    For me the key and cellphone are in the same pocket, but if I drive my other car and have that key FOB, no issues. Same with previous car. This is the only car where I have had to worry about other FOBs or cell phones. I will try keeping it separate and see if that changes anything. I think it only happens to me like once or twice a month, so it may take some time before I see it.
     
  18. leehinde

    leehinde Active Member

    FWIW I've not had any problem with the car locking or unlocking after a year of use, as a matter of course.

    I do have issues where it gets confused, if say, I walk off and my passenger lags. That will trigger the fast beeps.
     
  19. ClarityPHEVer

    ClarityPHEVer Member

    I carry my fob and my Toyota fob in a small change purse. When I stack that change purse on top of my phone in one hand, the car often doesn’t recognize the fob. However, if I stick my wallet between them, or put one in my pocket, no problem. Same thing if I’m carrying just my fob on top of my phone.
     
  20. Jason P

    Jason P New Member

    For me fob #1 works perfectly. Fob #2 however never works for walk away locking. I need to manually lock the car when I have fob #2. I'll be visiting the dealer on this once I can get together all the TSB stuff and hopefully they can address it all together on one trip.
     
  21. fotomoto

    fotomoto Active Member

    With FOB #1 out of range of the car, start car with #2, go into settings, and see if that feature is activated. IIRC, some (many?) settings are FOB dependent.
     
  22. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    This text from page 140 in the Owners Manual indicates that only one fob can be the walk-away fob, but some on this forum have found a way to enable walk-away locking for both fobs:

    The auto lock function is set to OFF as the factory default setting. The auto lock function can be set to
    ON using the audio/information screen. If you set the auto lock function to ON using the
    audio/information screen, only the remote transmitter that was used to unlock the driver’s door
    prior to the setting change can activate auto lock.
     
  23. Kranberry

    Kranberry Member

    Okay it just happened again and I did some testing.

    Walked up to the trunk to open, it refused to open. I did have a bluetooth wireless hotspot in the same pocket as my key fob.

    Took out my key fob held it in the hand and tried to open the trunk. It failed multiple times (at least 4). Used the button to open the trunk and closed the trunk immediately. Tried top open the trunk and it failed again repeatedly. After multiple opens with fob button, and closing it finally worked.

    To note, in between these attempts, I got another error, if I held the fob in the hand that closed the trunk it would beep at me and the trunk would open up. Lift and close, beep beep and open. It stopped doing it once the key fob was able to open the trunk successfully. I have some of it on video where I am holding the fob in my hand with nothing else and trying to open the trunk multiple times. Not good at editing or else I'd post it as I'd want my license plate and stuff to be blurred out.
     

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