PKE help needed. A strange thing happened

[Skant]

My owners manual shows three in the coupe. And when I approach the passenger side door, it does detect the fob (which would be well out of range of the other two). So I think I can verify that all three are present and functional.


Btw, I think the 'motion detection' function on the fob to 'wake up' the car is actually for battery conservation on the fob. The transmitter turns itself off if the fob isn't moving. Otherwise, it'd run out of power when it was just sitting on your desk or in storage. Your backup fob would run out of battery as fast as the one you're using. The motion detection is a mechanical system (a spring), so it takes zero power when it's just sitting motionless.

- Skant

 

[bbw]

Rabbit, Skant, maybe in 1995 and 1996 they used a third antenna. In the 1993, as I've indicated, the owner's manual claims only two. The range is so small on the passenger side that it does seem that the hatch or the driver antenna is picking it up. Unless there is shielding, those bubbles in the graphics should probably be more like circles than like the near half-circles that they are.

Maybe I could just install one in the passenger's door. Anyone ever do that?

 

[Eagle85C4]

Actually the remote only uses power when the transmitter is activated. Two ways this is done is by switch activation or the motion circuit. This turns on the transmitter and the signal is emitted then. There is a motion detector circuit in the remote , which consists of a ball bearing in a "cup". There are contacts coming down the sides of the cup and a contact at the bottom. With the remote in a flat position the ball bearing is in constant contact with the bottom and as it rolls around in the cup the ball makes and breaks with the contacts on the side of the cup. This is wired in parallel with the push button switch which allows for the PKE function. From all the ones I have repaired, I have found the contacts in the cup get dirty causeing the PKE function not to work. A cotton swab and some alcohol is used to clean the contacts in the cup and on the ball bearing. This usually returns the PKE function.
The comment about holding the remote upright is because in the upright position the ball is resting on the side of the cup and not making contact with the bottom leaving the only way to trigger the remote is with the button.

 

[KOPBET]

Actually the remote only uses power when the button is pushed.

This clearly is not true in my C4's case. There is no requirement to push any button to unlock, hence, power must be being applied to the transmitter. Owners manual states transmitter is shut down after 26 seconds of no motion. Furthermore, the "Door" button operates the passenger door lock, not the driver side. This is what it says in the owner's manual and this is what I have observed. To prove it, try it.

 

[Eagle85C4]

There are several FOB configurations. The earlier ones did not have a motion circuit in the remote and was activated only by the button. Those with the motion circuit (ie..PKE) allow for activation through the use of both the button and the motion circuit. It is rather obvious that more features were added in the later remotes.

 

[KOPBET]

Makes sense.