2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Odd Problem

[MRiley]

I'm having an odd problem with my truck. It usually only happens when the truck has been sitting for a while (3 or more days). When I use the key fob to unlock the doors the truck starts honking. If I'm driving it it doesn't seem to be a problem only when it sits. Some times it will do it from just sitting over night. Any guesses on what would cause this? thanks

 

[JDiehl]

Maybe changing the batts on the key fob would help?

 

[Jetson]

I would check the truck batteries too. They may be weak.

 

[MRiley]

Thanks I'll give it a try.

 

[JMetzger]

Do you live near a military Base or any other place that may do secret work. Mine did the same thing when I was near any military instillation & they found it to be the Centeral Timing Module, replaced it still did it, had to wrap the module in alumimum foil to stop it. Just my experience.

 

[MRiley]

Changed the key Fob Batteries. No Difference. The doors unlock fine but the horn starts honking. Then I hit the unlock on the fob again and the horn stops. Started doing this about 6 months ago. The truck batteries are the original from '01. They are old but I checked them and the test out fine... . I'm at a loss here.

 

[FourBarR]

Think you may have corrosion or moisture in the fob. Take it apart and check. Ask me how I know.

 

[Curious Dave]

I doubt it's the fob. I am so glad to see someone else is having this problem!!! I bought my truck new and it has been doing it since. Dealer after dealer claims they no nothing about it. I have narrowed it down to a low voltage thing. I have my truck setup with an office. If I forget to turn off the inverter the voltage drops and the alarm will trigger the horn 3 times in the morning when I try to go to work. I junked the liquid batteries shortly after getting the truck. I went to the Optima design and the stuff quit for awhile. Short trips, lack of recharge, and power robbing while sitting all seem to be the culprits. Let us know if this seems to fit your scenario.

 

[MRiley]

Dave - That sounds a lot like what is going on. I don't drive it every day so the problem seems to occur in the morning after the truck has been parked for a couple of days. That would give the batteries pelenty of time to lose some charge. Also once the problem has occured if it's a real short drive, or if I leave somthing plugged in over night it's almost a sure bet. I've checked the truck batteries and the test fine. The truck also starts fine. But like I said in my original post they are the original '01 batteries

 

[Curious Dave]

I would recomend the Optima style batteries. They have a much faster recgarge rate as well as a discharge rate. The discharge rate is nice for starting. You don't get the long drawn out slow start that you do with liquids batteries. I've had mine for almost 9 1/2 years.

 

[JimLarsen]

I have no answer for alarm going off. But with one suggusting optima batteries, I want to know if they are worth the money? I have heard stories about them not doing well in the diesel application. So tell me, are they good for diesels. Thanks Jim Larsen

 

[GCULP]

my truck does the same thing, but I don't think is has anything to do with battery life. my truck can sit for 3 days on level ground in the dead of winter and it will unlock fine without honking. but if it is parked on the slightest incline or side slope, like next to a curb, for only a few hours, it will do the honk honk thing when I unlock it using the key fob, figure that one out.

 

[icman95]

Count me in. My 01 does the same thing but only at work. At first, I thought that I had hit the panic button on the fob, but after the 3rd and 4th, etc times, I was sure that wasn't the answer. It doesn't happen at home, and so far nowhere else. It only happens to me when I unlock it to go home from work. I, too, have the original batteries, but there is nothing wrong with them and the truck starts fine. I do see here, that this seems to be an '01 thing. Let's not let this thread die. I'm happier than you can imagine that I've found other people with this problem. If we can come to a conclusion, I'd love it.



BTW, I forgot to mention that my problem doesn't happen all the time. Maybe a few times a month, but like I said, only at work.

 

[Bob4x4]

How can you be sure your Batts are fine when they are that old?

 

[icman95]

Truck starts without a long period of cranking, doesn't crank slow, they hold a good charge (per volt meter), and the little test eye on them is green. My truck will be 8 years old in May, but only had 86k miles on it. The batts haven't had an overly harsh life that would otherwise wear them down quickly. At the same time, it hasn't sat around for weeks at a time either. Work isn't too far away, so it doesn't get too many miles going there, and I take it out for longer drives whenever possible to keep everything fresh. I actually am surprised that they lasted this long, but there's no denying that they have. I never thought I'd say this, but when it comes time to replace them, I'm putting in OEM ones again.

 

[GCULP]

as for my batteries, they are less than one year old, and this did this before and after the batteries were changed. I too have just been living with it, but got bored one day and thought I would start trying to figure it out.



My symptoms are location and parking angle specific. I can park the truck at home for days and it will unlock like normal, but the other day I drove it downtown to my wife's work, after a whole night in 20 degree weather, parked it for about 3 hours and it went off as soon as I pushed the unlock on the key fob. My wife drives the truck 4 days a week and she says it does it every day when she opens it to go home. She now is in the habit of hitting unlock, lock, unlock because it does it every time.

 

[fest3er]

I have no answer for alarm going off. But with one suggusting optima batteries, I want to know if they are worth the money? I have heard stories about them not doing well in the diesel application. So tell me, are they good for diesels. Thanks Jim Larsen

[Slightly off-topic, but answering anyway]

Yes, IMHO, they are worth the money. Mine have given me no trouble at all in the 4-6 years they've been in. They even let me crank my engine for about 20 minutes (over an hour or two) one day at -14F when the fuel in the tank gelled. They are sealed and I've never seen any evidence of acid corrosion. They are a little smaller than the OEM batteries. I would definitely use them again.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

This is caused by unknown EMF IMHO, maybe two way radios, who knows. Been discussed here since at least 2001-2002 time frame as I posted on one of the threads back then. I live on a cul-de-sac and generally there isn't much traffic, rarely have a problem, one hotel I stayed at, every morning horn went off three times, IIRC there was a fire house across the street. I don't know that an official cure has ever been announced, but the tinfoil wrap sounds like as good a solution as any I have heard, pretty sure this is not related to the FOB, truck batteries, etc.



SHG

 

[icman95]

I had considered the EMF factor due to the fact that it only happens to me at a particular place (work). Then I tried to think about what kind of equipment we use there that might cause that to happen. We are an ice cream warehouse and do use some smaller, handheld two way radios inside the building as well as wireless communication for some of our computer equipment. My only problem with relating the problem to that is our building is famous among the employees for blocking radio signals from traveling from the outside in, and inside out. Most cell phones don't work inside the building unless near a window. In fact the company bought a whole bunch of Nextels so that they could communicate with us drivers on the direct connect system. It doesn't work because the person using the cell phone in the office has to run out the parking lot to get a signal. Now we use the phones to call the building's landline numbers. Point is-I wonder if such poor radio conditions could affect my truck like that.



Suppose this is the problem, though, it seems to be confined to 01s. Does that mean that Dodge realized it and solved the problem in later years? If so then maybe there is a fix for us.

 

[JMetzger]

Like I said in post #5 mine did it near military bases & such like near Lockheeds Skunkworks near Palmdale, CA. The dealer wrapped the CTM (Central Timing Module) in aluminum foil & it stoped it. It will do it once in a great while at our local hospital when I park near the x-ray lab. Bet if you wrap the CTM it will stop as the dealer got some info from Dodge as to wrap the CMT with aluminum when mine did it. Info said that they had had a few case's of that. It won't hurt to try it.



Jack