Passive entry

[mpaulson]

Just had the drivers side door entry/lock feature stop working today. the little button does nothing when pressed, and the door doesn't unlock when you place your hand within the handle. Passenger side works fine.
Anyone else had this happen yet?
Not impressive for only being one month old.

 

[TimothyLong]

Yes, I had this happen to me once. It corrected itself the next time I started the truck and I haven't had a problem since.

 

[mpaulson]

Yes, I had this happen to me once. It corrected itself the next time I started the truck and I haven't had a problem since.

Yea, now that I posted this after it did it to me all afternoon, abut 5 times, it was working normal when I left work. Go figure!!

 

[TimothyLong]

I've had a few odd things like this happen, mostly when I remote start the truck. Just the other day I remote started my truck to let it warm up before heading to work. When I got in the truck I noticed that the heated steering wheel hadn't come on but the heated seats did. I pressed the button on the dash and it would come on for about a second, then shut off. I tried to turn it on via the Climate settings in Uconnect and it did the same thing. So I drove to work with a cold steering wheel. When I started the truck to leave work that afternoon it came on and worked as advertised and has been working since. Things like this don't happen every time I use the remote start, only once in a while. When they do, they seem to clear the next time I start the truck.

 

[PMcCall]

The button on the door handle is finicky... you have to press it, and only it. If you have sausage fingers like me, thats not always an easy thing to do If you are touching any pat of the rest of the handle it wont work. That said, every once in a while it does seem to not work right. but with a second or third press I have anways been able to get it to work. Last night when I locked the truck with the button, it beeped, but didnt lock... a second press locked it.

I think the software is buggy. Does anyone know if there is a website for RAM where these things can be reported? The fastest way to get them fixed would be for Ram to solicit feeback from their customers/users!

 

[sag2]

Starting with the 13 trucks the door handles are wireless. The door handles transmit the passive entry request to the RFH who then sends the request to the BCM. So any interference can cause problems. Also play around with your truck by standing in different areas near the door when using passive entry and you will see the range is very small. It sometimes can make a difference what pocket your fob is in, or if it is near a phone or other powered device.
It is a handy feature but has limitations for safety and security.

 

[Wingate]

dang.. just when Im getting ready to order my new truck, I keep reading about bugs in the electronics!
Mazda has had this stuff for a couple of years and doesnt act up.

 

[mpaulson]

dang.. just when Im getting ready to order my new truck, I keep reading about bugs in the electronics!
Mazda has had this stuff for a couple of years and doesnt act up.

I wouldn't let these minor things hold you back, the rest of the truck is more than worth it. A serious jump ahead on interior fit and finish and comfort.

 

[firefighter_2000]

Starting with the 13 trucks the door handles are wireless. The door handles transmit the passive entry request to the RFH who then sends the request to the BCM. So any interference can cause problems. Also play around with your truck by standing in different areas near the door when using passive entry and you will see the range is very small. It sometimes can make a difference what pocket your fob is in, or if it is near a phone or other powered device.
It is a handy feature but has limitations for safety and security.

If the handles are wireless, will it eventually require battery change?
Craig

 

[SnoKing]

Do these new trucks "Phone Home" and report software issues to mother? Remember when companies like Cadillac started installing electric windows and door locks? Lots of problems. Then along came Honda and Toyota with nice features and no problems. Now we have a new era of electronics in vehicles and teething issues all over again. If they had used fiber optics then radio interference would not be an issue on the data buses at least.

How far can one drive from there garage if they left the key FOB on the work brench?

Chris

 

[Kirwin]

If you take the key fob out of the vehicle, the instrument cluster complains loudley and incessantly until you either shut the truck off or put it back inside the vehicle. Its also states "The key fob has left the vehicle" in the cluster display. Hard to miss all those indicatios. Not saying it can't be done, but you would have to try. Ken Irwin

 

[Wingate]

The wifes Mazda will stay running when the fob leaves, it will chime one time and illuminate a light on the dash that plainly says KEY. It does NOT continue to make noises since there may be a passenger in the car and who wants to hear that!. If you try and drive off with the FOB not in the car, you wont get it out of Park as it will shut down.
Im not in a bind for a new truck, so Im gonna take a back seat approach and wait until the electronic bugs are lined out.

 

[mpaulson]

I've had cases in the new truck where it is giving me the warning that the key fob has left the vehicle, which it did when I got out and left it running then came back, and I got in and put it in gear and started driving while it is still giving me this warning for a while when I'm driving!!!??!??!? Then it finally figures out that the key is in the vehicle. Not very comforting to say the least. I'll have to try it and leave the key out and see what it does, see how far I can drive before it shuts me down. You'd think that if it is giving the warning that the key is not in the vehicle, it wouldn't let you put it in drive, but it does!!!!?!?!?!? If I have passengers in the vehicle, I leave the key fob in the vehicle so that it doesn't drive them loony.

 

[Kirwin]

My wife says that if I get out of the truck to talk to someone one more time with the key fob in my pocket; its curtins for me! I think she means it too! However she is the one that tested the uconnect app by initiating a panic alarm. Great! Now how do you stop that infernal noise.... ! She pushes panic again on her phone, no effect, the truck is still flashing and beeping. I then went back into the house to get the key fob and finally got it to stop with the key fob, only to have it alarm again a few seconds later when it received its second panic command from her phone#@$%!!!! I havent tried to drive off with it not in the vehilce. I'll have to try that just to see what happens. Ken Iriwn

I've had cases in the new truck where it is giving me the warning that the key fob has left the vehicle, which it did when I got out and left it running then came back, and I got in and put it in gear and started driving while it is still giving me this warning for a while when I'm driving!!!??!??!? Then it finally figures out that the key is in the vehicle. Not very comforting to say the least. I'll have to try it and leave the key out and see what it does, see how far I can drive before it shuts me down. You'd think that if it is giving the warning that the key is not in the vehicle, it wouldn't let you put it in drive, but it does!!!!?!?!?!? If I have passengers in the vehicle, I leave the key fob in the vehicle so that it doesn't drive them loony.

 

[sag2]

When I said it is wireless, it has power and ground, but communicates wireless to the RFH. From the service info.

In the Passive Entry Keyless Go (PEKG) system the doors are unlocked passively; however, they must still be locked actively after exiting the vehicle using the tactile Lock button on either front door Smart handle. When the system senses a hand approaching the capacitive switch in the door Smart handle pull, it sends out challenge messages through the Low Frequency (LF) antennas to authenticate the presence and location of a valid FOB with Integrated Key (FOBIK).

The FOBIK responds by sending a Very High Frequency (VHF) message back to the receiver within the Radio Frequency Hub Module (RFHM) (also known as the RF Hub). If the RFHM determines the FOBIK is valid and that it is located outside the vehicle in the same zone or vicinity as the door handle or deck lid switch being activated, it sends an electronic Unlock Request message over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus to the Body Control Module (BCM) to automatically unlock and allow entry to that aperture.

As far as how far you can go with key out, until you run out of fuel, or shut it off, whichever occurs first. That is if you can stand the dinging. For safety the vehicle will never shut off.

 

[mpaulson]

When I said it is wireless, it has power and ground, but communicates wireless to the RFH. From the service info.

In the Passive Entry Keyless Go (PEKG) system the doors are unlocked passively; however, they must still be locked actively after exiting the vehicle using the tactile Lock button on either front door Smart handle. When the system senses a hand approaching the capacitive switch in the door Smart handle pull, it sends out challenge messages through the Low Frequency (LF) antennas to authenticate the presence and location of a valid FOB with Integrated Key (FOBIK).

The FOBIK responds by sending a Very High Frequency (VHF) message back to the receiver within the Radio Frequency Hub Module (RFHM) (also known as the RF Hub). If the RFHM determines the FOBIK is valid and that it is located outside the vehicle in the same zone or vicinity as the door handle or deck lid switch being activated, it sends an electronic Unlock Request message over the Controller Area Network (CAN) data bus to the Body Control Module (BCM) to automatically unlock and allow entry to that aperture.

As far as how far you can go with key out, until you run out of fuel, or shut it off, whichever occurs first. That is if you can stand the dinging. For safety the vehicle will never shut off.

So that means that someone could drive off with your truck if you left it running even though you have the FOB as long as they don't shut it off!!! That seems kind of dumb. But so does leaving your truck running with the doors unlocked when you are not within swinging distance of some thug that may attempt the theft. You'd think they would make it so that if the truck doesn't sense the fob, you couldn't get it out of park, but that would be common sense which has gone the way of the dinosaur.

 

[firefighter_2000]

Thanks for the explanation. That definitely makes sense!

 

[JacksonH]

Best thing i've found with my new trucks electronic bugs is tell your dealer to talk to the RAM techs, it took a weeks for both dealer and Ram to figure out a module was configured for another model truck, My truck would "lock" in the park position if remotely started ????

 

[MJWenrich]

Just my opinion but I agree with Wingate. I cannot order a SRW 3500 now with an Aison, I guess because they did not plan for enough production, and I have to potentially put up with a ton of electronic problems on a truck I will have go back to school to learn to operate. I reside a long way (80 miles one way) from a competent dealer and the last think I want to do is spend my remaining few life units in a dealership while they practice repairing it. And then go back over and over again. My 2004.5 is looking better every day and I think I will just spend money on beefing it up and/or doing the common repairs. Or maybe go look at the competition. This just sucks that Dodge cannot get it right from the time you spend 60K on a truck. The other brands might be bad as well but I guess I will have to see if they have a forum like this one. I was ready to pull the trigger on a '13 3500 but could not find my preferences. Glad now I did not. Maybe a '15 if they straighten it out.

 

[mpaulson]

This is all that I've really had for a problem and it is minor in my books. The other brands aren't without their own share of issues, some of them are hard part problems, not little ones like these.