Coupe FOB issue

Hi all

I am new to this group but I have a burning issue that I am hoping to
get some feedback on - and I apologise if it is old news to you all and
would appreciate a pointer to the thread if it is indeed already done
and dusted on this group.

I have recently purchased a Hyundai Coupe V6 (about 4 months ago) and
it was only one year old in November 2005. Since then I have had at
least 5 occassions where the FOB just goes out of sync with the car and
have had to call the RAC out to get me back on the road again. I took
the car in as it is still under the warranty and the service center
claims that this model does have this problem and I just have to keep
taking it in to the service center to get new FOBs as there is nothing
further they can do about it.

I do not have the luxury of taking my car in every week or two weeks
when this happens and this is exceptionally frustrating for me as each
time I approach my car I don't know if it will open or not and I did
not pay for a faulty product.

What I want to know is if anyone else has this problem and how you
dealt with it and what I could potentially do about it.

Thanks in advance

Perusha

 

Friends of Bill?
whose RAC?

 

I'm not sure what you mean by FOB.

 

**Maybe the key fob is screwing up and they have to call the Royal
Auto Club

just a guess

kaboomie

 

Sorry - I guess terminologies vary

FOB is what Hyundai uses in the UK to refer to the remote control
device they give you with the car for the alarm system. I guess you
guys call it something else.

RAC is like Automobile Association - you get free RAC cover here with
the car for a few years.

I am in Edinburgh for Christmas and the remote has just died on me
again. This time it seems that the batteries have been drained as this
is a new remote. Just called the RAC out to get me back on the road.

I take it this is not a common problem with the Coupes?

 

The caps fooled me. I thought maybe FOB was some acronym I didn't know.
We usually call them remotes (or transmitters) in the U.S. (Stupid
Americans. Can't speak real English and won't learn other languages.)

Anyway, this isn't a terribly common problem as far as I know. If you
were told it was out of sync, then I suspect the person speaking to you
didn't know the actual problem.

The characteristics of your fob(s) are programmed into the body control
module of your car. If your key fobs were functioning, but stopped, then
there are numerous reasons why this could happen:

1. Dead battery in key fob. If you have an LED, it typically won't
light. In most cases, I've been able to conclusively check the battery
no-load with a voltmeter. It should be about 3v.

2. A problem with the fob itself causing the BCM to not recognize it.

3. A problem with the BCM causing it to either not recognize the fob or
to not take proper action upon receiving proper signal from the fob.

4. Any other problem which would result in the BCM sending signal to
allow vehicle operation, but that signal not reaching the proper modules
and devices (engine control module, door locks, etc.)

Saying they're out of sync leads me to believe the repair facility simply
reprogrammed the fobs into the BCM. If there is a continually occurring
problem which reprogramming solves, I suspect you have a problem in the
BCM. There should be no external action which would cause the BCM to lose
it's memory of the fobs.

 

The FOB is the keyless remote that is used instead of the key. RAC
may mean Rent A Car which in some parts of New England is a car rental
agency. At Nissan we use RAC a lot.

 

As Hyundaitech pointed out, it's "fob", as in "key fob", not "FOB",
which makes it look like an acronym. "RAC" is an acronym.

 

Hi there

Sorry for the long delay and thanks for the information!
Yes, I am afraid when I heard the term fob from Hyundai I assumed that
it must be 'FOB' and I capitalised it for a reason I cannot explain -
apologies for that.

Thanks for the info. I will try to piece together what has been
happening for the past four months to try to establish a pattern that I
can hopefully present to the Hyundai service center when I take the car
in again on Thursday. I am going to be an annoying person who just
learnt what a BCM is but wants it checked anyway : )

The brief history I am going to give them is as follows:
The first time the RAC came out to help me I could not unlock the car
with the key fob. They thought it might have something to do with my
working near Heathrow airport - there is constant air traffic. So they
showed me how to 'fudge' the remote - holding down two buttons until
the flickering stopped and then clicking another button. After this
procedure the remote seemed to work again, until the next time.
This happened twice at work so I assumed it must be the proximity to
the airport but then it happened outside my house and since then just
about anywhere - no airplane needed.

One particularly cold morning the remote just seemed totally dead. So I
changed the batteries and then needed to use the fudge again to get the
car open. Did not work that time and once again the RAC people came out
and after several attempts we managed to get the car open (fudge
finally kicked in).

Since then I have taken the car into the service center in preparation
for the drive up to Edinburgh. They said that they changed the
batteries in one of the fobs and replaced the other fob. Both worked
when I left there but within 3 days the old fob developed a sticky
button and I had to remove the batteries (green light came on and I
just could not shut it down). That killed any comfort feeling and I
could not get a booking at the service center that close to Christmas.

The second fob failed in Edinburgh just before we were meant to drive
down. We called RAC out again and the guy really battled to get the car
opened but the fudge finally worked after about half an hour of trying.
Both fobs are now dead - both seem to have problems which is strange.

I like the car a lot but this is seriously stressing me out and I
really hope I have some good news on Thursday.

 

It sounds as if your fobs may be different than those in the U.S. Do you
have a key lock, or must you unlock by transmitter only?

As far as interference, it's quite possible. The radio frequencies these
systems operate on in the U.S. are actually allocated to military. If
we're particularly near a military installation, car remotes, garage door
openers, and many items don't work intermittently. In fact, many radio
transmissions, if strong enough, can cause interference.

Your remotes may be rolling-code type. I don't believe Hyundai uses those
in the U.S., but other manufacturers do. It is possible in that case for
the transmitter to become unsynchronized with the receiver in the car.
The fudge method you describe sounds like the typical method for
resynchronization of rolling code transmitters.

It sounds to me like the repair facility there is on the right track. If
replacing the transmitter or transmitter battery solves the issue, then I
suspect the issue was present and clear at the time of servicing. If you
indeed have the rolling code type transmitters, then that would
significantly reduce the probability of a BCM error causing
unsynchronization. In fact, I believe the synchronization is not retained
in BCM if battery power is disconnected (presuming your system to be
similar to others of the rolling code type I've seen).

 

The remote disables the alarm and unlocks the doors. Using just the key
I can unlock the doors but not enable the alarm.
I read up briefly on this rolling code type alarm and it sounds like a
great idea in theory. The problem with the fudge is the remotes don't
seem to be up to the job. The buttons stick and they seem to drain the
batteries remarkably fast (althought I guess what could be happening is
the button is depressed in my coat pocket, sticks and then runs down
the batteries that way).

If this is a rolling code type of remote I am guessing that the device
in the remote that syncs the codes with the matching device attached to
the car is not easy to change? I guess what I need to know is what
options do I have? Am I just doomed never to use my alarm system again
(overly dramatic, maybe : )

 

If this car is similar to those in the U.S., you may be able to disarm the
alarm using an alternative method as follows:

1. Open the door with the key. In the U.S., the alarm will sound.
2. Get in the vehicle. Turn the key to the "start" position and release
to the "on" position (just like you would if you had actually started the
vehicle).
3. Wait 30 seconds. The alarm will stop sounding before then, but you
must wait 30 seconds.
4. After 30 seconds, try again to start the vehicle. It should start.

Also, if you don't lock the vehicle with the remote, the security system
will not arm.

 

I am ecstatic!! This morning I took my car in for the routine fob
replacement and while I was there I asked about replacing the alarm
system. A very helpful man said he would look into it and minutes later
they contacted me to say they would be able to do it!!

I picked up the coupe this evening with two totally different new fobs
and they work and the range has dramatically increased (it now rivals
my husbands Smart). Stress testing still needs to be conducted
(although I must have tried it about 10 times already today) but they
have restored my faith and I am feeling hugely grateful to the center
that helped me. I will be writing to them to say as much.

And thank you for all the information and for taking the time to
explain things to me. It is much appreciated.

And for completeness: On your suggestion above one of the guys from the
RAC tried it and what happens is that the car starts but then the alarm
sounds and then stops after so many seconds and continues in this
fashion. I am not sure if you could drive the car as presumably the
immobiliser is disabled by the key but the alarm kept sounding.