The range on my keyless entry is pertty much non existant. I have to be sitting on top of the car, before it will work. (well, about 5 feet will do it...sometimes) but you get the picture. I have changed batteries in my keyfob many times. No change. Purchased a shiny new keyfob. No change. Replaced the batteries in that. No change :banghead: any suggestions? (oh, its a 97 STS)
Someone on the Eldorado/Seville Forum once referenced a technical service bulletin that suggested something like putting aluminum foil under the RKE module to improve reception. Maybe if you search hard enough you might locate it.
BTW, you can usually double or triple the range by holding the fob to your chin. Really! Try it, it works.
Or the side of your head. The Eldorado and Seville's RKE module is on the back of the rear seat, accessible via trunk. The "antenna" is just a strip of 3cm or so wide metal tape that runs along about half of the width of the seat, and one diagonally at about a 30 degree angle to it the other line. They intersect right at the RKE box, but there's no direct connection to it. One of mine was damaged when something flew across the trunk into the back of the seat, so I used a piece of metal tape, about 6mm wide, the high heat pure aluminum tape to replace it (I just stuck it over what was there), and it did wonders for range.
It's funny, but sometimes the range varies by where you're using it. I had a 91 Seville and the transmitter would work from 50-60 feet in the parking lot where I work, but I could lie it on the car and it wouldn't work if I used it in Manhatten.
What you guys are saying is very true. My 99 sts has a very poor range also I replaced everything like WoodShoe. So I located the RKE module and checked out the antenna like Zorb750 I could not find the antenna on my 99. I took apart the module and found out it has a small sliver can which is an internal antenna. I ran a jumper wire from the can along the bottom of the package tray to a ground. Now only the unlock range is poor, the lock range is excellent, almost doubled range.
I also went back and placed aluminum foil over the module still poor range when unlocking only.
I’m not done yet going to keep trying different ways of improving the range, I can be standing next to the car and have to keep hitting the unlock button several times for the car to unlock. :rant2:
....
I took apart the module and found out it has a small sliver can which is an internal antenna. I ran a jumper wire from the can along the bottom of the package tray to a ground. Now only the unlock range is poor, the lock range is excellent, almost doubled range.
JimD You da man, I did as you said, I thought maybe grounding the wire would cause the whole car to act as an antenna. I now have over double the range when requesting Lock or Unlock. I am very pleased with the range now.:thumbsup:
Thanks,
Frank
Hi friends,You know Russian roulette? yeah you should try like this.put your remote control beside of your head and you will see the range :thumbsup: .
It has more to do with altitude than being near your head. Try it with your arm fully extended straight above your head and see what range you get. Try it again standing on a ten foot ladder and see what range you get.....
Hold the fob in your hand in front of your head at eye level and try it. Now hold it to your chin and try again at a greater distance. You'll notice a great increase in range.
It's a curious phenomenon that befuddles even technically aware folk.
Before anyone goes ripping out the carpeting in the trunk like I did, the RKE module was infact NOT on the rear seat, but rather right next to the light in the trunk, which you cannot miss.
On a 98 Deville the RKE module is called a RFA module and the location is mid-way behind of the rear seat, but you access it though the truck. It may have a different antenna than the RKE module.
Frank
FrankT, do you have pictures of this by chance? it would be very helpful before I go tearing into my trunk now that it's snowy and cold here in Northern Michigan.
Tarq,
Ill see what I can do around the weekend. :thumbsup:
I'm in Mich too, about 4.5 hours south of you, if you were closer I'd come by give you a hand.
Frank
Remove the RKE module and remove the cover of the module. The circular land at the bottom RH corner is where you want to solder a non-stranded hookup wire. Choose wire with a neutral color insulation or a color that blends with your interior. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i101/JimDphotobucket/DSC01334.jpg
Feed the wire into the cabin directly in front of the rear glass at the rear edge of the parcel tray. The wire length is not critical; all you are trying to do is feed the RF to the RKE module that is otherwise shielded by the car body. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i101/JimDphotobucket/DSC01336.jpg
Does anyone know where this thing is located in a 97 STS? Is it the black round thing under the back dash cover? Somtimes I can make the remote work from halfway across the parking lot. Sometimes it wont work even if im right next to the car.
The 1997 model years use a different keyless entry module located in the trunk under the package tray. Your poblem may be bad keyfobs or corrosion/ connection in the keyfob. Have you replaced the battery?
see the attached link for a pic of a 97 module.
The 99STS has an antenna enhancement modification that will help the keyless range.
See post 18 for pics, JimD was kind enough to post these pics. Thanks JimD :thumbsup:
A big issue with any radio link like this is interferring signals from another source that swamp or overload the receiver. Your range problem may not be your equipment at all but the result of transmissions from other sources prevalent in an urban setting. Examples would be, automatic doors, radio and TV stations, security systems, cordless phones, baby monitors and the Lord knows what else.
The 1997 model years use a different keyless entry module located in the trunk under the package tray. Your poblem may be bad keyfobs or corrosion/ connection in the keyfob. Have you replaced the battery?
Could someone please re-post pics of this technique? I'm trying to follow along in my head using memory but I'm not quite tracking. Pictures always helps...something about 1000 words...
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