Fobs and starting/unlocking crap - electronics

[Snicklefritz]

Okay, both Stingers are misbehaving in different, possibly related, ways.

The 2019 2.0L has occasionally refused to start until coaxed into it by leaving the car and returning. Each time, the finally starting has followed taking the fob away from the car. Possibly this is a coincidence because I can also hear a "click" when I push the Start button, indicating, as I was told, a solenoid issue and looking at replacing the starter motor - November 30th is my diagnostic/repair appointment for that.

With the possibility of being stranded with a car that won't start, my wife has taken the 2018 3.3L to her "thing" this morning. I walked her out to the car and of course the issue that I have been noticing of late - fob won't be recognized - occurs right then. Doors won't open, tried both, even with fob in hand. So, I walked c. twenty feet away and pushed the Lock button and the mirrors folded in at once. Pushed the Unlock button twice and super, the doors are unlocked. She drives away.

The battery in the fob was replaced recently.

This is an intermittent issue. Most of the time the doors/hatch respond just fine. Sometimes I'll stand at the hatch, like earlier this morning, and apply upward pressure and feel the little click and nothing happens - keep at it a few times and the hatch finally opens. Annoying. I have no idea why this started other than aging parts, whatever that means.

Electronics lining up to bedevil me will certainly reach a rapid tipping point and I will get rid of these fangled things and buy a vintage GT type car. I promise. It won't take much to confirm my one hesitation that I had when going with the Stinger, and that is modern tech. I actually hate all of it, on principle. "Technicians" don't know much more than squat beyond using a scanning tool - I've watched them do it fecklessly, trying to figure out a TPMS flatlining issue I had over a year ago. The "technician" did not come up with anything. The TPMS system "decided" on its own to behave, and thus far has not returned to old tricks. Again, electronics. Bull pucky.

 

[Ah GetFd]

I know you are not an idiot so suggestions here are purely academic. Common problems come back to batteries. Firstly, temperature plays a huge part. In the case of starting batteries, the capacity goes up in summer and drops in winter. A cold start hence the term CCA or cold cranking amps relates to the worse case temperature in winter. When a lead acid battery is discharged it's capacity increases slightly when you remove the load. This is evident when you crank a battery until it stops cranking the starter. Give it a minute and you can do it again. Putting loads on and off batteries can improve them slightly. A poor battery can function again, like when locking and unlocking doors. The other thing is the fob itself. These get abused. They get dirty. They get dropped. Try the spare that is usually in better condition. My suggestion is new starting battery, change the fob for a better one. Take note how cold it is when these things occur.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Thanks. I have been using the same fob for well over five years, so, there is that. "Starting battery", are you suggesting to just get a new car battery to see what happens? These things are expensive! A dying battery would indicate by a slow, reluctant crank over. Both car batteries seem robust still. But we knew how quickly that can change.

 

[Kodiack]

I had similar issues with my fob, both were the same age and my second was no better. I replaced the battery in my fob with a new one and the same....I read somewhere the fobs dont like cheap batteries...I bought a 3 pack of energizers and changed them again...whamo...no more issues
So try to get a quality battery for the fob if you used off brand or outdated ones.

 

[Ah GetFd]

I notice with the current Stinger that sometimes the software on the very rare occasion can glitch. I guess the 100,000 lines of code has some bugs that are never ironed out. I have had a whole screen disappear on me after the daylight saving change only to factory reset and have things not reappear then an hour later its all reset properly.
I have had the seat not move back to the preset position on entry then try again and it functions properly. The climate control is ticked to link with the seat ventilation. Depending on where the climate control has been set previously it doesn't always seem to activate the seat ventilation.

I rather the SatNav working 98% with 10 year old locations than try to upgrade what is supposed to be the My23 and "last" software and have it all fall to pieces.

But these things rectify themselves so I am not going to go crazy at Kia. Sh*t happens. A lot of stuff in these cars. I have friends flying the 747 and A380 Airbus. You should talk to them about software glitches that have never been ironed out.

Yes I was suggesting a battery upgrade ha ha. I figure you will need a battery eventually so $130 on a Battery is money well spent. It certainly eliminates that problem. Sometimes just a wipe of the glass and infrared sensor.....

 

[Grump]

Does this only happen at home? Maybe RF interference. Try starting the car by pushing the start/stop button with the fob.

 

[GT Elite]

My understanding is that the fobs are really sensitive to the condition of the fob battery; particularly battery voltage. They can test okay but the voltage can be just a little low and the fob will not work. By example, on another car (Corvette) I used a fob battery that had a light cross hatching on the negative side and the fob would not work. Changed the battery to one with a smooth surface and the fob worked perfectly. Go figure!

 

[LordKOTL]

My understanding is that the fobs are really sensitive to the condition of the fob battery; particularly battery voltage. They can test okay but the voltage can be just a little low and the fob will not work. By example, on another car (Corvette) I used a fob battery that had a light cross hatching on the negative side and the fob would not work. Changed the battery to one with a smooth surface and the fob worked perfectly. Go figure!

To add onto this, my wife's old Mazda 3 went through batteries like nobody's business. It was probably the same issue: battery was a little low and the fob defecated itself.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I figure you will need a battery eventually so $130 on a Battery is money well spent.

Whoa, you haven't priced these AGM batteries in the Stinger. Over $300, and if you go through the dealer closer to $500, so I've read on here in the past. I probably will need a battery "soon". Model years '18 and '19, OEM batteries.

So try to get a quality battery for the fob if you used off brand or outdated ones.

I have two brands of 2032 buttons, Simply Done four-pack, and two-pack Duracell. The Simply Done are for flashlights and decorative lights, etc. The Duracell are specifically for the fobs.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Does this only happen at home? Maybe RF interference. Try starting the car by pushing the start/stop button with the fob.

Non start on the 2019 has happened at home, at the temple, at the credit union. So, the bases of spiritual and carnal locations are covered. Hah.

My understanding is that the fobs are really sensitive to the condition of the fob battery; particularly battery voltage.

I don't have a button battery tester and don't even know what one looks like. But, the batteries in both fobs were changed earlier this year. Memory doubted, so, I just took them apart and pulled the batteries, which I see are Ray-O-Vac. I replaced them with spanking new Duracell that I just bought last week. The Rays I have taped into a snack Ziploc bag and put in my center console. You never know. I have also swapped to the brand new - as in never before used - backup fob and put my battle worn fob in the storage box. Now, we wait to see if this "doesn't detect the fob" fubar occurs again.

To add onto this, my wife's old Mazda 3 went through batteries like nobody's business. It was probably the same issue: battery was a little low and the fob defecated itself.

Not sure what you mean here. A low fob battery further deteriorates when you try and make it behave, and it refuses? What did you do when your wife's fob(s) didn't work, simply change the batteries as soon as that happened? How often was that? I got well over four years out of my OEM fob battery for the Stinger.

 

[Ah GetFd]

AGM Batteries are simply Absorbed Glass Fibre Mat. A bit like putting Intercooler on the side of a Nissan Patrol and people think they go faster.
All Sealed Recombination Lead Acid Batteries are Absorbed Glass Fibre Mat. It is simply the material between the plates. More likely though batteries are flooded and simply sealed with a vent hole.. That means they have loose flowing liquid electrolyte inside and are technically not AGM or SLA (Sealed recombination lead acid)
The important thing is not the price. Look at the Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) and Ah capacity. Typically a car battery is around the 85Ah - 100Ah.
AC Delco which is owned by GM will have a suitable battery, ah here it is.....
Battery
AD60138
Battery
Specifications Vehicle Fitment
GM Part #
19347547
Capacity (AH)
101
Reserve Capacity (Min)
169
CCA (Amps)
810
Length (mm)
353
Width (mm)
175
Terminal Height (mm)
190
Cell Layout
B
Terminal Shape
STD
Bottom Hold Down
B3
Lead Weight (kg)
13.18
Weight (kg)
22

Sells for around AUD$250 (USD$164), 4 year warranty

 

[Snicklefritz]

Interesting. What battery is the OEM for the Stinger, to make it cost so much more?

 

[Ah GetFd]

Interesting. What battery is the OEM for the Stinger, to make it cost so much more?

No idea. Marketing.

Batteries are made by main manufacturers like Century, Yuasa, Chlorisde, Exide etc for all sorts of people.

 

[LordKOTL]

...
Not sure what you mean here. A low fob battery further deteriorates when you try and make it behave, and it refuses? What did you do when your wife's fob(s) didn't work, simply change the batteries as soon as that happened? How often was that? I got well over four years out of my OEM fob battery for the Stinger.

What I meant weas that her fob was very sensitive to battery voltage, so even if the battery voltage dropped a minute amount, the thing wouldn't work. I'd test it on a voltmeter and the batter was maybe down like 1/10 of a volt or less, and the remote would just refuse to work--no matter how much reseating, hitting, hard button pushing, using your jaw as an antenna you did; you'd have to change to a new battery. It went through batteries like <excrement> through a goose--like a battery change every 2 months--even when she was careful to ensure no button was pressed on accident like in her purse or pocket. Of course, the stealership found nothing wrong with her fobs.

I just think it was some design "feature" that the voltage tolerances were so tight. It might be the same for our cars.

 

[Snicklefritz]

I just think it was some design "feature" that the voltage tolerances were so tight. It might be the same for our cars.

The same but different, since, as I said, I got over four years out of the original battery, and even when I changed it, it hadn't crapped out for good, its range was getting shorter and the car would not sense it unless I repeatedly pushed the buttons. A change of battery worked. And that was earlier this year, so, of course I thought that this balky issue now couldn't possibly be the battery. Since I put that fob away and am now using the pristine one with a new Duracell, we'll see.