Remote door opener lacks range

Al J · Nov 12, 2007

For it to work, I have to hold it no more than a foot from the lock.
New battery doesn't make any difference.
Is there a fix or a replacement?

Mr. Hawver · Nov 12, 2007

Hold the key fob in contact with your head when you hit the button. It sounds/looks stupid, but I swear to god it will increase the distance. I saw it on Top Gear.

reddy351 · Nov 12, 2007

Yup. +1! Hold the top of the transmitter to the bottom of your chin. Adds a good 30-40 feet of range, for me.

Only a foot of range sounds very abnormal, to me, though. Have you tried a new transmitter?

Zero_chance · Nov 12, 2007

Ford issued a bulletin about this as well as the percieved ability of your head to increase the range. First off youre right batteries dont affect range. As for the head thing unless you have a signal booster and / or steel plate in your head your actual cranium doesnt affect range either. Its the height level that does it. If youre on a second floor overlooking a parking lot youll have better range than at ground level of the same spot. Simple line of sight much the same reason antennas get better reception the higher they are and why transmitters and recievers are placed on top of towers.

reddy351 · Nov 12, 2007

Zero Chance, I beg to differ with the Ford bulliten that you mentioned. It's simply not true. I have done it both ways, repeatedly. (I'm not the only one that works with and to my knowledge, there are no "plates in my head".)

I can stand at the edge of the range with the remote held ABOVE MY HEAD, move back 20 feet and not have the car respond. When I LOWER the remote and touch it to my chin, the car responds by doing the command of the button that is pushed. When someone else tries it, it works exactly the same.

Car alarm manufacturers have put it in their instruction manuals to try this method, if the alarm does not respond. (I have a buddy that installs car alarms and the like, for a living.)

Methodical · Nov 13, 2007

Mr. Hawver said:
Hold the key fob in contact with your head when you hit the button. It sounds/looks stupid, but I swear to god it will increase the distance. I saw it on Top Gear.

Or hold it to your hand or chin - similar to the head but don't look so crazy. It acts as an antenna.

HISSIN50 · Nov 13, 2007

"I held the remote to my head and my internal antenna didnt help. People looked at me real funny though."

Stangnet reply: You're supposed to hold it to the head on top of your shoulders.

Al J · Nov 13, 2007

Well----I can see there are at least 6 Stangers who "use their heads."

5.0 from 95 · Nov 13, 2007

I thought that was the only way any of the fobs out in the world worked. My wife thinks I am retarded when I hold it to my chin and works from way off. Have you tried a new fob yet?

Paul

SuperStang83 · Nov 13, 2007

Wow, that seems weird, but I guess if it works it works.

95BlueStallion · Nov 13, 2007

Im going to try it when I leave work today, cause mine only works from about 8-10 feet away...

Al J · Nov 14, 2007

The chin-aerial does work. Mine's gone from a 12" range to a 10' range.
I bet Jay Leno could double that distance.

Remote door opener lacks range

Al J

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Mr. Hawver

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reddy351

Zero_chance

reddy351

Methodical

HISSIN50

"How long does it take to get help in here?

Al J

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5.0 from 95

SuperStang83

95BlueStallion

My assy trans to myself

Al J

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