One in a Million Repair Job December 08, 2016, 05:19:56 pm The remote for our Toad (Subaru) quit working. It would open locked doors but wouldn't lock the doors. Since we have a second remote, it isn't worth buying a new remote which are rather expensive. So I took the remote apart and a small electronic piece fell out and it looked like a tiny chip. I could see where this tiny piece was suppose to go so I put a spot of glue on the back of it and set it in place on the remote's circuit board. After 24 hours of curing, I placed a small dab of dielectric grease on the two (2) "wires" or circuits that should have been connected to the tiny chip. And this silly thing now works! Certainly a one in a million repair job to say the least. 3 Likes
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #1 – December 08, 2016, 09:06:31 pm Glad you got it fixed. You could always get one of these as a backup:Car-stealing 'mystery device' uncovered | Fox News
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #2 – December 08, 2016, 09:10:05 pm Quote from: HiLola - December 08, 2016, 09:06:31 pmGlad you got it fixed. You could always get one of these as a backup:Car-stealing 'mystery device' uncovered | Fox NewsThat article sure makes boondocking appear to be a fine alternative to dealing with that kind of trouble. And that kind of trouble and news certainly wears me out. And so it goes.
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #3 – December 09, 2016, 01:06:27 am Quote from: HiLola - December 08, 2016, 09:06:31 pmYou could always get one of these as a backup:Car-stealing 'mystery device' uncovered | Fox NewsSwell, my wife's car has one of these keyless wonders. It has been a PIA from the start.I can't wash the car with the fob in my pocket unless I want to hear the car lock and unlock repeatedly, when scrubbing or rinsing. The keyless entry gets out of sequence occasionally, making it difficult to turn it completely "off".The old fashion key with a chip technology seems to be a superior technology, especially if a kill switch is added to make hot -wiring it more difficult. Multiple layers of security would seem to be a better choice, instead of just one.Wonder if we should keep the fobs in shielded containers? Does it seem like all this great technology is making life more difficult and less secure? Just wondering.Looking into this, the NY Times published an article about these devices in April 2015.http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/style/keeping-your-car-safe-from-electronic-thieves.html?_r=0 The devices are RF amplifiers that allow the car and fob to communicate from several hundred feet away, rather than the normal two feet. The frequencies in which keyless start operate at frequencies similar to cellular frequencies, a good tech could modify existing parts to build one of these devices. It looks like this problem has been known about since 2011.http://www.syssec.ethz.ch/content/dam/ethz/special-interest/infk/inst-infsec/system-security-group-dam/research/spot/332.pdfWondering what happened to metal coffee cans?Larry 1 Likes
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #4 – December 09, 2016, 09:57:10 am Good informational thread, here. Thanks, all, for providing links. We own and tow a 2016 Jeep Cherokee with the fob, and we have not experienced a bit of trouble (wood knock, knock) but we should all brace ourselves. It's just a few years off before we can no longer purchase a new car that is not also "driverless!"
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #5 – December 09, 2016, 10:15:39 am "It's just a few years off before we can no longer purchase a new car that is not also "driverless!" "----Oh, no, that time is here. Lots of "driverless" cars here in the Bay Area; a person is behind the wheel, but the cars are still "driverless"! Joan 2 Likes
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #6 – December 09, 2016, 10:28:35 am One has to wonder where the RV industry is headed with the advent of electric vehicles and driverless technology. I've heard that electric semi-trucks are in the development stage so is it only a matter of time before motorhomes will go electric?Ed, my apologies for hijacking your thread. I'll stop now and enjoy my morning coffee . . .
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #7 – December 09, 2016, 11:00:59 am Quote from: Ray S. link=msg=166144 date=1481295430 We own and tow a 2016 Jeep Cherokee with the fob... [/quote/>Don't lose your key. Locally the Jeep dealer gets $160!!! for a key.The local key shops say they can't make the new Jeep keys because the electronics are too sophisticated.Ed
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #8 – December 09, 2016, 12:22:56 pm You can protect against the RF amplifier car theft guys by keeping your remote keyfob in a tinfoil hat. Or rather, a RF-shielding enclosure, like a metal box or one of those woven stainless steel pouches for RFID passports. Test your solution by taking it out to the car... And you know, it wouldn't hurt for the automakers to include a simple on/off switch.The OP ran across a bad solder job on a surface mount component. You can easily re-solder by placing component where it goes, with the correct polarity if applicable, and using a toaster oven to re-flow the solder. Obviously details on all parameters matter, so identification, orientation, and temperature/duration are worth researching. Also, the circuit board needs to come out of the plastic case, and all other normal plastic needs to be removed. I'd say Traxless caught a pretty lucky break, so congrats on that!Chip
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #9 – December 09, 2016, 12:41:52 pm "You can protect against the RF amplifier car theft guys by keeping your remote keyfob in a tinfoil hat."I think my normal attire will work pretty well, don't you think?
Re: One in a Million Repair Job Reply #10 – December 10, 2016, 12:30:08 am Slightly different topic, but with the remote car opener keys being more and more expensive to replace/get a new battery, I saw a sign at Batteries - Phone Repairs - Light Bulbs - Chargers - Batteries Plus Bulbs that said they now provide those car keys. Batteries plus is a great place to get odd sized batteries as well as regular ones for a good price, so I bet their electronic car key prices are cheaper than the dealers. I am certainly going to check it out next time I need to replace my car opener (on a fob or on the key).
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