Key Fob/Remote Doesn't work at High Altitudes???

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Jul 25, 2005 | 12:32 PM
  #1  
Hey Guys,

I went up to the Mountains last night, to just get a quick view of the City Lights. When I got up to the top and parked the car, the Remote completely stopped working. It wouldn't lock, unlock, or pop the trunk for me. I could get in the car and start it with no problems, and no error messages or lights came up on the dash board. So my first thought was that my battery had died, but when I got home, it worked fine. I was at about 15,000ft and the temperature change from the bottom to the top was about 20 degrees. Not sure if that had anything to do with it. Anyone else experience this???
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Jul 25, 2005 | 01:07 PM
  #2  
Quote: Hey Guys,

I went up to the Mountains last night, to just get a quick view of the City Lights. When I got up to the top and parked the car, the Remote completely stopped working. It wouldn't lock, unlock, or pop the trunk for me. I could get in the car and start it with no problems, and no error messages or lights came up on the dash board. So my first thought was that my battery had died, but when I got home, it worked fine. I was at about 15,000ft and the temperature change from the bottom to the top was about 20 degrees. Not sure if that had anything to do with it. Anyone else experience this???
Air was too thin causing temporary insanity and hypoxia. Don't go up that high again -- it may not survive next time.

C.
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Jul 25, 2005 | 01:35 PM
  #3  
LOL. Yeah could be, you can hear the engine gasping for air, it's even worse when I take my motorcycle up there. Any ideas on why the remote would stop working though?
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Jul 25, 2005 | 02:19 PM
  #4  
If there are any sources of RF (radio towers, Power lines) around..... that could explain it. I have the same thing happen to me when I go Twin Peaks here in SF....the rf emitted from the towers make the oem key fob near worthless. I had to stand next to the car with the key fob for a minute or 2, touching it to the car and pressing the unlock button until it finally let me in! Picture that...I felt like a moron locked out of his own car!
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Jul 25, 2005 | 02:22 PM
  #5  
Really? Hmm... that sounds like it could be it because a lot of radio stations have their towers up there because they can reach the whole city that way. Never knew it would interfere like that though.
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Jul 25, 2005 | 03:06 PM
  #6  
Quote: Really? Hmm... that sounds like it could be it because a lot of radio stations have their towers up there because they can reach the whole city that way. Never knew it would interfere like that though.
That'd be my guess. All those radio signals messed up the signal from your keyfob.. C.
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Jul 25, 2005 | 04:16 PM
  #7  
this happened to me once in NYC on my old car with an aftermarket remote. It was the middle of the night and the key i had happened to be a valet key because i lost the original, so i could not open the door with it. I thought the battery to my remote was dead.. luckily there was one watch shop accross the street that was about to close up... i went into task them if they had an extra battery for my remote and they told me the remote is fine but it's just that one block.. they said they have seen it happen many times to people.. on taht block there is something that interferes with the remote signal and it will only work if the remote is right next to the antenna..

I imagine thats what happeend.
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Jul 25, 2005 | 04:39 PM
  #8  
Wonder how that would affect cars that have the Smart Key feature where the car and key only has to be within a certain range.
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Jul 25, 2005 | 04:47 PM
  #9  
Aliens, that's what it was, aliens. You are lucky to be back alive. (I have no idea!?!)
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Jul 25, 2005 | 06:02 PM
  #10  
Quote: Wonder how that would affect cars that have the Smart Key feature where the car and key only has to be within a certain range.
Don't know yet....I've got that feature on my M and haven't had that pop up yet.....
C.
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