Possible Fatal Flaw in the package cars?

[scratch]

I did have an ignition problem with my regular car about three months ago. Several times a day, it wouldn't start at all using the keys or the fob. It had to sit for about twenty minutes before it would finally start again. It took about ten days of write ups for my mechanic to finally figure out the problem, which I think was some kind of relay switch. I got a new starter, battery, and just about the whole ignition system replaced in the process. My mechanic said he was starting to have similar problems with other cars too.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

The start/stop relay is the first thing I go after in those situations. The hard part about those "sometimes" problems is that the conditions they occur in are nearly impossible to recreate in the shop. Ideally it would be great if you could catch your mechanic while it's still going on and show him.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

When it fails to start with the keys or Fob, then it's usually something other than the keyless system.

 

[cosmo1]

That's sad. On the other hand, that application of tape doesn't look like it was done by the mechanic.

Too neat?

 

[oldngray]

Wrong color?

 

[scratch]

The start/stop relay is the first thing I go after in those situations. The hard part about those "sometimes" problems is that the conditions they occur in are nearly impossible to recreate in the shop. Ideally it would be great if you could catch your mechanic while it's still going on and show him.

And that was the problem with correctly diagnosing the problem, it would never replicate itself in the shop. I was told to just keep the engine running to make it back to the building. When I would pull up to the shop door, everything was cooled off and it would fire right up.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Happens to me all the time. Frustrating as hell.

 

[Packmule]

What would be the difference between this and having any vehicle suddenly stall? It would be just as dangerous at high speeds. That has happened to me at slow speeds, and yes, you loose power steering and power brakes. An electric override pump keeps some braking capacity available, but steering becomes very difficult.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

Can't say I've ever seen a vehicle shut off at speed where keyless was to blame.

 

[oldngray]

Can't say I've ever seen a vehicle shut off at speed where keyless was to blame.

That happened to me several times. Loose wire somewhere that cut all power as I was driving at speed. It definitely was the keyless because the engine would later start when I used a key.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

There have been a few that just wouldn't start reliably because wires would back out on the plug on the ignition switch.

 

[Alexcross774]

I was extremely unpopular with my higher ups in management when I filed a PSR after burning my fingers on a stuck-on blazing hot door solenoid. I mentioned removing the keyless as a real solution to the crappy 2012 white keyless modules. Hey-they asked for suggestions! Excuse the out of me!

Crappy is a understatement for the white modules. The button design was bad too. The newest cars went back to the black module. The fob button is blue, but everything else is the same.

 

[soberups]

Can't say I've ever seen a vehicle shut off at speed where keyless was to blame.

It happened to me. 2006 Freightliner, 665-series car, going down the road and the engine just died. Fob no workie, push button start no workie. I got it pulled over and stopped, it wouldnt start again until I used the key. I finished the day using the key and periodically tried getting the keyless to work to no avail. I even tried the spare fob. Thats why I insist on having the ignition key on the ring now.