Sometimes my car door doesn't unlock when I touch it.

same thing happens with my car door. No clue why this happens. I've taken the door off to check it out and can't get to the stuff that might be causing the problem.

Ive heard suggestions that its the solenoid but i dont have the equipment to check it out.

I've also heard it could be a wiring issue.

I called a dealership and since im not under warrenty they want 95$ to just check it out and then more if they need to replace parts.

For the moment I'm dealing with it. It sucks but I dont think they deserve 95$ for fixing a wiring problem if that ends up being the cause.

Let me know if you figure out how to fix it.

 

I'm having trouble following exactly what is being questioned here. I
believe that the '09 is the same as the '08. Here's my experience with
my '08:

1. When the doors are locked, place your hand in the space between
the driver's door handle and the door, it isn't necessary to touch either
the handle or the door. The car beeps twice, the head and tail lights
blink twice, and the door(s) unlock.

2. When exiting the car, touch the square black rubber-like pad on the
drivers door handle. The car beeps once, the head and tail lights blink
once, and the doors Lock. FWIW, once the door is Locked, you can't
unlock it for ~3 seconds.

3. If you grab the handle and push the black pad at the exact same
moment, you're sending both the Lock and unlock commands.
The car is justifiably confused, and defaults to the Locked condition.
Take your hand away from the handle and start again.

Is your experience different than this?

(I have no idea what the Lock/unlock sequence is when using the FOB.
In the nearly two years we've driven Amapola, we haven't used it,
even once! )

 

If you press the black button on the handle, you are *locking* the doors, not unlocking them. Make sure your fingers reach around inside the handle when unlocking, and keep away from the black button. If you do both at the same time it confuses the system.

If nothing else, check the battery in your fob. The fob battery is easy to replace.

Tom

 

Do you carry anything else in your pocket? Keeping the fob in the same pocket as a cell phone can cause interference.

Tom

 

I have never experienced your problem, in fact, my door handles are so sensitive that all I have to do is brush the back of my fingers over the outside of the handle to unlock the door. No joke.

 

Well, the keys may affect the signal strength....and your wallet may have credit cards with rfid tags that may also interfer.
I've noticed slightly slower response if the key is in the pocket such that my body is between the key and the door.... understandably weaker response.

 

Yep. I notice this with the hatch release - if I am turned so that my body is between the fob and the car (the hatch antenna is beneath the bumper cover), the hatch sometimes won't unlock. Then if I turn so that the fob has a clear shot, it works normally. It might be the fob battery losing strength - my car will be 3 years old in Feb and I use one fob exclusively.

 

How about the location? There have been cases where radio signals interfere with the fob, such as near a military base.

Tom

 

Are you touching the black strip on the back of the door handles (only the front doors have it)? Putting your hand between the handle and door aren't necessarily sufficient. Touching the strip should always unlock the doors as long as you have the fob in your pocket and the its battery isn't dead.

Don't screw with or press the black button when you're trying to unlock the doors. Pressing the black button LOCKS the doors.

Do you have a cell phone on you? Is it near or in the same pocket as your fob? If so, what if you move it to your other pocket/other part of your body? It's possible your cell phone might be interfering.

 

Start simple:
- Cell phones, coins, anything electronic or conductive in the same pocket or anywhere between the fob and the car handle can interfere.
- Check the fob battery. Press any button on the fob (you do not have to be near the car). A small red LED should flash in one corner. If not the $4 fob battery is dying.

 

No reason to get snippy. The handle sensor is a capacitive switch. You don't have to physically touch it for activation, which is why it will work through gloves. Making contact improves the signal, which is why the poster asked this question.

Please try to remember that you are the one with a problem, and you asked for help. It is surprising how often the solution to a problem turns out to be an obvious step that was missed up front, so please be patient when people ask obvious questions.

Tom

 

I recently discovered that if you lock the car by pressing the lock button on the FOB, you have to use the FOB to unlock, i.e. touching the handle doesn't unlock in that case.

 

try your other hand - I have noticed that my wedding ring may be causing the problem.

 

I'd replace the battery in the fob and see if it keeps happening.