azferrari

This is one of those "intermittant" electrical problems that is a pain in the a__.
This has happened a couple of times to me. When starting the car with Keyless go, after a few seconds, the engine will just cut off. Today when it happened, I was able to drive about a block before the engine stumbled, cut off, then stumbled again, then cut off. I restart the car with the key........no problems! My car is an '03, so I've got the "credit card" thing.
I took it out of my pocket, thinking that somehow the car couldn't "sense" the card through my pants pocket. Still, no good. Sometimes the keyless go works fine, however. No rhyme or reason when it decides to cut the engine off. Any guesses as to what's happening?

Jeff

benzmodz

Maybe the on / off switch on the shifter is faulty.

xtianpel

I wonder if the battery on the card is dying? Try chaning the battery (if you haven't done so lately) and see what happens.

Just a wild guess thoguh. Good luck!

SLcharger

The car dostn´t care whatever the card is in the car, when running, or not. It could be the switch in the gearlever, or more likely, a loose connection to the switch that is causing the problem. If you drive with normal key, do you have any problems ?

azferrari

I have changed the battery in the "credit card" thing, but this didn't seem to help, since it has happened again with the new batteries in. NO PROBLEMS when using the key. I think you guys may be onto something regarding the switch to the gearshift keyless go button. Any other ideas? You would think that once the engine starts, all would be fine, even if I threw the "credit card" thingy out the window, wouldn't you?

Jeff

Scruffyone

I thought the got rid of the card thingy because of problems such as you are having?

xtianpel

On the 2004 model, the one without the "Credit Card" thingy, the system is on the key itself. If you were to "throw the key out the window" after a few minutes the car goes into "Recovery mode", which sounds very much like what you're describing, the car starts crawling. Perhaps what's happening is that the car initially recognizes de "Credit Card" thingy and it starts. Somehow the "CC" dies and the car loses connection to it and it goes into recovery mode? I wonder if getting a new card will solve the problem. It should still be under warranty so the dealer should give you a new one.

azferrari

This "recovery mode" sounds very interesting. When you say the car starts "crawling", what do you mean exactly? The two times my car has "had the ignition die" on me when using keyless go, I had two different things happen to me: 1st time, car would just die after about 3 seconds. 2nd time, I got about a block down the road before it kind of died, but then stumbled, then almost died again, etc., like someone was turning the ignition on and off
constantly. I think that the problem may be with my "credit card" thingy. My wife has never experienced this when she uses HER credit card thingy and the keyless go. I will have her drive the car more often in keyless go mode, and see if she has the same problem I am having. If not, I think that the problem could be with my credit card thingy, and not in the switch to the keyless go button on the gearshift. I am also going to have her hand me her
credit card thingy out the driver's window after starting the car with the keyless go, while I'm standing in the driveway, and have her drive off. I wonder if the car will go into the "recovery mode" that you talk about, or will it just keep on driving normally. Hey......what about when she goes to push the keyless go button to turn OFF the car..........will it NOT turn off, because there is no credit card thingy in the car????? It brings up some interesting questions. Has anyone experimented with this?

Jeff

xtianpel

I could have sworn I read it in the manual, but I can't find it now.

I remember reading that if you start the car with Keyless-Go and then the key is removed from the car, the car will go for a little while, then go into limp mode or stop all together. The idea is that if somebody tries to take your car you can walk away with the keyless go module (or key) in your pocket, they'll take the car but it will stop working after a short while.

If I find it I'll let you know where, but check the manual. I'm sure it's there.

I'm traveling for the next couple of days. I'll check back on Thursday.

Scruffyone

I have left my car running without the key in it several times. Usually to keep the inside cool/warm for wifey, depending on the weather, while I go into a store or something like that. Car stays running.

RadSteve

I've walked away from Valet with the key in my pocket, and they can park it...and stop it, but obviously they can't retrieve it for me later...because i still have the key in my pocket. Sometimes they catch it before i walk away...they're starting to catch on to these keyless cars and look for the key. It certainly drives far enough to park it though without the key.