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Cannot Remove FOB/Key from ignition on 2011 RAM 1500 (Battery Not Dead, Gear in Park)
#11
Well I just RTFM and confirmed that the hidden emergency key is not required for the keyfob to work. You can remove it for valet parking as I thought. So, I'm stumped. The only thing mentioned in the manual which can prevent the fob from being removed is the gear shifter. So I guess something has malfunctioned. I just find it odd that it occurred when it did.
I could not find any known issues of why the FOB could not be removed. Something to do with the alarm maybe? I agree with another poster on here about letting the dealer look at it. If you want to PM me your VIN I can tell you definitely if the TSB I posted above pertains to your vehicle.
#12
Thanks everyone for the advice.
#13
It looks like a fail safe feature in case of a robbery.
On my truck, I tried a few things. When the window is open and I unlock the door from the oustide, the alarm is enabled. Which I beleive simulates a broken window and a robbery... I tried a few other things, with the door open, partially closed and so on. In regards to remote start, My truck will refuse to start if the fuel level is too low. Which I can make sense of.
In the case of a fog getting stuck in the fob holder is interesting. Did you try the second fob? Using the second fob may help by simulating that the real owner of the truck (which is still you in this case) is back. Unlocking the doors with the second fob should disable the alarm.
Did you find more about your problem?
Regards
Bleuet
On my truck, I tried a few things. When the window is open and I unlock the door from the oustide, the alarm is enabled. Which I beleive simulates a broken window and a robbery... I tried a few other things, with the door open, partially closed and so on. In regards to remote start, My truck will refuse to start if the fuel level is too low. Which I can make sense of.
In the case of a fog getting stuck in the fob holder is interesting. Did you try the second fob? Using the second fob may help by simulating that the real owner of the truck (which is still you in this case) is back. Unlocking the doors with the second fob should disable the alarm.
Did you find more about your problem?
Regards
Bleuet
#14
Hi bleuet,
I don't think it was a failsafe for robbery since I had both the manual key and fob, which should be sufficient for disabling the alarm. Even when triggering your alarm by opening your door through an open window, even a dead fob should be sufficient for disabling it once it's put into the ignition and turned (provided it is still a valid fob).
However, you brought up a good point regarding the second fob. I didn't mention on the original posting, but I did try that as well. I had my wife bring the second fob, and while in this state, the system didn't even respond to it at all. Door lock/unlock did not register anything. Grabbing at straws, I even tried holding the second fob up to the ignition, while turning the stuck fob, thinking that if the first fob was invalid, the signal from the second one might be picked up. No avail. The system was pretty hosed.
The only thing which resolved the issue was removing the battery for a couple minutes. Simple put, it seemed the computer needed a hard reboot. The problem hasn't occurred again since.
Thanks,
-Jose
I don't think it was a failsafe for robbery since I had both the manual key and fob, which should be sufficient for disabling the alarm. Even when triggering your alarm by opening your door through an open window, even a dead fob should be sufficient for disabling it once it's put into the ignition and turned (provided it is still a valid fob).
However, you brought up a good point regarding the second fob. I didn't mention on the original posting, but I did try that as well. I had my wife bring the second fob, and while in this state, the system didn't even respond to it at all. Door lock/unlock did not register anything. Grabbing at straws, I even tried holding the second fob up to the ignition, while turning the stuck fob, thinking that if the first fob was invalid, the signal from the second one might be picked up. No avail. The system was pretty hosed.
The only thing which resolved the issue was removing the battery for a couple minutes. Simple put, it seemed the computer needed a hard reboot. The problem hasn't occurred again since.
Thanks,
-Jose
#15
#16
That might be a long shot but, I found the installation manual for the remote start system. The manual shows where the components are. The one item that would be related to this situation is the hood switch. The switch is located at the hood latch. I would just assume that if the hood is up, the switch needs lube or the switch is faulty, the system may trigger the fob to get stuck or the engine not to run. If not that, is it that the fob can actually get stuck in the fob hole? Plastic wears out I guess.
Off topic. I have a question about the valet key, and keys. Can keys be used to start the engine when inserted in the fob hole? Is it that only the fob can start the engine and the keys are for door locks?
Regards
Bleuet
Off topic. I have a question about the valet key, and keys. Can keys be used to start the engine when inserted in the fob hole? Is it that only the fob can start the engine and the keys are for door locks?
Regards
Bleuet
#18
Only the fob can be used for starting the car, you cannot put a metal key in the fob hole. The idea of the valet is that you can lock the glove box using the hidden key, remove it from the fob, and take it with you. This way valet's can park your car while you leave your valuables in the glove box.
#20
Same issue w/o the horn
I am in the middle of the same thing, except my horn did not sound. I got it towed to the dealer. The battery was bad, i changed the battery, and it started just fine. Have to put this in because i could saved myself a LOT of money if i had known to actually check the battery instead of only taking the cables off.