I know this is an old thread, but I figured i'd give some helpful advice.

Putting your fob to your chin and hitting unlock/lock increases it's signal strength and range. It's uses your bodies electrical current as an antenna.
Might not work in all situations, but give it a shot.

 

Well.... I have performed some testing on these fobs and badgered the dealer until I got some answers.
First, fobs are a weak link in this system. They have a hi failure rate that the dealers do not want to admit to. The dealers also have a test tool that they can test the fobs transmitting signal with. They want you to pay $75.00 + for them to take less than 30 seconds to find if the fob is tranmitting and determine the signal strength at the same time. As stated in these threads, taking a fob apart and thourghly cleaning with alcohol or other non-cleaner such as an electronic part cleaner will revitalize a fob if it has not failed electronically. Tge in care reciever is supposed be able to link up to 9 fobs and then it will not link to any others. Some dealers will try to say it will not to more than 3 fobs. Bottom line. Dodge has a major flaw here and denise problem exsits. No other company has this issue..... so thourghly clean every part of fob. Have it test by the dealer or find someone that has a frequency meter. I cleaned three fobs and got one to work and the other two either very weak signal or none at all. Ended up buying a new fob. All working well for now....

 

I was speaking to a dealer yesterday about this very issue - they actually had a bad batch of keys from Jan 09 - April/May 09 and you should be able to get another key free of charge - worth looking into. The info is posted on the dealer network for those affected models.

G

 

OEM Fobs suck in general. Majority of them are weak and have very little range. This goes for most car makers.
Only aftermarket keys have superior range.
I can start my car and my truck while in a mall movie theater! I can also start both while 6 blocks away in the local convenient store. Yes, I've successfully tried. Code-Alarm SST models.

If you have a keyess Fobik, you have very limited remote start options available but I imagine keyless isnt an issue.

 

It's not the range that's the problem DD it's the intermittent paralysis of the system, regardless of the range. Most of the time mine will work from a block or two away but it's the times when you are close enough to touch the truck and you can't get the truck to unlock that's the issue.
As far as I know, no one has a definitive answeer as to what causes the problem, transmitter or receiver. It's frustrating because it typically will wait until you have your hands full, it's raining profusely or you have a truckload of people you are trying to get into your truck before it decided to stop working... Very frustrating.

 

ohh. yeah, that sucks. I would def install aftermarket if I had that problem. It would drive me Nucking Futs to have a truck with that problem. The last place I would be is at the dealer. They are a waste of friggin time and money.

 

doesnt mercedes use the same fob? do they have the same issues?

 

Agree, Mercedes uses the same fob. Wtf

 

Having major problems and mine is an 09, what do you mean by "posted on the dealer network for those affected models"? Is this a website?
Thanks!