2019 LC Didn't respond to keyfob & started on 2nd crank, ~14v battery (1 Viewer)

[Triple675]

Hey y'all,

Not sure if I stumbled across a feature, bug, or issue with my 2019 LC200. After an hour drive I parked it a private parking lot, a few hours later I went to drive back home but the car did not respond to my keyfob or pulling on the driver door handle, I also tried to pop the trunk and nothing. I took the key out of the keyfob, opened the door, and got in the car, I put my foot on the brake and I saw the red "Door Open" symbol on the center dash light up, I pressed the engine start button and it cranked but didn't turn over and without thinking I pressed it again and it turned over the the voltage went right to ~14.

This *might* have happened another time as well a few weeks ago, a parking attendant said he couldn't get my car to start but by the time I walked up to it where it was parked, they had it running.

I did some searching when I got home tonight but I haven't seen anything described like this, apologies if my google-fu was weak. Just want to know if I'm dealing with a service center issue or if y'all know what might be going on.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sandroad]

Odd.....I would replace the key fob battery first. I would also make sure all doors are completely closed, including the rear tailgate and hatch. If it repeats a 3rd time, for sure take it to a dealer for R&R.

 

[Markuson]

Was unsure of exactly what your start sequence was....but it does sound like a weak fob battery, not being sensed by the proximity sensors around your truck that make the handle unlock when touched with the fob nearby.

Besides the possibility of a weak fob battery...would also check your main battery terminal connectors under your hood. Can sometimes be dirty, or slightly loose enough to power the dash, but not crank. Can even work intermittently if loose... Seems like if you could light the dash, you could start too...but it does happen sometimes.

Also— Next time you can’t open the external door with your hand and the auto-unlock thing...try pressing the unlock button on the fob. the proximity sensor is different from the button signal receiver...so it might help you figure out if there’s a proximity sensor problem.

 

[Triple675]

Was unsure of exactly what your start sequence was....but it does sound like a weak fob battery, not being sensed by the proximity sensors around your truck that make the handle unlock when touched with the fob nearby.

Besides the possibility of a weak fob battery...would also check your main battery terminal connectors under your hood. Can sometimes be dirty, or slightly loose enough to power the dash, but not crank. Can even work intermittently if loose... Seems like if you could light the dash, you could start too...but it does happen sometimes.

Also— Next time you can’t open the external door with your hand and the auto-unlock thing...try pressing the unlock button on the fob. the proximity sensor is different from the button signal receiver...so it might help you figure out if there’s a proximity sensor problem.

Following both of your advice on key fob battery first. To clarify, when pressing the button on the key fob the car did not respond lock/unlock/trunk nothing. I tried the proximity for both pulling the door handle and popping the rear trunk by holding the latch. I could only get in by opening up the car door manually with the physical key removed from the keyfob.

Once I was inside the truck, I noticed the door open light was on the tach dash, my instinct is to put the foot on the brake so I had that there, I pressed the car start button and it cranked but didn't turn over, being slightly caught off-guard I quickly pressed it again and it started right up.

 

[04UZJ100]

How long did it crank for?

If you take your foot off the brake while it’s cranking it will stop and not start. Did the valet do that? Is it by chance you might as well?

 

[Triple675]

How long did it crank for?

If you take your foot off the brake while it’s cranking it will stop and not start. Did the valet do that? Is it by chance you might as well?

I unfortunately don't know what the valet did, I had discounted everything they said until this happened to me today and now I know they were on to something. I know I didn't take my foot off the brake. I would said it was the milisecond before it would have turned over and it didn't, I was very surprised it didn't which is why I hit the start button again so quickly.

 

[Markuson]

Following both of your advice on key fob battery first. To clarify, when pressing the button on the key fob the car did not respond lock/unlock/trunk nothing. I tried the proximity for both pulling the door handle and popping the rear trunk by holding the latch. I could only get in by opening up the car door manually with the physical key removed from the keyfob.

Once I was inside the truck, I noticed the door open light was on the tach dash, my instinct is to put the foot on the brake so I had that there, I pressed the car start button and it cranked but didn't turn over, being slightly caught off-guard I quickly pressed it again and it started right up.

Any time the main car battery is disconnected, it will take two start button presses to run the engine. That’s why I wondered if it might be a main battery thing. But ya...swap out the fob battery.

 

[Triple675]

Any time the main car battery is disconnected, it will take two start button presses to run the engine. That’s why I wondered if it might be a main battery thing. But ya...swap out the fob battery.

No, you're right, the main battery must have disconnected. This all happened quickly and I had a lot going on at the time. I just sat trying to jog my memory and think of what else was different, and the infotainment system rebooted in a different way, like a computer booting up with a progress bar. Does that help?

 

[04UZJ100]

No, you're right, the main battery must have disconnected. This all happened quickly and I had a lot going on at the time. I just sat trying to jog my memory and think of what else was different, and the infotainment system rebooted in a different way, like a computer booting up with a progress bar. Does that help?

The screen will boot like that after sitting for a few weeks.

 

[Markuson]

No, you're right, the main battery must have disconnected. This all happened quickly and I had a lot going on at the time. I just sat trying to jog my memory and think of what else was different, and the infotainment system rebooted in a different way, like a computer booting up with a progress bar. Does that help?

Check the battery clamps, or better, pull them off and wire brush the posts and clamps and retighten. Fob would have no effect on the infotainment stuff...but not sure if that boot up is weird or not. My 2008 has much less to boot through...

 

[Triple675]

The screen will boot like that after sitting for a few weeks.

This was just a few hours

 

[Triple675]

Check the battery clamps, or better, pull them off and wire brush the posts and clamps and retighten. Fob would have no effect on the infotainment stuff...but not sure if that boot up is weird or not. My 2008 has much less to boot through...

The negative terminal was a bit wiggly! Got it tightened back up, checked start-up and that was fine so hoping this was the culprit, although it might take a few weeks like last time to flush out. I would have hit it with a wire brush but they do look basically brand new.

The "two-starts" after battery disconnected nugget of wisdom you had made me realize it had to be that something with the battery. I've never had a voltage meter in the car dash before so when it went right to 14 I discounted checking the battery for an issue and thought it might be something else.

Thanks so much!