poor range on only one function

Hi,
Hello every one, newly registered to get my feet wet.
I have a Compustar CM6200 brain with 2W remote on
2008 Acura MDX. Lately something weird started
happening.

I can start car, query the car with remote at usual distance
like from inside the house but door lock/unlock has much diminished
range now. I have to be near the car to unlock or lock the door.
When I try spare 1W remote same thing happens.

What could be possibly wrong? Reprogramming remotes does not make
any difference. Something went bad with the brain or remotes? They
were installed ~4 years ago. Any helpful suggestions/recommendations
most appreciated.

Hi,
Follow up on my own thread without any responses. B4 I embark on trouble-shooting, I notice CM6200 brain has two antenna connectors
which my antenna now is 4 pin one. Does than mean CM6200 has two different RX/TX?
I have few more mild days ahead so this is my plan.
First I am going to disconnect battery to reset every thing.

1. Try new remote, if this does not make a difference (I hope it does)
2. Try 6 pin antenna and P2W901-SS remote. If it works, some thing
   must be wrong with 4 pin antenna radio circuit on the brain.
3. If still no difference, then it must be brain. Here I am wondering
   if I can move the blade from CM6200 to CM7200 and rewire? Or find
   a replacement CM6200.

Hope this 3 steps will find the problem. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Any advices welcome.
TIA,
Tony

Hi,
Tried new remote and it did not make any difference.
Still range is poor. Going on to step 2, waiting for
6 pin antenna RF kit.

check your ground.

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

Hi,
If grounding is poor, wouldn't it affect other function keys as well?
Also it remote starts every time without any issue with good range.
Any how I'll double check the ground wire connection then.
Thanks,
Tony

the blade can be moved from the 6200 to the new 7x00 series controllers.

personally i have seen this "hiccup" before, but it was resolved with fixing the ground or doing a controller software update.

also try reprogramming the blade module with a reset, then reprogram. reprogramming instructions are on idatalink.com

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

Hi,

Thanks for pointers. More things to try. RF P2W901-SS kit
did not make a difference. Waiting for ADS-USB cable to re-
flash the blade. I have no idea how to update brain(CM6200).
Maybe that is only for pro installers? As retired this issue
is personal challenge to pass time learning something new, LOL!

You can flash the CM6200 yourself. Just go to https://compustar.idatalink.com/ and create a Weblink account. If it asks for your business name, I just put in something like "free lance installer." You will have to download and install the Weblink software too.



-------------

make sure you install the weblink software PRIOR to connecting the usb or you'll have nothing but connectivity issues.

-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

Hi,
Thanks. All is ready. Just waiting for ADS-USB cable to arrive.

Hi,
Further observation while waiting for ADS-USB cable and another CM6200
brain. At distance where car can remotely start door lock/unlock buttons when pushed gets chirps indicating it got the response from the brain and parking light blinks but actually door is not locked or unlocked when checked.
If I am near the vehicle door locks/unlocks normally Very weird.

Maybe I am heading for redoing the whole system with some thing else
if all attempts do not change the symptom. I'm going to recheck all
the wiring, reflash blade, try new brain and that's all I could.
Never had this much problem like this before. I am just big time puzzled.

Hi,
Reset, reflashed blade, reconfigured module, no change.
Waiting for Another new brain to try which will be end of
this trouble-shooting.

Just curious... if you try a range test somewhere else, do you get the same results? Local RF interference (maybe a new antenna tower in your area) can certainly reduce range. It's a long shot but worth mentioning I suppose..

Hi,
Yes at a local mall parking lot. I parked the car where I can see it
and tried to lock/unlock the door at the other end of parking lot,
I always get chirps from remote fob and I can see parking light flash
(meaning it received the command?) but when I walk over to the car
and check the door it is still locked. Very weird. But I can start
the engine. Another thing it came to mind was, I had wind shield
replaced late summer, so I even took the antenna off the windshield
glass. Now I am going to the shop(authorized Compustar dealer). This
is crazy. I have now new CM7200 brain with new blade(ADS-Blade-AL), another RF kit in case whole system has to be redone. My house has
garage door opener, wireless thermostat for furnace, I have small HAM antenna with radios on HF/VHF, also wireless home network. Definitely
some thing is wrong with this remote system.

Hi,
One more thing, my wife's car has 2way Autostart brand remote starter
which works just fine.

so you have installed the new 7200, new blade al and a new RFp2w901ss?



-------------
Ted
2nd Year Tier 1 Medical School
Still installing as a hobby...pays for groceries
Compustar Expert

Hi,
I have an appointment to have a look at it at Compustar authorized
dealer in the new year(they are very busy). I'll bring CM7200 and
new 64 bit blade there. The guy's name to work on it is Dan at
Car Guys here in Calgary.

Hi,all.
In the mean time I played with remote in the mall parking lot.
While door lock has poorest range, remote starting is little better,
but when I tried engine query, the range is quite normal. I could read
temperature and battery voltage at a distance. So it leads me to
believe the RF kit is working fine but functions involving electro-mechanical
part is flawed for possibly poor install. or miswiring?
Looking forward to the result of trouble-shooting at the shop on
January 6th(Tuesday).

Every one, Merry Christmas and Happy, prosperous, healthy new year
to you all and your family.
Tony

Hi,
One more observation. If I remote start the engine and while engie is runnig I can unlock the door at good distance. If I turn off engine, then range diminishes. If I try to unlock door without engine running, parking lights flashes in response but doing the same with engine running head lights flashes. I am beginning to suspect some
wiring issues now. Next week Tuesday I hope they can find the cause of the trouble promptly at the shop.

Hi, everyone:
At last found the cause of this trouble at the shop.
Think initial installer over looked my car has adjustable
steering column. So with the way he wired the system wiring
harness was flexing every time I use the car(steering comes up
per memory settings and goes down when ignition is turned off)

Over time wires get stretched, flexed over and over creating
intermittent problems which started showing up after 3 years.

Old CM6200/blade was taken out and installed CM7200/blade is
installed now. Installer made sure same thing won't happen.
All is well now. Every thing works the way it should. What a bummer,
missing the fact the car has adjustable steering.