Keyless Remote Not Detected
 

For the last couple months I have been having the following problem:
1) Start car with keyless remote in pocket.
2) Exit car and close door, taking key with me.
3) When I get back into the car and close the door, a flashing message stating that the keyless remote was not detected appears in the mid and does not go away until I stop & restart the car.

I mentioned the problem when I dropped the car off at the dealer for an oil change and the service rep mentioned that the problem may be due to interference caused by my charger for my Motorola Droid phone.

So far it looks like this was indeed the case. If my phone is connected to the charger and I exit the car and close the door, the error message appears when I get back in the car. If the phone is not connected (charger remains plugged in though) the message doesn't occur.

I'm just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

It happened to me once when I had a friend's security gate remote in the brief with my keys.

Per the 2006 Manual:

The system may not work if:
The battery of the remote is weak.
You carry a cell phone, a laptop
computer, or other electrical
device near the remote.
There is strong electrical current
nearby.
The remote is covered by metal.
A vehicle is being operated with a
transmitter nearby.
When the remote battery is dead.

From the November 2009 Acura Service Bullatin:

MID Displays Keyless Remote Not in Vehicle, But It Is

Currently Applies To: ’05–10 RL

Has your client come in saying that he or she saw an intermittent error message on the MID - Keyless Remote Not in Vehicle - while sitting in the vehicle with the keyless remote? This is not a case where the client got out of the vehicle with the keyless remote while the vehicle was running.

Before assuming there’s a problem with the keyless access system, check if your client keeps a cell phone charger or any other electronic device charger plugged into either of the accessory power sockets or the USB port. Also ask where your client typically keeps the keyless remote while driving.

The vehicle is probably fine, and the problem could be a faulty charger. When we say faulty charger, we mean that the charger does not meet the FCC requirements for electrical interference, even if the device is being charged. The excess electrical interference blocks the communication between the vehicle and the keyless remote when the keyless remote is stored close to the charger, like in the center console or coin tray.

Troubleshooting is easy. Just unplug the charger or USB device, and see if the problem goes away. If it goes away, have the service consultant recommend to your client that he or she either replace the charger or stop storing the keyless remote in the center console area to avoid the electronic
interference. (The owner’s manual also recommends that you carry the remote with you and not leave it lying around in the vehicle.)

While I do believe it is interference, also notice the the sentence "The battery of the remote is weak" The manual gives the remote battery about 2-3 years. If your batteries are older, it may also help to change your remote battery. My local grocery store had two batteries for about $5, a whole lot less than Radio Shack. Prior to my battery change, I seemed to have to always relink the remote, because it was not consistently recognizing Driver 1.

Thanks for the helpful replies. The batteries are < 1 year old in my remote, but I generally keep it in my right pants pocket, so it's pretty close to the center console when I'm in the car. Fortunately, the issue only seems to occur when my phone is plugged in to the charger, so I can avoid the issue by not plugging the phone in until I've closed the car door.

My remote batteries are over 2-1/2 years old and I was wondering if I should replace them. Then....last Saturday morning after I started the car the MID indicated that my remote batteries need replacement. I was going to Home Depot anyway, so I picked some up there. This car covers all the bases, I love it!

The MID will tell you when the remote batteries are low.

LL

Glad a few people are experiencing this same issue, since I've been having this intermittently, starting just as my car was hitting 50k and coming out of warranty. Sometimes my key is in the center cup holder area when it happens and other times its in my left jacket pocket. I've replaced my remote battery but that didnt help. I found that if I open and close the car door while the warning is going off it seems to "fix" the problem.
I did change blackberry models a month ago (from Pearl to Storm 2) and had to change the charger because the Storm 2 uses a smaller micro USB plug. While the charger is always plugged into the socket in the console, my phone wasnt connected to it during any of the times I've gotten the error message. I'll just unplug the charger and drive around that way for a bit and see if it doesnt happen again. I suppose I can turn off my Blackberry and see if the phone itself is causing it.

I've done some more testing and the issue only happens for me when the phone is plugged in to the charger. If the charger is plugged into the car, but the phone is not plugged in, all is well.

Either way, it looks like some poor charger design is to blame. If I was motivated, I would get a spectrum analyzer and see what kind of RF emissions are generated by the charger that could be interfering.

Would doing something like wrapping it in aluminum foil help? Don't know a whole lot about RF shielding, so don't laugh too much!

If problem only occurs when phone is plugged in, why not always take phone with you when you exit the car?