locking car with fob!

[iannn]

hi all, how close have you to be to the car to get the car to lock with the fob i seem to have to be virtually next to the car for it to lock/unlock have changed the battery in the fob no difference at all , where do you point the fob at the car for to work i have r75 1.8 2001.
cheers iannn.

[lildevil]

I have a similar problem but not as bad as yours. I have changed the battery in the fob but the same as you I seem to have noticed no difference. I point mine towards the front of the car always seems the best place. I believe I read that on the MK1 cars the receiver for the alarm is somewhere near the handbrake. However I may be wrong, more clever, intelligent people will be alone soon. I am soon learning and asking questions but hope to one day be able to answer questions as well as ask them.

Regards
Tom

[madone]

Hi and welcome to this great forum. The distance to operate the fob varies due to the angle you are to the car. The easiest way to do it from a distance is to place the key on your temple and press. Honest, it works from 50 yards :D

[Matt brighton]

Hi iannn,

mine (2001 conn se) seems to lock/unlock from sometimes great distances away - at other times I seem to have to be pointing the key an inch from the w screen.

Always seems better when approaching the car from the fromnt (where reciever is)

Not an answer from me really but other cars I have driven seem to lock/unlock from the other side of town !!!

matt-brighton

[Mike]

On the earlier cars the receiver is fitted under the centre console just forward of the handbrake :eek: Not good for getting a clear signal.

On later cars it was moved to behind the instrument pack and the problems you are experiencing largely disappeared. Some members with earlier cars have moved the receiver themselves.

hth

Mike

[Simon]

Mines an early car and as such the sensor reception is poor. The fob-against-temple method does work, but it will also make people look at you funny :rofl:

Moving the reciever will definately improve your reception range as Mike says.

[crofts]

Mines an early car and as such the sensor reception is poor. The fob-against-temple method does work, but it will also make people look at you funny :rofl:

Moving the reciever will definately improve your reception range as Mike says.

Don't worry what others think, if it opens up your mind you have one up on them. Think of the possibilities. :eek:

[Rich]

i seem to have to be virtually next to the car for it to lock/unlock

Same here on my 2001 1.8 Club. Most annoying, especially in this weather.

Only thing I've found that helps is to hold the fob higher than the body panel height, still doesn't make that much of a difference though :rant:

Anyone know if the reciever can be moved without removing the entire center console?

[Andyb123]

To quote 'MADONE', 'The easiest way to do it from a distance is to place the key on your temple and press. Honest, it works from 50 yards.'

My kids told me about this one day when we were on holiday over in USA, they jokingly said it increases the range, so being the analyst I am I performed a real time factual analysis. Guess what, it actually worked, cannot figure out why, but I must say the kids got a great giggle out of it. Dad standing there with key fob held to temple and moving away from the car till I could not activate the door locks. It seemed to more than double the distance over which the key fob would work.

Any one got an idea why?.

[Kandyman]

Hi Rich

We do have a how to for this job but I can’t find it. so look at the same one but on http://sfld.de/club75/RemoteControl.pdf

The receiver can be moved without taking the counsel out, The receiver is mounted under the hand break in a black plastic box. Keith has removed the black box and extended the cables under the centre counsel up to behind his dash, but said that to get the black box off to a right mare to do.

I just opened the black box which is not to hard to do and took the PCB out and cut the wires and extended the cables and replaced the PCB in a plastic box I had knocking about.

The ranged has improved a bit

[Rich]

Cheers for the info there Kandyman.

In reading that PDF, are they saying simply removing the reciever from it's "blackbox" casing will improve things?

Tempted to remove and resite high up under the dash, presume that's where your one now resides?

It's a typical sunday here today, dark and raining, so in typical 75/ZT owner fashion, ideal weather for working on the car :)

[Simon]

To quote 'MADONE', 'The easiest way to do it from a distance is to place the key on your temple and press. Honest, it works from 50 yards.'

My kids told me about this one day when we were on holiday over in USA, they jokingly said it increases the range, so being the analyst I am I performed a real time factual analysis. Guess what, it actually worked, cannot figure out why, but I must say the kids got a great giggle out of it. Dad standing there with key fob held to temple and moving away from the car till I could not activate the door locks. It seemed to more than double the distance over which the key fob would work.

Any one got an idea why?.

Quite simple. Your body acts as a radio antena for the key fob.

You body contains a lot of nice minerals that act very well as radio antenas. When you hold or touch something transmitting a radio signal, your body will act as an extension to that transmitter.

Your body will not amplify the signal but it does broadcast it over a much wider area therefore increasing the chance that the radio wave is reaching it's intended target.

[Dragon]

For those worried about what people think when placing the key fob to your temple, you could try holding the key fob next to your leg and pressing the button, works even better if the foot of the leg you are using is on the floor.
Sounds barmy I know but it seems to work for me without having to put the ket to my head!!

[Keith]

Here you go Kandy reason why you can't find it is because it was pre 05/11/06 i.e for the newbies before we set this dedicated super duper site up :)

http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=150781
All if you intend to move it take note of post 32

and for a laugh post 34 onwards just to proove the head trick works
http://forums.mg-rover.org/showthread.php?t=150225&page=2&highlight=166

[Rich]

We do have a how to for this job but I can’t find it. so look at the same one but on http://sfld.de/club75/RemoteControl.pdf

The receiver can be moved without taking the counsel out, The receiver is mounted under the hand break in a black plastic box. Keith has removed the black box and extended the cables under the centre counsel up to behind his dash, but said that to get the black box off to a right mare to do.

I just opened the black box which is not to hard to do and took the PCB out and cut the wires and extended the cables and replaced the PCB in a plastic box I had knocking about.

The ranged has improved a bit

I bring good news and an incredible THANK YOU!!!

I opened the black box and removed the PCB. The antenna is built in to the PCB, god only knows how it works laying on its side!

Snipped the plug off and extended the wires buy about 6" - I've then followed the PDF above and simply wrapped the pcb in tape and put a small double sided sticky pad on the back.

I then removed the center arm rest cubby box thing and stuck the reciever, upright, into the void between the cubby box and the center console above the air duct, so it's a little bit higher now as well as being the right way up!

Range has gone from less than three feet (I used to literally have to stand next to the car) to at LEAST twenty feet!!! (my door step <> driveway distance).

No more will I hear SWMBO telling me to stop mucking about and open the doors :poke: while we're both getting soaked, I can open them like a normal car now!!!

:group:

Seriously, thank you all :)

[Kandyman]

Well Done RichK :drunk:

[Christopher]

Well done indeed ;)

:clap:

[Rich]

Been playing with it for ages now, probably got a flat battery in the fob now :)

Was thinking I might move it again, to high up in the offside B pillar?

Will let you know if/when it stops raining ;)

[Christopher]

Will let you know if/when it stops raining ;)

... so its a summer job then (if you are lucky!!) ;) ;)

[Keith]

Funnily enough since moving mine behind the clocks it still does not offer as good a range as my ZTT still miles better than on the floor though :)

Thinks was a this a good project drive change !!!!

Rich one thing I have mentioned previously the electronics are screened and earthed via the tab that was under the bolt wherever you put it I suggest still earthing the tab if you haven't put a bolt through it in to some tin.

[Rich]

Rich one thing I have mentioned previously the electronics are screened and earthed via the tab that was under the bolt wherever you put it I suggest still earthing the tab if you haven't put a bolt through it in to some tin.

Yeah I was wondering about that. I read your posts over on .org today aswell. I've obviously not connected it to anything, do you know what it actually does?

Does it transmit aswell as receive? (only reason it'd need earthing?)

Any long term adverse effects from not connecting it to anything?

[Keith]

Most RF devices including receivers need screening to prevent false positives and to prevent the devices within the RF circuit causing interference to other local systems. In some cases the components in a receiver can act as a transmitter over a very short range if not screened.

Anyway don't get to hung up on this if tape has been sufficient for many, chances are there will not be a problem I just follow and feel I ought to recommend best practice with stuff like this whether it is really necessary or not.

[MGZTT190+]

Mine has worked for over 2.5yrs from allmost any angle and I can blip it from my window with the car some 30yds away..

I have 3 keys and they all seem to work the same..The only problem I have with the fob is forgetting to lock the car as i have got out of the habbit now with over years and years of putting a key in the lock!! I would like it to lock as soon as the fob got a certain distance away from the car...Or maybe that allready exists..

As for placing it on your temple I would guess you are using your head as a Ariel/Antena increasing the range? Also the Earth connetion makes sense.

Interesting subject..

Ian.