Confused about how unlocking works with key fob

[MrFusion]

Hi, I have a 2019 Alltrack S, so no kessy. I believe the way the unlocking is supposed to work by default is that the first press unlocks the drivers door and the second press unlocks the rest. I also know this can be changed in vehicle settings to unlock all on the first press.

But in the default mode or the single side mode on my car, i sometimes have to press the key fob more than twice to unlock the other doors. Sometimes it's three or four times. The first press always unlocks the drivers door and then the second press makes something actuate in the doors, but it's still not unlocked. Then i have to press again. I'm not sure what is happening with that second press that's generating some kind of sound but not the full unlocking sound. There are some occasions where two presses works fine.

What am I missing? Is something wrong? I have access to an obdeleven is there is something I can check to diagnose this.

Thanks!

 

[The Fed]

Scan the doors. I think VCDS would work better but try scanning the doors with your OBD11. There are microswitches in the door lock mechanisms that tells the modules if the doors are open or closed, locked or unlocked. I don't know to what extent that can be monitored. A scan will tell you if the fob battery is low, I don't remember which module you scan. In VCDS, SCAN does everything with one command. Did you try replacing the fob battery? Does it do it with both key fobs? Your main battery OK? Since all three other doors are doing it, unless someone has a another idea, I'd take it to the dealer if the batteries in the car and fobs and are good and both fobs have the problem. Also possible your button on the fob is bad. I'd say it's over a one in a billion chance all three lock/unlock solenoids are sticking or weak.

 

[2018gti]

I’ve always had this too and just figured it was a “quirk” of my car. Definitely curious to see what it really is though. I don’t have any codes in the door modules. It’s like you have to button-mash the unlock a certain way. To me it sounds like the driver door unlocks, then it keeps unlocking (only the driver), then finally the passenger doors unlock once you’ve pressed 3-4 times.

Strange but maybe that’s how it was designed

 

[cb1111]

Change it to "driver only" in settings and leave it that way for a couple of ignitioncycles - three or four ought to do it and then se-set it .

 

[MrFusion]

I just went out to play with it. It seems to be the same with both fobs, and I scanned the doors and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. I have not tried replacing fob batteries, as it seems the same on both and they seem to work fine otherwise, plus the car is not that old. It has about 9k miles. The main battery seems ok too, although I have not yet tested it with a multimeter.

I think it could be something with the timing of how I press the button. If I press it once and then wait a little too long (more than a few seconds, but not much more!) and press it again, it seems to try to re-unlock just the drivers door (I think that is the sound I'm hearing on the second press that I mentioned in the original post), like the waiting period for the second press has ended already. If I press the button twice in a somewhat quicker pattern, it seems to unlock as you'd expect. I think if I press it twice very quickly, like a double click, that doesn't seem to work either though.

I had it working consistently when I was just outside though, and this was after I re-set it back to driver only in the car settings. I guess I'll see how it goes! It does seem like something that is by design, but I'm just not getting the logic or the timing somehow. I may just set it to unlock all doors and move on with my life at some point.

@cb1111 , could you please explain the thought about it working after you change the setting and going through some ignition cycles? What is going on behind the scenes there?

Thanks!

 

[The Fed]

Change it to "driver only" in settings and leave it that way for a couple of ignitioncycles - three or four ought to do it and then se-set it .

Never knew that.

 

[The Fed]

You can't wait that long between presses. Just press the button twice quickly.

 

[cb1111]

You can't wait that long between presses. Just press the button twice quickly.

Very good point. It should be a click, click rather than a click.................click

 

[cb1111]

Never knew that.

It is kind of like rebooting a computer. Sometimes it just needs to be kicked a couple of times.

 

[jimlloyd40]

It is kind of like rebooting a computer. Sometimes it just needs to be kicked a couple of times.

Where do you kick for an EPC light?

 

[cb1111]

Where do you kick for an EPC light?

tap the ECU three times while hopping on one foot and kicking the rear tire 2 times a split second apart - problem is that it has to be done by the same person at the same time or it won't work - but that is a guaranteed fix.

No emoji (as per the Lloyd rule) as I'm serious

 

[Strange Mud]

I have mine set on drivers side (which I like) and gave up getting two clicks to open passenger side. If you get it to work reliably let me know the trick.

Mud

 

[jimlloyd40]

I have mine set on drivers side (which I like) and gave up getting two clicks to open passenger side. If you get it to work reliably let me know the trick.

Mud

If you set it to unlock all doors with one click does that work?

 

[MrFusion]

Mine will work reliably always on the first click to whatever it is set to (drivers, one side, or all). Today it was being inconsistent again where it would still take 3 clicks, even though it seemed to be fine the other day with two. It is strange, but I am glad I'm not the only one that has experienced this. I tried it a few more times and then it seemed to be working on two presses again.

I don't know why the computer would try to open the driver door again if it already knows it is unlocked. Our old Saabs from 20 years ago worked perfectly fine with one click for driver's and 2 for the passenger door, and that 2nd press could happen whenever. You could do a quick double click or space them out for hours.

 

[Strange Mud]

I haven't tried it. I am thinking if my paranoia of only wanting the side I am on unlocked should/shouldn't override not having door unlocked for Mrs Mud on the times I get to car after her.