Locked out...

[Freddog11]

A couple of weeks ago I went for a drive and parked in the driveway when I got home. Didn't lock the doors, I was going back out in a short while anyway. When I went back to my car, I reach in and pull the driver's door handle but the door won't open. It feels like the door is just stuck, but also feels like the handle is not releasing the latch. Pull and pull...nothing. I go to the other side, same thing. It's like the doors are locked, but the inside door locks and unlocked. After about 15 minutes of wrestling with it, all the sudden both doors work fine. During that 15 minutes, I pressed the unlock on the key fob numerous times but it didn't work.

Fast forward to last night. I go out for some last minute shopping at the mall, find the same thing. I can't get into my car. A couple people come by and comment on the "nice car", I thank them and pretend that I'm getting something out of the trunk. I dont want them to think I'm trying to break in, so opening the trunk show them that I actually do have a key. After about 15 minutes, the doors open.

Two things to add: I only have one key fob at this time (I need to order a couple more) and maybe the battery is weak. WHen I push the lock, the alarm sets, but the doors do not actually seem to lock, ie the inner door locks do not move. Is this normal? Second, sometimes when I'm working on my car with the doors open for a long period of time, after about 15 minutes, I can hear a click, like someone pushing a power door lock on the car, but the doors do not lock.

Any ideas? It's pretty embarrassing when I get locked out.

[DrDJ]

Change your key fob batteries first, then report back.

DrDJ

[dave6666]

If your alarm was armed, and you opened the truck, should that set it off like in a GTS? Because from what you were describing on your shopping business, it did not go off. Maybe an RT/10 thing there.

Can you reset your fobs doing the hold both buttons down and wait for the car to honk at you? Mr. Gen 1.5?

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Originally Posted by Freddog11

WHen I push the lock, the alarm sets, but the doors do not actually seem to lock, ie the inner door locks do not move. Is this normal? Second, sometimes when I'm working on my car with the doors open for a long period of time, after about 15 minutes, I can hear a click, like someone pushing a power door lock on the car, but the doors do not lock.

All very normal. Even though your fob says "lock" and "unlock", 96' RT/10s do not have keyless entry. All your fob is good for is arming (lock) and disarming (unlock) the alarm. When I 1st bought my car, I asked that same question, thinking I had a prob with my keyless entry system. The problem is our cars dont have keyless entry systems. The click you hear is also normal. I've also heard that same noise and posted about it. Other Gen 1 guys reported hearing the same noise. I never really found out what it was but I just assume its the ghost of a Hooters girl past

As for the door jamming, mine has done it a couple times the past 3 years. I usually just give the door a harder pull than normal (still not THAT hard, just harder than normal) and it opens up. I think its called "12 year old Dodge" disease

[Chris1]

Did you have the side curtain windows on at the time? I had that happen when I first got mine. If the side curtain is installed tightly with the rear bolt attached, I found that I have to pull down slightly on the rear part of the door to get in to open easier. One time I couldn't get the door open for an hour or so, then drove around for a while, then checked again, and it opened right up, go figure. If your windows were not installed, maybe check with a Viper Tech for a possible adjustment within the release mechanism.......

Regards, Chris.

[RTTTTed]

That's a problem I'm glad I don't have!

I found that the first thing I do when working on my car now is to have the windows rolled down. It really sucks having to go through the trunk to open the doors because I left the keys in the ignition while working on the electrical!!!

The alarm disables the car's electrical system so if your doors wouldn't unlock it was probably your alarm deactivating your electrical system (bad connection?). Hopefully it's your FOB battery.

Ted

[Freddog11]

Ok, answers in order...

Haven't tried changing the battery yet, gonna try that this weekend.

Dave, what does the reset do and will I have to have the car re-learn the key for after that? Oh, and that's Mr. Gen 1.6.

Thanks Chad, that answers some questions that I've had for a while, now I just want to know how the Hooter's girl ghosts got in my car.

Chris, I had my new V-Mania windows on both times. I don't think an adjustment is necessary since most of the time it works just fine and I don't think both doors would need intermittant adjustment at the same time.

Ted, again, I'm hoping it's just the fob battery.

I really want to order a couple new key fobs and just reprogram the whole bunch at once. Time to start shopping.

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Dave-- on 96' RT/10s, if you have the alarm armed and open the trunk with the key, the alarm will not go off.

I'm not sure how to reset the remotes on a Gen 1, but that would only help if your alarm quits arming, since thats all the fobs do. The car wont have to relearn the key, because our keys dont have transmitters in them.

Hooters girl ghosts are very sneaky...have you ordered "Hooters to go" lately? Sometimes, you get more than the food to go