C5 X7 keyfob wont work below 3 degrees??

[whatdoesthisbuttondo]

Hi...bit of a strange one. I noticed through last winter and this one that they remote wont unlock or lock the car if its been chilly. I can use the fob key to manualy unlock (although it sets the alarm off until I put the key in the ignition).
When I get to work and the car has warmed up the fob works fine...
As it has worked through the year up until its got down to freezing temps again I have discounted the battery as acontender.
Any idea's please?

[demag]

I owned a Kia Carens that was the same. In freezing weather the fob would only work if I held it right by the middle of the windscreen.

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[Paul-R]

If it's under three years old whip it back to the dealer's under warranty.

[Richard_C]

How odd, never had that problem with mine.

You say you have discounted the battery - are you really really sure? Most button cells are Lithium, a few are silver oxide. Silver oxide performance really falls away at low temperatures.

I presume there are no other obvious factors (like - "when its cold outside I wear my chain mail gloves and radio absorbing thermal underpants....").

I have seen learned articles which suggest your body can act as an aerial, so putting the key against your head and pressing open extends its range. My empirical tests suggest it might be true, or it might be bullsxxt. Try it and see. I did convince my children that facing the car and opening your mouth made the signal go further, so they would take the key from me and do just that in car parks. But they were 4, and now they are 20+ they no longer believe it.

Not sure where the receiver is, but could there be condensation in it or over it which might be a factor? Do water droplets absorb radio waves at that frequency?

[DHallworth]

Our X7 key fob started doing this about a fortnight after we got the car. I changed the batteries in the fob and it hasn't done it again since.

The 407 Coupé has started doing the same thing so I've ordered a couple of batteries on eBay (can't be bothered going near the Supermarket at this time of year). It'll hopefully cure that one too.

For the cost of a couple of batteries on eBay, I'd start with the simplest of things first

David.

[Stickyfinger]

you could move to a warmer place ?.......it seems to work for me

[whatdoesthisbuttondo]

Thanks all, Ill change the battery first...

[Mandrake]

All batteries have reduced output at cold temperatures, if the battery was down to the borderline in warm weather it might not have enough juice in cold weather.