Ghost in the van
April 18, 2011 2:02 PM Subscribe
Ghost in the van: our 12-passenger van has started up a few times without a key in the ignition. Also, the locking mechanism sometimes engages continuously, leaving us briefly locked in/out of the vehicle. Is it haunted?
Short answer: no. But we are definitely having an electrical and/or remote starter problem and I could use some advice. This is a 2005 Ford E-350 van that we bought used a few months ago. It has a remote starter system that was installed by the previous owner.
On one occasion I was just getting into the front seat and the van started up on its own, before I could put the key in the ignition. I did not have the key fob with the remote starter button on my person on this occasion but I have no reason to think that someone else pushed it. On another occasion I walked out to the street to get something from the van and found it running without the key in the ignition. This time, I had the key fob in my pocket and I guess it's possible that the button was accidentally pushed, but the previous experience made me wonder. Both times, tapping the brake caused the van to turn off. Also, on three recent occasions, the electric lock system has engaged while I was inside the van or trying to get into the van. By engaged, I mean that I could hear the continuous buzzing of the locking mechanism and it held the locks closed, even when using the key. The lock system remained "engaged" for about 30 seconds each time, after which the locks started working again as usual.
So, do these problems sound familiar to anyone? I know a mechanic visit is probably in my future, but are there other things I could try first? Easily replaceable parts that cause common problems with a remote starter, lock or electrical system? Could it be a low battery or malfunction of the key fob? Any advice would be appreciated.
Short answer: no. But we are definitely having an electrical and/or remote starter problem and I could use some advice. This is a 2005 Ford E-350 van that we bought used a few months ago. It has a remote starter system that was installed by the previous owner.
On one occasion I was just getting into the front seat and the van started up on its own, before I could put the key in the ignition. I did not have the key fob with the remote starter button on my person on this occasion but I have no reason to think that someone else pushed it. On another occasion I walked out to the street to get something from the van and found it running without the key in the ignition. This time, I had the key fob in my pocket and I guess it's possible that the button was accidentally pushed, but the previous experience made me wonder. Both times, tapping the brake caused the van to turn off. Also, on three recent occasions, the electric lock system has engaged while I was inside the van or trying to get into the van. By engaged, I mean that I could hear the continuous buzzing of the locking mechanism and it held the locks closed, even when using the key. The lock system remained "engaged" for about 30 seconds each time, after which the locks started working again as usual.
So, do these problems sound familiar to anyone? I know a mechanic visit is probably in my future, but are there other things I could try first? Easily replaceable parts that cause common problems with a remote starter, lock or electrical system? Could it be a low battery or malfunction of the key fob? Any advice would be appreciated.
It sounds like the remote starter is either shorting out, or it could even possibly be incorrectly grounded. Disconnect the remote starter.
posted by mikeh at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mikeh at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't mean to freak you out, but my father-in-law had a van that had almost these same issues (starting up with no one around, in particular) very intermittently, and one day it spontaneously caught fire in the pouring rain.
Based on my experience, I would recommend you have the remote started completely removed, by a professional.
posted by anastasiav at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2011
Based on my experience, I would recommend you have the remote started completely removed, by a professional.
posted by anastasiav at 2:28 PM on April 18, 2011
I had an after market remote start that displayed this behavior. I'm afraid I can't help you much, but I can tell you that in my case the problem was not the fob. Assuming my witnesses were trustworthy, it started on its own once or twice even when I was on the other side of town with the fob, and I myself sometimes heard it start at times that the fob was in my field of view and not being touched by anyone. It also did the locking thing. I always suspected that at some point the old fob had set its timer on some weird schedule, but that fob had broken and was too expensive to be worth my time to replace, so I could never test that theory (the other fob I had presumably could have set the timer too, but it didn't have a digital display and I didn't have the book telling me how to work it).
The result of touching the brake wouldn't have been surprising in my car's case: the system was designed such that after engaging remote start, when you got in you had to turn the key first, hitting the brake or trying to shift or even just re-opening the door would kill the engine. Presumably so that you wouldn't remote start it then watch someone else hop in and drive away.
While those things happened even when my battery was not low, you're right to think that a low battery will cause funny business. Once I was trying to move my illegally parked car as police looked on, only to find that every time I tried to start it, it shut off when I hit the brake! Turned out my battery was near dead.
That car has yet to catch on fire, but I'm with anastasiav - home brew remote start is not worth keeping around.
posted by solotoro at 2:41 PM on April 18, 2011
The result of touching the brake wouldn't have been surprising in my car's case: the system was designed such that after engaging remote start, when you got in you had to turn the key first, hitting the brake or trying to shift or even just re-opening the door would kill the engine. Presumably so that you wouldn't remote start it then watch someone else hop in and drive away.
While those things happened even when my battery was not low, you're right to think that a low battery will cause funny business. Once I was trying to move my illegally parked car as police looked on, only to find that every time I tried to start it, it shut off when I hit the brake! Turned out my battery was near dead.
That car has yet to catch on fire, but I'm with anastasiav - home brew remote start is not worth keeping around.
posted by solotoro at 2:41 PM on April 18, 2011
I'd assume a wiring issue, though it might be possible that the auto-start is so poorly designed that nearby peoples' fobs are engaging it.
posted by matlock expressway at 3:03 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by matlock expressway at 3:03 PM on April 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
What frequency do the remote starter and locks respond to? My bet is someone nearby has a fob tuned to the same frequency and is triggering your car accidentally, or they are completely in the know and are fucking with you. My old car's fob used to trigger other car's alarms and locks. It was fun to mess with people until I realized how stupid it was.
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:29 PM on April 18, 2011
posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 4:29 PM on April 18, 2011
We have an E350 that is four years older than yours, and it acquired this problem where it would continue running after the key was taken out of the ignition. We solved it by getting a new ignition key (PITA, but there you have it). Maybe the problem is not related to the remote starter? This is just a guess, though.
posted by torticat at 4:44 AM on April 19, 2011
posted by torticat at 4:44 AM on April 19, 2011
Aftermarket remote starts are often the cause of electrical issues. Unfortunately its amateur hour more often than not at many car stereo shops when it comes to alarm/remote start installs. Hopefully whomever installed it wasn't a complete idiot and you won't have much trouble removing it. That really is the best thing to do. Short of that find the fuse, pull it and hope that it doesn't get angry at you. Good Luck!
posted by chosemerveilleux at 5:22 AM on April 19, 2011
posted by chosemerveilleux at 5:22 AM on April 19, 2011
At camp when we were building the bedrooms upstairs I was moving lumber from outside to inside and I noticed that my uncles truck was starting and then stopping at fairly regular intervals. It turns out that being a large man with a lot of keys his remote start was getting pushed when he bent down to pick something up and then pushed again to tun it off when he bent down again. Because he was putting up drywall it involved bending down at regular intervals and when I asked him about it he just laughed pointed to his gut and took his keys out of his pocket. I doubt that is your issue, but remote starts can be really easy to press inadvertently.
posted by koolkat at 7:15 AM on April 19, 2011
posted by koolkat at 7:15 AM on April 19, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. It definitely seems like removing the remote starter would be the prudent thing to do, since I don't need it anyway. Due to the weird lock behavior, I doubt it's the case that someone else is just triggering it by mistake with a different set of keys. Before I take it in to the shop, does anyone have tips or links on how I could disable the remote starter myself, prior to getting it removed? Where would the fuse be located? Bearing in mind that I'm only minimally car savvy.
posted by otolith at 10:35 AM on April 19, 2011
posted by otolith at 10:35 AM on April 19, 2011
Response by poster: Remote starter removed by a mechanic. Problem seems to be solved, thanks folks.
posted by otolith at 12:24 PM on May 19, 2011
posted by otolith at 12:24 PM on May 19, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Hwin at 2:16 PM on April 18, 2011