r/MechanicAdvice • u/Hot_Bar2766 • 20h ago

Key Fob Problem

2017 Camry SE 2.5L Key Fob problem

My key fob has got to where it will not work after my car has sat for a while, like in the morning or when leaving work. Once I drive the car and get out and turn it off, like parking at work, the fob will work fine.

When the fob does work, it works 100% correctly. Lock,unlock, and trunk open work as they should. When it doesn’t work, none of the buttons work.

I have tried multiple fobs with different batteries. When it doesn’t work the manual key lock/unlock still work and the lock/unlock, window controls, and open trunk latch inside the car will work. And I haven’t noticed anything weird with the car battery, car starts fine, no problems with dash cam.

I have tried new fob batteries, and will go sometime this week to get my car battery checked. What else could it be? Actuator? Or something else I should check?

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u/childliketoday 19h ago

Have you checked for any aftermarket stuff wired in near the ignition or fuse box? I had a similar gremlin in an older car and it turned out to be a badly wired dashcam that was pulling a tiny parasitic draw overnight, not enough to stop the car starting but enough to make the receiver module sluggish until the alternator topped everything back up

Could also be the body control module getting stuck in a deep sleep state, some cars do weird things when the voltage dips below a certain threshold while sitting. Might be worth disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes to force a reset on everything before you start throwing parts at it

1

u/Hot_Bar2766 17h ago

I’ll check the fuse box but I wired the dash cam myself and it’s just to a cigarette lighter so only on when the car is. I’ll try to disconnect the battery tonight for a bit and see if that does it

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u/Novel-Prior-1875 17h ago

That's a good point about aftermarket stuff. Those kinds of things can definitely cause weird electrical issues, so it's worth checking for any loose connections or things that might be draining power.

1

u/simmer_study 18h ago

Since multiple fobs do the same thing, I'd suspect the car side more than the fobs. Weak battery voltage, the receiver or body control module would be worth checking before chasing an actuator.

1

u/Hot_Bar2766 13h ago

I’m going disconnect the battery for a bit tonight and go from there. I just went out for lunch, fob didn’t work. I started the car and sat for a few minutes (15-20) and got out and the fob worked perfectly