# Intermittant trunk remote **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** chrysler, 300\ **Created:** [January 6, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179 "2017-01-06T13:12:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/1 "2017-01-06T13:12:50Z")
Both of the key remotes for my Chrysler do the same thing. The door lock & unlock work perfectly, even from a distance. But the trunk unlock works intermittently. Sometimes I have to press it 20 times before it ‘pops’. It doesn’t seem to matter how fast or slow or hard I press. And changing the battery did not help. The dashboard trunk release button works every time. Any suggestion? ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/2 "2017-01-06T13:45:16Z")
It’s a simple problem. The trunk is misaligned and is causing the latch to bind. That or the latch needs to be lubricated. Or both. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 2:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/3 "2017-01-06T14:16:22Z")
Have you tried holding down the trunk release button on the remote? Sometimes it’s designed to operate only when you hold it down to prevent accidental activation. ---
**Author:** ![OldcarsRbest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/oldcarsrbest/32/4812_2.png) [@OldcarsRbest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/OldcarsRbest)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 2:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/4 "2017-01-06T14:21:08Z")
Quite possible you have a bad trunk button on the fob. Did the car come with 2 fobs? How does the other one perform? ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/5 "2017-01-06T14:24:00Z")
@OldcarsRbest: The OP wrote: > [@alan1129](#): > > Both of the key remotes for my Chrysler do the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![OldcarsRbest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/oldcarsrbest/32/4812_2.png) [@OldcarsRbest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/OldcarsRbest)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/6 "2017-01-06T14:25:17Z")
AH! Oops - good catch! ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/7 "2017-01-06T14:58:32Z")
If the trunk lid were misaligned, wouldn’t that also interfere with opening the trunk from the dashboard button. The dashboard trunk release button works every time. ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/8 "2017-01-06T15:04:44Z")
Yes, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t seem to matter how fast or slow or hard I press. Also, it has worked flawlessly for years with a double-click but has recently become intermittent. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/9 "2017-01-06T15:09:21Z")
In that case, maybe the buttons are simply worn out. After all, it is a moving part in a Chrysler product. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/10 "2017-01-06T15:16:23Z")
> [@Whitey](#): > > Both of the key remotes for my Chrysler do the same thing. That would make sense except that both of the key remotes do the same thing. And both of them started doing it at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/11 "2017-01-06T15:17:24Z")
but both at the same time? And the fact that the dashboard release opens the trunk seems to rule out the latch mechanism. Nothing seems to be left… But I had the two front locks fail within one day of each other, so coincidence is possible. ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/12 "2017-01-06T15:28:53Z")
> [@BillRussell](#): > > But I had the two front locks fail within one day of each other, so coincidence is possible. Coincidence for a Yes/No 2 door locks working is more likely than for two key remotes to become equally intermittent. ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/13 "2017-01-06T15:52:40Z")
> [@alan1129](#): > > That would make sense except that both of the key remotes do the same thing.And both of them started doing it at the same time. It still makes sense. If a part is going to fail because of use or shoddy design, it could happen with more than one simultaneously. Don’t let confirmation bias blind you to logic. To quote Spock, once you rule out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/14 "2017-01-06T16:43:34Z")
> [@alan1129](#): > > Coincidence for a Yes/No 2 door locks working is more likely than for two key remotes to become equally intermittent. But the drivers side lock gets much more use than the other, perhaps twice. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/15 "2017-01-06T18:23:15Z")
I can’t tell you how many times now I’ve “saved” TV remotes by taking them apart and cleaning the surface of the circuit board and the rubber-like membrane that pushes against that surface when buttons are pressed. The buttons are molded with the rubber membrane, and the other side is conductive, I guess, and contacts two points on the circuit board. Any accumulation of dust, dirt, dried Coke, or whatever can block the connection, and no amount of pressure helps, but cleaning it does. I use electric contact cleaner on a cloth, gently. You can try opening up a remote and cleaning those surfaces. It’s pretty simple if you take your time and don’t force anything. A thing called a “spudger” or black stick, made of hard plastic, is the tool to pop open the case. ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/16 "2017-01-06T18:36:11Z")
Thanks for the suggestion, but I already tried that and it didn’t help. This one has really got me puzzled. I may just go ahead and replace the remote receiver. But I don’t know where it is or what’s involved in getting it out. Alan ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 6:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/17 "2017-01-06T18:51:38Z")
I wonder if the interior switch and the FOB receiver use the same relay to operate the trunk latch. They may be different and the remote relay is flaky. **A DVM applied to the lock solenoid might answer this question…** ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/18 "2017-01-06T19:20:03Z")
That’s worth checking out. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/19 "2017-01-06T21:58:31Z")
Have you tried a new battery in the FOB? Perhaps the trunk latch button has a bit of resistance in it and needs a slightly fresher battery. ---
**Author:** ![alan1129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@alan1129](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alan1129)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2017, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179/20 "2017-01-06T22:22:22Z")
Changing the battery did not help. Also, both remotes do the exact same thing. They both started doing it several months ago and continue to behave identically. Thanks for trying! Alan [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/intermittant-trunk-remote/98179.md?page=2)