Dodge Journey CRD 2009 – key fob only works occasionally

[spawomir]

Title: Dodge Journey CRD 2009 – key fob only works occasionally

Post:
Hi everyone,
I’m having an issue with the remote central locking on my 2009 Dodge Journey CRD.

• The RFID transponder works fine – the car starts without any problems.

• The problem is only with the remote central locking.

• New batteries have been installed and tested.

• I have two key fobs, and both are having the same issue.

• One of them sometimes unlocks the doors, but only after pressing the button several times.

• The circuit boards in the fobs have been cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.

• The key shells (outer cases) are brand new, so worn-out rubber buttons shouldn’t be the cause.

• The contacts on the boards look clean, but they could possibly be worn from years of use.

• The central lock works perfectly from the button inside the car, so the actuators and wiring in the doors are fine.

• The car starts normally, so the immobilizer is not the problem.

Has anyone experienced a similar issue?
Could this be caused by cold solder joints on the key fob circuit board (e.g., around the antenna coil or battery contacts),
or should I be looking at a problem with the receiver module in the car (RKE/TIPM) instead?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated before I take it to a shop.

Thanks in advance!

[5rebel9]

My '11 and 2 '13 DJ's use a different style fob. BUT my 14 Dodge Grand Caravan uses this type of fob.

 I also had opportunity to help a friend a few years ago with a Dodge van of same type with fob issues and found problem with the metal discs attached to the rubber button insert for contacts to the circuit board for functions to work properly. 

You posted of new "shells", is the rubber button insert new also???

Aftermarket pieces MAY not be made correctly for the button contacts to work {make proper contact} with the factory fob board. 

Both fobs work well on my Van, so I'm reluctant to "open one up" to see myself just what and how the metal disc sits to contact the "board" to make function work, but am pretty sure this is where your concern is coming from.

There are many posts and youtube videos about the steering wheel control buttons {cruisecontrol, phone, instrument gages} not functioning and I have found the same situation with the same type metal discs those buttons use and found that "bending" them for more curvature will fix the problem instead of buying new switches. You may want to check for similar youtube videos about your type key fobs for a similar fix.

Good Luck and keep us updated to how you work this concern out to conclusion.

 

[2late4u]

more likely the push buttons on the fob are wearing out, might check out YouTube more info on fixing the fobs or ebay to buy replacements,they do have to be programmed to your journey and once programmed toi a vehicle they cant be reprogrammed to any other vehicles...good luck and welcome to the group

[Dean H]

I would replace the FOB,

 

Go here-

 

Tom's Key Company | Online Spare Car Key Services https://share.google/HT5mJkwqIwC4ynoXl

 

 

Look up your fob and ask them if their programmer. Will work for you.

 

They have good tech support.

 

 

 

Edited September 9, 2025 by Dean H

[Dean H]

Toms key company YouTube 

 

https://youtu.be/WC_4vvlcSFc?si=1jvqNFMxZ5rrwlRi

[Dean H]

 

Did you ever get your key fob issue resolved?

[spawomir]

I went to a specialised automotive key shop and they checked both of my original key fobs — neither of them was emitting any signal at all (no RF output).

I then bought a new key fob from AliExpress. They were able to program it as a third key, and it works fine for the ignition, but the remote central locking still doesn’t work. The technician told me that although the casing looked identical, the internal numbers were different, so the RF section is probably incompatible.

Following their advice, I’ve now ordered another fob with the correct matching numbers, and the plan is to program this one next. Hopefully this one will finally work with the central locking.

Programming cost me £60.

I’ll update again once I test the next fob.

Thanks for all your help so far!

[spawomir]

[5rebel9]

Glad to hear that you are getting things "sorted out"! YES, ordering the correct RF frequency to the year and model are critical to have things work.

[spawomir]

Update:
The new key fob with the correct internal numbers has now been coded successfully. The immobiliser works  and the remote central locking does work — however, it’s not reliable.

Roughly every third attempt the remote fails to lock or unlock the car, and the behaviour seems completely random (distance and orientation don’t make a consistent difference). Other times it works instantly.

Given that:

• both original fobs showed no RF output,

• the first replacement fob was incompatible,

• the correct replacement fob works but intermittently,

• the central locking works 100% from the interior button,

I’m now starting to suspect an issue on the vehicle side, possibly:

• weak or failing RKE receiver,

• antenna issue,

• or a problem within the TIPM / RKE module.

Has anyone experienced intermittent remote operation like this with an otherwise correctly programmed fob?
Any known issues with the receiver module or antenna location on the 2009 Journey CRD, or recommended diagnostic steps before replacing modules?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[5rebel9]

As I replied in the past, one of my fobs did start to not want to lock/unlock on my same style FOB Grand Caravan. BUT I found that installing a fresh NEW battery in the FOB brought all functions back to consistent operation. 

Are you using the new FOB  with  an already supplied battery or did you have to put a battery into it?

Of the 3 DJ's I have, I programmed each with a second new FOB, but found that the supplied battery for each was OLD STOCK and needed replacement.

I have also noticed that multiple rapid fob function use tends to not keep functionality of fob features, I surmise that it "overloads" the BCM or actuators. If I wait a few minutes all seems to work fine afterwards. This is on all my 11-13 DJ's and my G. Caravan.

 Anxious to hear back from you!

[John/Horace]

Have to agree with 5rebel9 fob battery critical. Once they drop to even 3.0 from 3.3 volts new, affects how they work. Cheapo dollar store brand are not a great idea, extreme hot/cold crushes battery life as well.  Also clip from Google below...

 

Yes, certain types of window tint film, particularly

metallic tints, can interfere with key fob signals by blocking radio frequencies (RF), requiring you to be closer to your car for it to work. Non-metallic tints like ceramic or carbon are designed to minimize this interference, making them a better choice for maintaining keyless entry and remote start functionality. 

[2late4u]

old post

Edited January 13 by 2late4u

[spawomir]

Thank you both — your advice turned out to be absolutely brilliant 👍

After changing the battery in the new fob, it now works perfectly and 100% reliably.
I honestly didn’t think the battery could be the issue, because the fob itself was brand new and supplied with a “new” battery, so I initially ruled that out.

What’s funny is that when I measured the original supplied battery, it showed 3.30 V, so I was quite sceptical. The replacement battery measured only slightly higher at 3.34 V, yet that tiny difference completely solved the problem. Since the change, the remote works instantly every time.

So in the end — the simplest possible solution fixed what I was convinced was a receiver or module fault. Lesson learned: never trust the battery that comes with a new fob.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and share your experience — it was spot on and saved me from chasing modules unnecessarily. 👏

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[spawomir]

[5rebel9]

Nice to hear that all is good now!