In early 2016, I put my 2014 Limited into the shop for a warranty repair of the driver's door outside handle. The rubber gasket had fallen out and it was metal on metal. The paperwork shows that they replaced the entire chrome door handle.
Fast forward to today. My FOB totally stopped working--I mean dead. When I went to unlock the door with the mechanical key--absolutely nothing. Not sure if the thing is supposed to work mechanically or electronically, but there is nothing there. Fortunately, I was at home when it happened and I was able to grab the wife's FOB.
When I called in to the dealership that did the work, to discuss the matter, they hedged about it, saying that their repair might not have had anything to do with the key not working. Thy said to bring it in, and that they would open it up and take a look, then decide. I do not have a good feeling about it.
Does anyone have a sense of whether I should have to pay for this work? Would others bother to get it repaired? It is the first time in 35 months that I needed to use the key. For all I know--it NEVER worked, right from the factory. To make it worse, I distinctly remember the door handle job taking twice as long to do as the service rep said that it would; and I remember the mechanic at one point stomping around the vehicle in frustration, as well as leaning the door panel up against the side of the vehicle--which really pissed me off.
I also have a '14 limited and just tried the key for the first time since I've owned it. I can tell you it is mechanical. When you say, "When I went to unlock the door with the mechanical key--absolutely nothing." If your key does not turn at all, it sounds like they messed up the lock cylinder. If the key does turn and nothing happens, it sounds like they did not properly connect the mechanism.
When you say doesn't work, does it turn but doesn't unlock, or doesn't turn at all? Does it spin around 360 degrees?
If its not equipped with passive entry its a mechanical link from the lock cylinder to the latch. The lock cylinder pops in and out of the handle. They have to disconnect the links and reconnect them during handle replacement. For passive entry, there may not be a lock rod.
They have to remove the interior trim and carrier plate to get at the handle. Once they remove the carrier its a fairly straight forward process. The rods clip on, the clips can break.
Given that is been over a year, its a stretch for it to be covered under repair warranty, but they may do it for good will. Are you still covered under the 3 year basic warranty?
The key turns easily and loosely to both left and right, just short of 90 degrees each way.
I have never understood what "passive entry" is. The handles are spring-loaded and pulled to open the doors. If the doors are locked, then when either front door handle is touched on the inside, it unlocks. For my FOB, I have it set to unlock only the driver's door. The two front doors also have the button on the outer face of the handle that locks all the doors when touched.
So, with this set-up, would the key be locking and unlocking the door mechanically? Or would it, rather, be electronically tripping a solenoid or something? I guess this is what happens when they want to save money by having only one mechanical entry into a vehicle . . .
I took off the door panel to try and figure it out, but when I saw all the inner panels, I got nervous and put it back together. If anyone thinks I can easily go further, I'd give it a shot if there are good instructions and/or pix available.
How about thoughts on getting it fixed for nothing. I guess they won't have to do it, and all I could do is give them a crappy Google review over it. Like I said--I was displeased at the time of the repair, both becasue of the amount of time involved (I would have asked for a loaner or a shuttle ride home) and I didn't appreciate the guy leaning the panel against the vehicle for two hours while he fumbled around in the door (probably trying, unsuccessfully as it turns out, to get the thing to work right). Now it looks like the repair was probably no good to boot.
Sorry for sounding stupid, but all I have ever done on this forum is post regular posts and hope for responses. How does one "PM"? And how does one "find" jeepcares? Is there a post or a sticky that explains this stuff?
On the issue itself--is there any knowledge out there about how the key works--electronic or mechanical? Any any knowledge about how to get all the way into where the problem is?
On a computer, you to your account or go to your CP depending on which skin you are using (click on My Account or User CP). On the page that opens there is a send PM in the menu list on the left.
In the to address field enter jeepcares
You can also find one of their posts, click on their name, and a menu will open that includes send PM.
The dealer, along with JeepCares, were very helpful and fair in fixing the problem. I paid a nominal "deductible", if you will, and it included a loaner vehicle for what turned out to be 6 days. When they got further into it, it needed more parts than originally expected, thus the extended time-frame. But they stuck by the agreement, and I thank them for it.
Now--do I get the MaxCare Lifetime Warranty? I have been back and forth on it for a couple of months now, and I guess this issue is a good reason to go for it it. (I tend to keep my vehicles a long time.)
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