[BGood]

I always used the driver side door request switch and proximity fob to lock/unlock the car, but shortly after seeing a low remote battery warning I was locked out (in sub-freezing temps) and had to use the emergency key. After replacing the fob battery, it began working again for a short while but now the driver side door request switch does not work again. What is unusual is that both the passenger side and rear lift gate door request switches work when the fob is proximal to those switches.

I originally thought that the driver side door request switch was not making contact when pressed, but when I press the door request switch and the key fob is inside the car, I get the “key inside” warning beeps. So I think the driver side door request switch does make contact, but just does not sense the nearby RFID chip inside the key fob

The lock/unlock radio links work fine on the key fob, but it would be convenient to simply push the driver side door request switch to lock/unlock the car and leave the key fob in my pocket. Especially in sub-freezing winter weather.

Any idea how to fix? Thanks for any advice.

 

[amc49]

Think in terms of a latch assembly having dried up grease in it from age and time and see how that idea might fit in. The fob recognizes the door switch but that is all RFI, the actual lock unlocking requires motor action that lack of grease may affect greatly.

Can't say beyond that, but on Fords I take the latches apart and regrease them to begin to work perfectly like new again, it affects so many things with all 50 possible parts they may have in there. You can't just spray grease in like oldschool, the latches are often compartmented to not let any lube in unless the case has been opened up and the latches commonly made now to have to destroy to get inside them. I have to drill/tap holes to get Ford ones back together but it saves $150 per latch. Haven't got around to Nissan ones yet but it is likely coming.

 

[BGood]

Think in terms of a latch assembly having dried up grease in it from age and time and see how that idea might fit in. The fob recognizes the door switch but that is all RFI, the actual lock unlocking requires motor action that lack of grease may affect greatly.

Can't say beyond that, but on Fords I take the latches apart and regrease them to begin to work perfectly like new again, it affects so many things with all 50 possible parts they may have in there. You can't just spray grease in like oldschool, the latches are often compartmented to not let any lube in unless the case has been opened up and the latches commonly made now to have to destroy to get inside them. I have to drill/tap holes to get Ford ones back together but it saves $150 per latch. Haven't got around to Nissan ones yet but it is likely coming.

Thanks for the grease idea amc49, but the drive door will unlock when the unlock button on the key fob is pressed. The problem is that the doors DO NOT lock/unlock when the driver side door request switch is pressed and the key fob is nearby. The doors DO lock/unlock when the passenger side door request switch or rear liftgate door switch is pressed with the key fob nearby.

 

[amc49]

Pointing at request switch?

I find myself wondering at the redundancy of a fob unlock and request switch both doing the same when Nissan on other cars is removing entire passenger door unlocking by purely mechanical method. It like other things they do now makes no sense to me other than if somebody likes gimmickry.

 

[BGood]

I tried your fob pointing suggestion in multiple orientations proximal to the driver door request switch and there was no mechanical lock/unlock response. In contrast, pressing the passenger door request switch locks/unlocks all doors when pressed with the key fob in any orientation within 3 feet of the passenger door.

I think RFID chips typically rely on omnidirectional field technology and do not require pointing. To me this suggests the RFID receive/transmit antenna or circuit at the driver door handle request switch is inoperative, or the driver door switch has lost its RFID pairing with the key fob?

 

[amc49]

Man they put those RFID antennas all over the cars. A lot go around behind back seat or under package tray below rear window. The lower the battery gets powering the signal the less omni in direction the signal gets from what I see.

 

[NTCTek]

Ok it’s not RFID but that’s a moot point. The antenna is inside the handle part. The button is just a switch. The antenna could be bad. Fortunately it’s easy to change but the easiest would be to get a handle from a junkyard, take off your handle, plug in the new handle and see if it works. If it does work, you can just swap the ‘skin’ from your original handle. I think it’s one bolt holding it in there. If that doesn’t work then you might have a harness issue or a problem in the BCM.

 

[BGood]

Interesting diagnosis, NTCTek. Thanks, I'll investigate junkyard handles. Do you happen know what year/model handles have the antenna built in? My model is a 2014 Rogue SL.

 

[NTCTek]

That model ran from about 2014 to 2020 so any trim level SV and up should have the same I-Key system. I don't know if you've tried this but you might want to try disconnecting the vehicle battery for a couple minutes to reset the BCM. Could be in some weird state

 

[BGood]

Thanks again NTCTek. I see 360 eBay postings for 2014 LH door handles and found removal/installation instructions at pages 258-259 of the DLK section of the 2014 Nissan NAM. But before procuring a replacement handle I'll try the battery disconnect. Good suggestion, as I was beginning to think I was the one in the weird state. When I took the car into our local Nissan dealer on Tueday, I asked about this lock/unlock problem and they wanted $150 just for dignostic time to take off the door panels. I was hoping that would not be necessary, but apparently that was wishful thinking. In the meantime I'll just have to press the key fob button. Man, have I become that lazy?

 

[NTCTek]

I know what you mean. I just recently got a Frontier without the request buttons and I really hate digging the key out of my pocket every time. Got used to that convenience.