Like many 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee owners, I recently encountered the dreaded “key fob not detected” message. It’s a frustrating issue that can leave you stranded, and in my case, it took three trips to the dealership to finally resolve. Here’s my experience, which might shed light if you’re facing a similar problem with your Jeep’s keyless entry system.
It all started rather suddenly. My 2011 Grand Cherokee had been working perfectly fine. I was even using the remote start feature multiple times throughout the day without any hiccups. Then, after washing and cleaning my Jeep, I tried to start it to pull it into the garage, and bam – “key fob not detected” flashed on the dashboard. Initially, I thought it might be a dead battery in the key fob itself, but even after trying the spare key fob, the problem persisted. The remote start was unresponsive, and the keyless entry system was completely down.
My first trip to the dealership was for a diagnosis. After examining the issue, they concluded that the receiver was faulty and ordered a new one. On my second visit, the new receiver was installed, but to everyone’s surprise, it still didn’t work. Another receiver was ordered, leading to my third trip. This time, even with the new receiver, they were stumped. They even tried new key fobs, thinking maybe both of mine had failed simultaneously, but no luck. Frustration was mounting, and honestly, I was starting to get worried about what could be wrong.
Then came an unexpected turn. The dealer called with a peculiar question: “Did you unhook and remove the black box antenna in the rear?” This caught me off guard. They mentioned noticing modifications in the back of my trunk area, suggesting I might have tampered with something. I explained that I had only removed the spare tire and rear cover to create more space for my work apparel rack. I hadn’t touched any antennas or black boxes. I even pointed out the absurdity of removing a crucial component and then bringing it to them for repair three times. Plus, the system had been working flawlessly for weeks after I bought the vehicle, and the issue appeared out of nowhere. Their diagnosis of a missing black box seemed incorrect, especially since I hadn’t removed anything.
Despite my insistence, the dealer remained convinced that a “black box/antenna” was missing and needed to be ordered. To be honest, I was skeptical. It seemed highly unlikely that such a part would simply vanish, especially since the vehicle was in my sight the entire day the issue began.
However, when I picked up my Grand Cherokee after this ordeal, everything was working perfectly. Apparently, they had replaced the “antenna-passive entry” and the “receiver-passive entry.” It turned out that the “antenna-passive entry,” the little black box they mentioned, was indeed missing. It remains a mystery how it disappeared, especially since nothing was intentionally removed, and the system worked initially. They also replaced my navigation unit, but that’s a story for another time.
In the end, while the diagnosis process was a bit of a rollercoaster, the “key fob not detected” issue on my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee was resolved by replacing the passive entry antenna and receiver. If you’re experiencing similar problems, it’s worth having these components checked, even if, like me, the initial symptoms and dealer feedback might lead you down a different path.
