Like many car owners, I rely heavily on my key fob for the convenience of remote locking and unlocking. Recently, my 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix key fob started acting up, responding inconsistently to button presses. Initially, I suspected a low battery in my original key fob.
My first step was a battery replacement. I opted for a fresh Duracell 2032 battery, following the instructions molded on the fob casing to hold the unlock and lock buttons for 7 seconds after installation, while near the vehicle. However, even after this procedure, the door locks continued to respond sporadically. The range seemed significantly reduced, and sometimes the fob wouldn’t respond at all.
Adding to the troubleshooting, my car battery, an Everlast Maxx, decided to give out just shy of its 7-year mark – mirroring the lifespan of the original equipment battery. I briefly wondered if the failing car battery was somehow linked to my key fob problems.
After installing a new Everlast Maxx car battery, I eagerly tested the key fob again. Unfortunately, the intermittent issue persisted. The key fob range remained limited; beyond about 20 feet, it often failed to communicate with the car. The trunk release button on the fob exhibited the same inconsistent behavior.
To rule out a general issue with the car’s locking mechanism, I tested the interior door lock switch. It worked flawlessly, locking and unlocking all doors as expected. This suggested the problem was isolated to the remote keyless entry system.
Thinking the issue might be with the original fob itself, I retrieved my second, unused 2004 Grand Prix Key Fob from storage. I tested it with three different batteries, including the original battery it came with. Disappointingly, the second fob behaved exactly like the primary one – intermittent and with poor range.
Since both key fobs exhibited the same symptoms, I deduced that the problem likely wasn’t with the fobs themselves transmitting a radio signal. The issue seemed to lie on the receiving end within the vehicle.
This leads me to my main question: what is the likely culprit in a 2004 Grand Prix when experiencing these key fob issues? If it is indeed a receiver problem, is this receiver integrated into the door lock actuator, or is it a separate component? And crucially, where is this receiver module typically located in a 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix? Any insights or guidance on diagnosing and resolving this 2004 Grand Prix key fob problem would be greatly appreciated.
