Experiencing trouble with your Chevy Bolt’s key fob? Specifically, is the passive door unlock feature refusing to cooperate? You’re not alone. For many Chevy Bolt owners, the convenience of simply touching the door handle to unlock their vehicle is a cherished feature – until it stops working. Suddenly, you’re fumbling for your key fob, a minor inconvenience that can quickly become frustrating.
Like many modern EVs, the Chevy Bolt is designed for seamless, keyless entry. No more digging for keys; just approach your car, touch the handle, and you’re in. This system, however, can occasionally hiccup, leaving you wondering if there’s a serious malfunction. Before you rush to the dealership or spend time troubleshooting complex issues, there’s a surprisingly simple solution you should try first.
Understanding the Passive Unlock Problem on Your Chevy Bolt
The issue we’re addressing is the passive unlocking system. This is where your Chevy Bolt should automatically unlock when you touch the door handle, as long as the key fob is within close proximity. When it malfunctions, you might find yourself repeatedly touching the handle with no response. You might even instinctively try different spots on the handle, convinced you’re just not hitting the “magic spot” correctly. However, the problem is likely not with your touch, but with the system itself.
The symptoms are straightforward:
- Door handle touch unlock fails: Touching the door handle, in the designated area, does not unlock the car.
- Key fob button still works: Pressing the unlock button on the key fob still successfully unlocks the doors.
- Intermittent issue: The problem might appear suddenly and could potentially disappear and reappear at random times.
If this sounds familiar, your Chevy Bolt might be experiencing a temporary deactivation of the passive unlocking feature. Thankfully, the fix is usually incredibly easy and requires no tools or technical expertise.
The Simple Key Fob Reset Solution: Re-Enabling Passive Unlock
The solution lies within a simple key fob button combination, a hidden feature documented in a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) service bulletin. This bulletin addresses this exact issue of passive door unlocking becoming inoperative on Chevy Bolts.
Here’s how to quickly reset your Chevy Bolt key fob and re-enable passive unlocking:
- Locate your Chevy Bolt key fob.
- Press and hold the “Unlock” button and the “Lock” button simultaneously.
- Hold both buttons for approximately three seconds.
That’s it! After holding these buttons for a few seconds, the passive unlocking feature should be reactivated. You can test it immediately by approaching your Chevy Bolt and touching the door handle. In most cases, you’ll find that the touch-sensitive unlock is working again.
This simple procedure essentially toggles the passive unlocking feature on and off. It’s a quick reset that often resolves these temporary glitches. The NHTSA bulletin, Bulletin No.: 18-NA-279, from May 2021, officially outlines this procedure.
Delving Deeper: Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) and Your Owner’s Manual
While “key fob” is the common term, Chevrolet officially refers to it as a “Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.” Your Chevy Bolt owner’s manual contains valuable information about the RKE system and its various functionalities.
For details on “Keyless Access Operation,” refer to your owner’s manual. Specifically, you can find information about enabling and disabling passive unlocking, often within the “Doors and Locks” section. The manual will likely describe the same button-holding procedure mentioned in the NHTSA bulletin.
Understanding the official terminology, like RKE transmitter, can be helpful when searching your manual or looking for more detailed information online. You can typically find your Chevy Bolt owner’s manual on the Chevrolet website in a PDF format if you no longer have the physical copy. Searching for “Chevy Bolt owner’s manual” plus your model year will quickly lead you to the correct document.
Conclusion: A Simple Fix for Key Fob Frustration
A non-working passive unlock feature on your Chevy Bolt key fob can be a minor annoyance, disrupting the seamless EV experience you expect. However, before assuming a major malfunction, remember this quick and easy key fob reset. By simply holding the “Unlock” and “Lock” buttons for three seconds, you can often restore the passive unlocking functionality and get back to enjoying the convenient keyless entry your Chevy Bolt offers. Consult your owner’s manual for more detailed information on your Remote Keyless Entry system and other helpful tips for your vehicle.
