Smart Card Key System Malfunctions and Improvements
Description of the defects
(1) In vehicles equipped with the smart card key system, due to improper manufacturing of the touch sensors incorporated into the driver’s and front passenger’s door outer handles, some of the resin material filling the sensor case may peel off from the case due to repeated changes in ambient temperature. As a result, if rainwater, etc. enters the sensor, the sensor’s circuit board may short-circuit and blow the fuse, making it impossible to lock and unlock the door with the card key. Alternatively, the short-circuit may generate heat, causing the resin material of the sensor to melt and smoke.
(2) In vehicles equipped with a smart card key system, if the card key is placed in a weak radio wave area inside the vehicle, communication with the vehicle may not be normal depending on the surrounding radio wave conditions and the state of the card key battery. As a result, when the driver gets out of the car and closes the door, the system may assume that the driver has left the vehicle with the card key, and the door may be locked. The doors can be locked and unlocked with an immobiliser key (mechanical key) or a radio wave switch.
Improvement details
(1) Replace the touch sensors on the driver’s and front passenger’s outer door handles with countermeasures.
(2) Attach a label with cautionary information to the lower part of the driver’s side centre pillar. Also, affix a label to the smart card key stating the precautions to be taken.
Chassis number of target vehicles
GD1-1900002～GD1-1917526
GD1-8300002～GD1-8300110
GD2-1600047～GD2-1602342
GD2-8200001～GD2-8200012
GD3-1700003～GD3-1705794
GD3-8100004～GD3-8100017
GD4-1600045～GD4-1600930
GD1-2000126～GD1-2039416
GD1-2102525～GD1-2203352
GD1-8400002～GD1-8400268
GD1-8500004～GD1-8500361
GD2-1700001～GD2-1704994
GD2-1800186～GD2-1812534
GD2-8300003～GD2-8300024
GD2-8400004～GD2-8400044
GD3-1800006～GD3-1807081
GD3-1900001～GD3-1921172
GD3-8200012～GD3-8200053
GD3-8300005～GD3-8300094
GD4-1700001～GD4-1701517
GD4-1800004～GD4-1802601
GD4-8200006～GD4-8200011
GD4-8300005～GD4-8300024
Automotive maintenance cannot determine the cause based on symptoms alone.
Be sure to perform diagnosis and inspection before determining the cause of the failure.
