Keyless Entry Quit Working

[kamakalama]

My Trimark keyless entry quit working.

I bypassed the door contacts and applied 12 volts on the coach side to successfully actuate the lock solenoid but the solenoid will not respond to the keypad. I'm thinking the controller is bad.

I noticed the controller is conveniently mounted above the steering column with Velcro. There are several cable connectors on the sides. Can't tell if they have any service length.

I'm looking for advice on removing the controller without collateral damage to other wiring in the area. Also, any other troubleshooting ideas that might lead to a fix.

[Barmats]

Our entry door keypad stopped working earlier this year, and it was a blown 5A fuse in the exterior compartment under the driver's seat. Replacing the fuse with the same value restored operation for a day or two, then the fuse would blow again. There was a sticker beside the fuseholder marked with "5A", and underneath the sticker the circuit board was marked "20A". A pretty big difference. Over the course of a few weeks, every 5A fuse I replaced blew after a few days, leading me to assume the fuse value was slightly on the low side for the current that circuit was drawing. I would have tried a slow-blow fuse of he same value, but this type of fuse doesn't appear to be available in this form-factor.

Newmar had not run across this problem before, so I called Trimark directly. Trimark also said they'd never heard of this happening, but verified the fuse value to be 5A, not 20A. I replaced the 5A fuse with a 7.5A fuse, and have not had a single problem since.

If your setup is similar to ours, and you find a blown fuse is the cause of the entry door keypad no longer operating, first replace the fuse with the same value. I don't think this is a chronic problem so that may take care of things. I'm not recommending upping the fuse value as this could cause excessive current to flow through the circuit, but in our case, it alleviated the problem.

[kamakalama]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll check the fuse next time I get to the coach.

[C.Martin]

Ours quit suddenly after returning home from pickup. I called Newmar, they said a technician would have to troubleshoot it. So, I scheduled an appointment 10 weeks out. Next morning I thought what about attempting a reboot... so i removed the two fuses in the compartment under the driver...and put them back in. Everything worked. Kept our appointment for a few more weeks, just in case...then cancelled.

[Dutch Star Don]

The Trimarck unit is really just an alarm system like you would add to a car. It has several features that you can use or not use, like make a horn honk, etc. The RV's use it for locking and unlocking the doors and turn some lights on and off. On my Diplomat, they wired it so that it turned my running lights on and off when unlocking. I liked that and could see from a distance if it was working.

The unit has a couple of wiring connectors you can unplug and then plug back in and will often reset it.

Side Note:......One of the features that the unit has is a flashing red light. Its on about a 3' lead and is just tied up next to the unit. On both my Diplomat and my Dutch Star, I lengthened that wire (cut and added a section) and moved the flashing red light to the "A" pillar on the passenger side where it's visible through the windshield. Now, when my coach is locked, that light flashes just like an alarm system, which it is.

[kamakalama]

Checked the fuses today. All are good. When checking them, a red LED goes on when a fuse is removed. On F17 however (the one for "keyless entry") the red LED does not go on when the fuse is removed. I didn't have a meter with me to see if there is 12V on the circuit. Schematic shows that line goes directly to the controller.

Also, neither door handle nor dash button actuates the lock solenoid (it does work when you hot wire it) but when trying either one, a relay clicking sound is heard at the controller under the dash. The doorbell works too so the controller has power.

We don't have basement door locks so nothing to check there.

Next step will be to see if there is 12V at F17.

Suggestions and comments are welcome.

[Chazmo1]

I had a similar problem and it was the contact pins on the door and the frame. If you turn them, they either retract or extend. i has to extend them to make a good contact.

[kamakalama]

Checked the 'keyless entry' circuit at the fuse for 12 volts. Checks good. The controller has 12volts.

contact pins on the door and the frame

I previously bypassed the door contacts but still didn't work. I'm going to try it again though since everything else checks out ok. The wiring to the door contacts is a failure waiting to happen.

[kamakalama]

Tried bypassing the door contacts today but still no joy. Sent an email to Tri-Mark asking for suggestions. Thinking bad relay contact in controller.

In Summary:

-- The doorbell does work

-- The fuses are OK

-- The lock solenoid works when I apply 12v directly at the door contacts.

-- Bypassing the door contacts with jumpers does not help

-- When trying to lock or unlock, I hear clicks coming from the controller and a single click from around the passenger armrest if pressing lock button twice.

-- If I connect a DVM to the wires coming from the controller, I see a short voltage pulse when pressing lock or unlock button. The DVM doesn't get a good read on it but it looks like the voltage is quite low.

[newbie 2021]

Originally Posted by Chazmo1

I had a similar problem and it was the contact pins on the door and the frame. If you turn them, they either retract or extend. i has to extend them to make a good contact.

My door got away from me in windstorm in Gallup last week, It must have bent something in the frame. Opens and closes fine but would not lock. Thanks for the tip, I extended the pins on the door side about 1/8" and now it/s working key fob, keypad and switch on dash

[mahdi]

Following. Mine has intermittent none function of the #1 which usually locks the door. The code to open works fine. I checked the door frame and the contacts are good. Everything else works. Any suggestions?

[newbie 2021]

Try cleaning up the contacts with sand paper