Locks, frunk & trunk release levers, rear defrost

New problem appeared. I don�t know what detail may be a relevant clue, so here�s the deal: Car driven weekly. Maybe 7 days since last use. Alarm has been going off, but I turn it off with the key fob. Went to drive it yesterday. Fob inoperable. Got in and started it, but the key button on the dash was ineffective. Rear defroster button did nothing too. Car started and drove, but fob never worked. The fob light flashes when pressed, but nothing. Today I wanted to check the oil. Both levers for the frunk and trunk are locked down. I did some searching here and the results point to the immobilizer and how there�s a fuse in it. I looked under the driver�s seat, but didn�t see anything that looked like it might hold a fuse. I also put the key in the outside door keyhole and held it in the unlock position - no effect. So, is there something a non-mechanic like me can do, or do I need a specialist? I don�t have an owner�s manual, so if there�s some combination or sequence of buttons to push, I�d be grateful to know it to reset the system.

My 5cents... have you tried with a fresh battery? I have learned from a lot of other cars, that usually when the battery starts to die, it use to cause this weird behaviors. And, as it seems everything happened after some days resting... just guessing.

I thought of that, but can�t get in the frunk to get to the battery. There�s a hidden release somewhere, right?

Yes there is. A simple search will turn up many threads on how to get into either end.

Reality Check: 1) The car goes to "sleep" after 5 days and no longer "listens" for the remote in order to conserve battery power. 2) You must then insert the mechanical key to lock/unlock the car. 3) If the car starts with the key, then the "communication" of the passive RFID pill in the key is okay. The immobilizer is reading the key correctly and the car starts. 4) Replace the battery in the key fob. If after doing that the key fob does not work, then more than likely it is the circuit board in the key has died, like most 15-20 year old key fobs do. 5) There is an emergency release cable that opens the frunk and it is under the passenger side head light. You cannot release the head light to get to it unless you can open the frunk. 6) There is another emergency release cable under the drivers side tail light. Gently put a wedge between the light and bumper and "hopefully" the cable will be right there. You can use that to open the engine lid. 7) Use the jumper points in the engine bay to power up the car with a good 12V battery or jump from another vehicle. That should provide enough power to open the frunk release. 8) A faulty main battery will cause all of these problems. How old is your battery? 9) What key button on the dash? Or do you mean the lock button? 10) All kinds of gremlins rear their ugly head if the electrical part of the ignition switch is going bad. Ever replace that? What year car are we talking about? 11) There is a fuse inside the DME. There is not one in the Immobilzer. Since the car starts and runs, neither of these are a problem at this point in time.

It�s a 99. Battery new 12/17. The key button has an icon of a key on it; now I know to call it a lock button. I�ll go thru those steps and see how it goes.

A 99..that is good to know. You have a mechanical cable frunk release, however, the security system does lock the levers. I would try opening the car, inserting the key in the ignition, turning it to on (not start) and cycle the lock button on the center console several times while trying to pop the frunk with the door open. If all else fails then try to find the release cable underneath the drivers side tail light for the engine lid and use the jumper points in there to power up the car. My other thought is, if you have enough time, connect a battery charger to the cigarette lighter and get a full charge on the battery. A 2 year old battery can be the culprit, especially since you drive your car very little.

New fob battery; no joy. "Try opening the car, inserting the key in the ignition, turning it to on (not start) and cycle the lock button on the center console several times while trying to pop the frunk with the door open;" again, no joy. The light on the lock button and on the rear defrost button don't illuminate, either. It may yet be a battery issue, but it seems odd to me that the starter cranks enthusiastically, even with recent overnight lows in the teens. Anyway, it's too cold for my fat old fingers to go fishing for the release cables. To the shop it shall go. These failures seem unrelated to me, but I'll recap here and report back what the shop finds: 1. neither the key fob nor the lock button work the door locks or the security system; 2. the rear defroster button and defroster do not work; 3. the frunk and engine compartment mechanical release levers are locked in place; 4. the interior lights do not illuminate when the door opens; 5. the engine compartment exhaust fan hasn't come on (but maybe the ambient temperature is low enough to make it unnecessary); and 6. even when the engine is well up in operating temperature, the heater does not put out much heat (maybe the ambient temperature is low enough to make it seem ineffectual).

The cable under the rear drivers tail light is real easy to find. I'd start there then power up from another vehicle to the jump points in the engine bay. [img=left]https://rennlist.com/forums/attachments/996-forum/744362d1373931804-emergency-engine-cover-release-cable-a-simple-preventative-measure-dscn4810.jpg[/img]

Up front

Ignition switch is my bet.

Thanks, Bill, for the photo. It won't hurt to change the ignition switch and I think I can manage that myself.

DBJoe996 said "If after doing that the key fob does not work, then more than likely it is the circuit board in the key has died, like most 15-20 year old key fobs do." That's the issue. The failure of the rear defroster was an unrelated coincidence.

So the dealership says I need a new fob. Ok. When I pick up the car, they say they were able to program both keys to the car. Cool, but then why did I buy a new fob? I drive the 50 miles home, and once again the door locks don�t work and the trunk and frunk levers are locked. WTH? I called the service manager & he says he�ll talk to the tech. When he calls back the next day, he says I need the box under the seat. Huh? Without an in person diagnosis? So, I figure I�ll see if anything looks frayed or burned under the seat. Not too hard to undo 4 bolts and I have a peek. The 15 amp mini fuse is clearly blown. I put a new one in, and button it all back up. Lo and behold, the locks work and the frunk and trunk levers are free. I�m happy. Put the key in, all the dash lights work as normal, step on the clutch, turn the key, and Nothing. Sounds like 3 clicks from the frunk and then silence. The car won�t start, and matter of fact, the tumbler seems to lock on subsequent tries without removing the key. Worse yet, the window is down, the window won�t go back up, and rain is forecast. Neither key starts the car, but at least it locks now. I�ve had it with this car. Ideas?

Look for blown fuses. Any chance you have wet/damp carpet? Was the car rained on just prior to this all occurring? I had a similar issue where clogged drains got some water in the car and it blew a bunch of fuses. We pulled the carpet and dried it all out, replaced the fuses, cleared the drains, and all was well again. I'm going on nearly 4 years now since that occurred. There is a TSB to modify certain drains for the '99 model only. If the TSB was completed on your car then you should have a clear plastic plate covering the rectangular hole in the passenger side plastic cowl underneath the rear/top of the front hood.

I would try a jump start with a running vehicle before doing anything else. You may have enough battery power that every thing looks normal, but the starting circuit requires many amps to kick in.

The battery is good and there has never been water infiltration. Anyway, I had it towed to the dealer. A few days later I got the call it was fixed. When I picked it up I told the service manager we'd check it together. So out on the lot he hits the fob button to unlock it and nothing. Embarrassed, he went and got the service tech. Once again, the fuse under the seat was changed. The tech tells me my tape job screwed up the box. Here's what I did: There's two looms of wires that plug into the box. One of the connectors has a lock/release mechanism. The lever on the release is plastic and it crumbled when I touched it. Since there was no locking the connector now, I taped it. According to the tech, the tape job somehow interfered with the box's function. Afraid of blowing the fuse, I don't use the fob now. I use the key in the door to lock/unlock, and I don't worry about the alarm since it's what seems to blow the fuse. I don't know what this fuse has to do with the rear defroster, but it works now too. The fuse blew before my tape job, so the original cause of the problem was not addressed. I expect a new box under the seat is in my future. At least I have a spare key now.

Step 1: ditch your dealer and find a reputable Indy.