So i was getting really sick of my MY04 keyless entry's less than stellar 1.5-2 parking space range for the keyfob. I had about a 30% success ratio for the doors/locking. I'd press the unlock or lock button and nothing would happen. It would take pressing it out 20 times before it would respong (and no its not the battery) So most of the time i used the key instead.

Of course if i locked the car by remote first and it decided not to unlock later, and i used the key i would set off the oem alarm. me = not happy.

So i pulled out the drivers seat and check out the oem alarm. Turns out it has a Glass Breakage sensor. (yay! how about a cloth ripping sensor instead jackass).....anyways I soldered a 20" length of wire to the OEM alarm's antenna wire. Extending it length and signal reception.

Worked like a charm! I extended the range of my oem key fob from 20 feet max to 210 feet (using the chin method hehe)

And the alarm has been pretty reliably locking and unlocking on command now. Woot!

*yes i am sure this is old news, you guys are probably like Gee thank n00b we knew that like 10 years ago*

 

Well I didn't! good job. now how do you do it with an S that doesn't have an alarm?

 

look under your seat and see if the security module is under there. the antenna is right @ the front of the seat and is the first thing you'll see. (i dont know if AP1s have this or not)


i also happened to notice that it has a switch for Glass Breakage sensitivity and also if you want your Siren or Horn to sound when triggered. as well as autolocking, etc.

 

chin method rocks. I got my car to arm/disarm from the 14th floor of my friend's apartment, and I parked a block away.

 

So if I don't have an alarm, is my keyless entryalso under the seat? I need to extend my range!

 

pics please...

 

i was wondering what that little antenna was for.

 

Thanks for the tip. What kind of wire did you use? Did you need to insulate it as well like the oem antenna?

 

i'm looking on doing this too. where can we buy the wire at?

 

it is nothing more than a ~20" single strand of black speaker wire. Nothing special.

I just removed the nipple from the end of the OEM antenna wire and stripped the insulation back a bit more and soldered on an extra length of wire, and taped it up leaving the extra length of wire to chill under the seat.