Ok, I have noticed in the past that when I would try to unlock the wife's car from inside my Jag (say for instance, we are about to go somewhere in my car and she needed to grab something out of hers), that I never could. So now, we are moving to a gated community and we were given remote transmitters to the gate. After 2-3 complaints at the office about the remotes not working and them walking out to the gate and the remotes worked fine, I realized that neither remote will transmit from inside my car. In my wife's car (a 3 series), no problem. How can this be. From inside my car, I can hold the remote outside the window, and it works. But from inside even if I point it at the windshield, nothing. I have tinted windows, but the windshield is not tinted, so I don't see how that could be it. Has anyone else experienced this what seems to be some kind of RF blocking?

 

Do you have the heated windshield? If so the windshield is lined with conductive wires. I bet the inside of the car is a Faraday cage.
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Jaguar: Grace, Pace, and Space - Sir William Lyons

 

I don't believe I have the heated windshield. I have never noticed the 'little' coil wires in the windshield like other vehicles I have seen that have the heated windshield. This one is a puzzler to me.

 

Marvsgt, not to sound silly, but, why not program the overhead console to the remote for the gated community. That is specifically made to transmit through/around the windshield. It is possible that in your car, you have a reflective coating on the windshield to reduce infrared heating of the car. This is a thin metallic film that is placed on the windshield. So, like PAB said, you have a faraday cage inside of your car.

 

Thermo,
Thanks for the advice. I was actually thinking about that today. I will check with the leasing office to make sure its ok I program my car to the gate.