Keyfob not working, alarm going off, and car won’t start... any ideas?

Kia Models Forum Sorento
1

Hey everyone, I’m having an issue with my 2011 Kia Sorento. My keyfob isn’t working, and it’s not a push-start. When I manually unlock the door, the alarm goes crazy, and the car won’t start. I tried disconnecting the battery for 60 minutes, but when I reconnect it, the lights flicker for about 10 seconds, stop for a few seconds, then repeat. The keyfob still doesn’t work. I tested the battery, and it reads 12.7V, so I’m not sure what else could be wrong. Any suggestions?

2

Try turning the key to the ON position and then disconnect and reconnect the battery cable while the key is on. This has worked for me in similar situations.

3

Vince said:
Try turning the key to the ON position and then disconnect and reconnect the battery cable while the key is on. This has worked for me in similar situations.

Thanks! I just tried that, and it worked perfectly. The alarm stopped, and I can start the car now. I really appreciate the help!

4

It sounds like the anti-theft system got stuck in a loop. If the issue happens again, you might want to get the security system scanned at a dealership.

5

fabricia said:
It sounds like the anti-theft system got stuck in a loop. If the issue happens again, you might want to get the security system scanned at a dealership.

Good idea. I’ll keep that in mind if the problem comes back. Thanks!

6

Have you checked the keyfob battery again? Sometimes they can be finicky even if recently replaced.

7

Cillian said:
Have you checked the keyfob battery again? Sometimes they can be finicky even if recently replaced.

Yeah, I double-checked the keyfob battery, and it seems fine. The car is working now, though. Thanks for the suggestion!

8

If you keep having trouble, it might be worth looking at the vehicle’s main battery connections. Corrosion or loose cables can cause odd electrical issues.

9

TellurideTrekker said:
If you keep having trouble, it might be worth looking at the vehicle’s main battery connections. Corrosion or loose cables can cause odd electrical issues.

I’ll inspect the connections just to be safe. Thanks for the tip!

10

Glad you got it working! Sometimes these systems just need a reset. Hopefully, it’s a one-time issue.

11

KiaDiva said:
Glad you got it working! Sometimes these systems just need a reset. Hopefully, it’s a one-time issue.

Thanks! I hope it doesn’t happen again, but now I know how to fix it if it does.