Explorer Bumper Antenna Error

I'm having a bizarre issue with my 2023 Ford Explorer (gasoline engine). The error memory keeps throwing an error related to the bumper antenna, and it's messing with everything! I can't reliably unlock or lock the car anymore. And I can't even start the engine without the key physically in the ignition. It's like my car thinks it's 1995 again! Anyone experience anything remotely similar? I suspect it might be a faulty cable or plug connection in the antenna itself, like a loose wire. Argh, I hate electrical gremlins!

4 comment(s)

Sounds frustrating! I had a similar problem with my old BMW 3 series a few years back. The keyless entry went haywire, and it turned out to be a bad antenna connection. Like a loose garden hose, the signal just wasn't getting through properly. Was the antenna mount damaged?

Interesting! Was the BMW antenna also in the bumper? The mount looks okay, but I haven't taken it apart yet. I'm wondering if it's worth trying to troubleshoot myself or if I should just bite the bullet and take it to a shop. Was your issue easy to diagnose?

Yep, bumper antenna. To be honest, I fiddled with it for an afternoon and got nowhere. In the end, I took it to a workshop. They confirmed it was a corroded connector and replaced it. Saved me a lot of headaches in the long run. Cost me about 80€ at the time.

Ugh, okay, that's what I was afraid of. Sounds like a trip to the shop is in order. Knowing my luck, I'll probably end up breaking something else if I try to fix it myself. I guess 95€ isn't the end of the world for a professional fix. Thanks for the info!

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