2000s-era vehicle Valet Key

[rcjordan]

2015 Dodge (and probably the others) made the valet key to NOT mechanically connect to the driver-side door lock.  Apparently, it just triggers the electrical locking mechanism used by the fob.  If your 2000s-era vehicle is locked, the hood & other doors/hatches are hermetically sealed.

Originally, I was thinking that the accessible starter solenoid would have a hot positive terminal that I could use to charge the battery.  Nope, the Power Control Module activates a starter relay.

Sooooo...  if the battery dies while locked it'll cost you $75⁺ to get Pro Tow to open the door so you can then open the hood to charge the battery.

To quote the Pro Tow guy:
"The newer the car, the less you & I can do."

[littleman]

Seems like this could be quite bad when systems start failing.  You could activate  valet mode and (for instance) the hood seal doesn't undo when exiting the mode.

I've been driving a little tin can from 2014 with a manual transmission and manual windows and door locks.  It feels like 1985 in there and I really like how there are so few dohickies to break.

[rcjordan]

>failing

Quite a few "Help! Battery dead. Valet key doesn't work." posts out there.
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The 2015 Grand Caravan had been sitting for months with only 1 trip a few weeks ago to get it inspected.  I found I was locked out late last Friday when checking to see if the van would start to do a few quick trips into town.  I brewed on the problem all weekend, checked a few places on the van that might gain access to the battery or direct connection. No luck. Finally came up with the starter solenoid idea.

Monday morning, a deeper search determined that 'modern' vehicles put a relay in the starter circuit, killing the idea. So I called Pro Tow to come jimmy the door.

Watching the ProTow guy: "Oh yeah, i could have done that. Amz will have the tool."

But had 4 other related thoughts.
1] I sure as hell wouldn't do that door-jacking as a favor on someone else's vehicle
2] I'd only do it on one of my beaters. The method lacks finesse, very brute-ish.
3] I don't think it'll work on the 2025 Volvo's over-engineered door frame.
4] Over the years the tool will get buried in the garage or shed and I'd end up calling Pro Tow again.

What I AM going to do:
On my 2010 Dodge super-beater, I installed a 2-wire pigtail from the exterior wiper cavity directly to the battery terminals.  I occasionally use a cheap 12v solar panel with built-in charge controller to trickle charge that very-seldom-used vehicle.  That van also has a mechanical cut-off switch on the battery's positive terminal so I can isolate the battery from draining over long periods. I just tested that and it worked over this past winter.

I'm going to install the pigtail on the 2015 van. If it had had one, I'd have been able to trickle charge enough to work the door locks.  I'm probably going to install the cut-off switch just because it has worked out well for the 2010.  It's handy, BUT you could make a mistake using it with the doors locked & closing the hood --creating the problem I'm trying to fix.

IDEALLY, I'd like to find a way to modify the hood latch so that it works from the grill.  Searching on that now.

[rcjordan]

I modified the hood latches on the 2015 & 2010. It took about 1h-15m to do both vans (identical latches).  Most of the online tutorials involved fashioning a special bent-rod tool but two focused on connecting to the spring release that the OEM cable pulls.  Perfect!

Opening Hood with Broken Release Cable - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u66t0xMHtEQ

My design is a permanently installed pull handle using solid 14ga stainless wire. It tucks into a small cavity on the back of the hood and is completely hidden. Easy to access. Easy to pull the latch. I will never have to feel around under the dash to find those damn hood release levers again.

It worked out so well that I may not do anything else except maybe the cut-off switch.