Does anyone know where the key (aka switch) receiver is located in the car? More specifically, where it might connect to an antenna? Or know how to look it up in schematics?

I'm assuming somewhere in the center console? Because my key used to work completely fine from great distance, but after I removed my center console, I have to position the key near the center console right outside the windshield before the car receives any signal. I'm thinking there's some sort of antenna that I didn't securely plug back in, kind of like an antenna coax cable to a television or antenna extension cable for a wifi router.

It's definitely NOT a weak battery because I tried 3 different batteries all from different brands/packages!

 

I have the exact same problem but have not looked in to it.
Reciever is under the panel that covers the instrument cluster, just pull to remove.

 

Update: I finally got around to removing the RKE (Remote Key Entry) module which is located https://www.scuderiacarparts.com/part-finder/astonmartin/vantage/oe/156/807/25034?_its=JTdCJTIydmlkJTIyJTNBJTIyYmM3NDI2YWQtNDV kMy00NjBhLTlhMWYtNWQ2MzBhNWIzNzY4JTIyJTJDJTIyc3Rhd GUlMjIlM0ElMjJybHR%2BMTY4NjgyMjMyMH5sYW5kfjJfMjY3M zQ1X2RpcmVjdF8zYzIyZDgxZTFmM2MzZjgyZjAzMTZjNGJlZDV mMDYyNSUyMiUyQyUyMnNpdGVJZCUyMiUzQTM5ODc5JTdE]here (Scuderia schematic). I was hoping to find something like a loose antenna inside that I could repair, but it doesn't look like there's much to do in here. Does anyone know if this RKE module can be replaced with any module from Scuderia/AstonMartinBits/etc, or does this part have to be programmed for the particular key in any way?

Also, any chance that the module is in fact connected to an antenna? For example, does anyone know what this panel directly on top of the instrument cluster is? It has 3 wires that plug into the rear of the instrument cluster (probably 12v, ground, and data). It's a long shot, but what if this is the actual antenna? Admittedly, if this was the antenna, then why would they place the RKE up there, but hey maybe it's just where they found room and wanted to keep it with the rest of the electronics.








.
.
.
.
.
For anyone following these footsteps, these resources were helpful:
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post4640343 thanks to @terminal_ac and @pikajew

Be fearless, the panels really do pop out just fine. Then keep searching for screws, some of them are less obvious than others but all are certainly visible. I'm not sure if you're supposed to disconnect the car battery before disconnecting the instrument cluster, but I didn't because I didn't want my car to unlearn/forget the misfire correction factors (this is the case for 2008 and prior Vantages, and I think even the next few model years so heads up). That said, I did wait until the instrument cluster turned off after having opened the door etc.

 

Scratch the idea that the panel directly on top of the instrument cluster is an antenna, that just houses a PCB with illumination LEDs. But still wondering if there's an antenna elsewhere. And whether that RKE module can be simply replaced without programming drama...

 

Sadly, there is your antenna. It's built into the pcb of the module.

 

The Remote functions are stored in the CEM.

 

@Anders S Oh man, that was staring right at me, I was envisioning a discrete antenna component like I've seen in other enclosures, but a built-in trace makes sense. So the antenna theory seems like a dead end. There's a capacitor on the PCB, if it's an electrolytic capacitor, they sometimes start to change their value over time because the electrolyte changes its characteristics. Maybe that's a culprit, but I'd almost prefer to just change out the entire board in terms of minimizing headache.

@J doubleU So it sounds like the RKE module is just a "dumb" receiver that simply passes along the signal data to the central electronic module. Therefore, could swap out the RKE module without worrying about programming.

It's also occurred to me that everything on the car side could be fine, and that instead the transmitter on my key could be the problem. Unfortunately, I only have one key, so I can't test against a 2nd key. Unless someone's got a clever idea, because I'm out of them!

 

@seenastyle Late to the party here, but how did you get access to the RKE module to snap that picture? I know where it is and have a replacement module but can’t find any instructions for how to access and replace that doesn’t involve removing basically the entire interior of the car to access the underside of the instrument cluster.

 

@Spacepope384 From my notes, I was starting to list the videos I relied upon, but noticed that I had already posted them earlier in the thread, did you see those? I remember it being like one of the videos said- not that hard once you know what you're doing, as is typically the case. And as usual, there are moments of confusion, or concern that you might break something, but I think those videos provided enough guidance that it wasn't too bad.

It's been a while so don't hold me to this, but I think you have to remove the instrument cluster hood trim, and the trim panels on either side of that. Then you have to at least pull the instrument cluster toward you, or perhaps even remove it entirely. I want to say that disconnecting its connector, which I think is the larger of the two green connectors pictured, was a bit tricky or giving me a slightly hard time, but it was figure-out-able.

There's the photo with aqua-colored oval where you can see a glimpse of a green connector in the background, I believe that's the one for the instrument cluster. In the other photo that captures both green connectors more prominently, obviously the small green connector is going to the RKE, and the larger green connector is the instrument cluster connector that you can see in the aqua oval photo. The angle is a bit wonky- I believe it's looking upward, from the center console looking toward the left side of the car (LHD) across the bottom of the instrument cluster.

That's all I can remember for now. Good luck, curious to know how it goes.