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2019+ BMW 3 AND 4-SERIES FORUMS (G2x Generation) General G20 Sedan / G22 Coupe / G26 Gran Coupe Discussions Comfort Access - Driving without a key

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      03-09-2020, 05:28 AM   #1
Skeewiff03
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Comfort Access - Driving without a key

I'll give an example: the passenger has the key in their bag and gets out of the vehicle while I proceed to park; at some point I get a warning about key not being present.

How far/long can the car be driven this way? What happens after? Does it stop or will continue running until manually turning it off?
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      03-09-2020, 06:45 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skeewiff03 View Post
How far/long can the car be driven this way? What happens after? Does it stop or will continue running until manually turning it off?
You can drive the car until you turn it off. You won't be able to restart the car without a key.
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      03-09-2020, 11:19 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skeewiff03 View Post
I'll give an example: the passenger has the key in their bag and gets out of the vehicle while I proceed to park; at some point I get a warning about key not being present.

How far/long can the car be driven this way? What happens after? Does it stop or will continue running until manually turning it off?
I'm not sure it's an issue - providing the driver's key activates the car I don't thing the fact a passenger also has a key makes any difference.

Stand to be corrected on this!!
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      03-09-2020, 12:02 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Andybird View Post
I'm not sure it's an issue - providing the driver's key activates the car I don't thing the fact a passenger also has a key makes any difference.

Stand to be corrected on this!!
Yes. But he meant the driver doesn't have a key while the passenger does and then walks away with it.
I can understand since I've been in that situation before. There are times when I give the key to my wife and she keeps it in her bag when I'm driving. And when we reach home or wherever, she gets out of the car and walks away with it. And the car gives a missing key notification when that happens.
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      03-09-2020, 12:35 PM   #5
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You can drive indefinitely until you shut off the engine. Just remember to set up the ConnectedDrive app on your phone so you can remotely unlock/lock the car without the key. This saved me once in a similar situation.

I'm thinking about just carrying the key card with me in my wallet so i always have a spare key. The only thing stopping me is that I may never actually use it and I like thin wallets.
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      03-09-2020, 02:47 PM   #6
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Or just set up your phone to act as the digital key and forget about cards
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      03-09-2020, 03:07 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by sd_dracula View Post
Or just set up your phone to act as the digital key and forget about cards
Very few phones can work as a digital key. Definitely not the iPhone
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      03-11-2020, 05:30 PM   #8
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Yeah, the key is used to start the car, not keep it running.

That's what the petrol is for...
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      03-11-2020, 06:54 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tam the Bam View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by sd_dracula View Post
Or just set up your phone to act as the digital key and forget about cards
Very few phones can work as a digital key. Definitely not the iPhone
I had mine working ok, used to put the card in the back of my iPhone case so kinda cheated lol but then I worried about losing my phone and gave up on that idea

Actually expires in a few days and don't plan on renewing it.

Rumour as it the next iOS update adds an option to use as a car key but not sure if this will be compatible with the G20.
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      03-12-2020, 02:54 PM   #10
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I keep my key card in my wallet just in case.
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      02-12-2024, 08:02 AM   #11
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I'm not sure where/when the warning occurs that you left your key behind and I'm going to test that today, but I think the whole thing is beyond stupid and it finally lived up to my main fear this weekend.

We went to a relatives house 2 hours away this weekend and did not stop along the way nor did we use the car until we were leaving. Yep, no key. My wife always keeps it in her purse.

Anyway, after 2 hours of searching we had to call a tow truck to take us the 2 hours back home. We had a spare there. 2 hours sitting in the front of a tow truck sucked, plus $100 because we exceeded our 100 mile AAA range. Not to mention the ungodly fee we probably have to pay to get f'ing fob replaced.

She also, years ago, did the same thing, but she only went about 20 min away to work so I could pick her up.


What exactly is this "Key card"? It's a 2015 328.

Was it really so difficult to just stick a damn key in the ignition?
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      02-12-2024, 10:42 AM   #12
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This is the keycard
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      02-12-2024, 11:04 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtpryan View Post
What exactly is this "Key card"? It's a 2015 328.

Was it really so difficult to just stick a damn key in the ignition?
This forum is for the G20 though - your keycard question is out of scope for the 2015 3er.
You're complaining about the keyless comfort access because you lost your key or forgot it at home.
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      02-13-2024, 08:48 AM   #14
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Correct. Which could happen with the regular key. But you could have only lost it at the location you are at, not left at 120 miles away. Not even getting to the cost to replacing the stupid thing. The whole system is just a massive case of over engineering.
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      02-13-2024, 08:53 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtpryan View Post
Correct. Which could happen with the regular key. But you could have only lost it at the location you are at, not left at 120 miles away. Not even getting to the cost to replacing the stupid thing. The whole system is just a massive case of over engineering.
You can't have left it at home, the car wouldn't have started at the beginning of the trip if the key wasn't in the cabin. You must have lost it at the relative's house, which as you say is just as much of a risk with a regular key.

Solution is to either (a) take the second key with you if you're doing a long trip or (b) enable the key card or your phone as a second key (if your car / phone support that).
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      02-13-2024, 09:33 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtpryan View Post
Correct. Which could happen with the regular key. But you could have only lost it at the location you are at, not left at 120 miles away.
Stupid question: what has your situation got to do with keyless if you lost the key at the location you were at? What difference would that have made if you had a keyless vs a regular key you stick into the ignition? I’m just trying to understand the point of your post with respect to keyless.
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      02-13-2024, 09:48 AM   #17
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Actually, we could have left it at home. Example: We start the car, then pack things in the trunk, etc. Go in the house during this and inadvertently put the key down because she (wife's car) is looking in her purse for something, then go back in the car and drive away. At this point, for a very brief time, a message comes up that says the "Remote Control" is not here and the car will not restart. But nobody seed this for various reasons. I know this is not a usual case, buy why does it let you put it in drive if the key isn't present?

I tested this out with the spare key the next day and it really is silly. The message is brief and never comes up again.

But for what purpose? So you don't have to put a key in the ignition? Really? While the card/phone app is a backup (not for my car). Again, just so we don't have to put the key in the ignition? Sorry, sometimes they just go too far.

If they are going through all this why not just add a "find your key" function? It obviously has some kind of near field tech.
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      02-13-2024, 10:27 AM   #18
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This technology has been around for decades - not just on BMWs. Like you said, there is a notification along with an acoustic sound that notifies the driver when the car is being driven away without the key. Almost impossible to miss the notification - at least not on the G20.

But then again this is a sub for the G20 series with a lot of tech that provides the user with options: keycard and/or digital key. So your post about a 2015 isn’t very relevant here because most G20 owners would rarely get stranded if the physical fob is lost or left behind short of not having a keycard or digital key. At that point, the onus is on the driver not the tech. I have my card permanently in my wallet along with the digitial key. So not seeing any issue here if we are discussing G20.
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      02-13-2024, 10:43 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tam the Bam View Post
Very few phones can work as a digital key. Definitely not the iPhone
You might be propagating misinformation on a public forum. The digitial key is fully supported on iPhone, depending on the year of car manufacture. I have an early 2021 build and I’ve been using the digitial key on my iPhone since day1. I use it regularly when going to the gym or for a hike — that way I’m not bothered with carrying the bulky fob in my pocket.

I believe BMW pulled support from some early 2020 builds (there’s a whole thread about it.) Perhaps that’s what you may be referring to.
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      02-13-2024, 12:20 PM   #20
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Do they have support for Apple Watch?
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      02-13-2024, 01:20 PM   #21
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Here is a novel idea; carry your own key.

I know, it's revolutionary .
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      02-13-2024, 02:51 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bimmer456 View Post
Do they have support for Apple Watch?
Yes, but it’s a bit crap for Digital Key. Digital Key Plus is really good as you walk up, open the door and start the car with no special ‘actions’. Wife’s iX1 has DK+ so no doubt rolling out to 3 / 4 series at some point.
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