[golferboy2312]

Hi all,

I have a question about how the car should behave with respect to the keys and profiles. I have a profile for key number 1 setup (for me, I am the main driver), no profile setup for key number 2 (so I think it is the "guest").

Situation 1:
When I approach my car in the morning to get in and go to work, it typically turns on the path lighting and headlights, makes lots of noise that sounds like fuel pumps and motors whirring, the doors unlock (I have that setup in the comfort entry section). It does that MOST of the time during the day, but I have definitely seen it NOT happen sometimes. Is this just more BMW software bugs, or is there something about approaching the car after not driving it for a while that is different?

Situation 2:
My wife and I just went out, she dropped me off somewhere. I drove, so when we got there I turned off the car and left, taking key number 1 with me. My wife had key number 2 in her purse in the passenger floor. She got out and went to the driver side and got in (leaving the key in her purse). She put her foot on the brake and tried to start it, nothing happened. She took her foot off the brake, put it back down and tried to start it again. Nothing happened again, but on the center screen it asked her to pick a driver profile. She picked guest. She then put her foot on the brake and tried to start it, nothing happened. She then took out the key fob and pushed the unlock button, the car unlocked. She put her foot on the brake again, tried to start the car, and this time it started. Is this normal behavior? It seems to me with a key in the car it should have started the first time.....

[stevej2002]

Before the episode you describe, had your wife used her fob's buttons recently?

I've had lots of problems with the comfort access/key/car interaction requiring almost a month in the shop while the folks in Munich tried to (and eventually did) figure it out.

However, the first thing that they told me was that if the key fob hasn't been used for a while in terms of pushing keys as opposed to its physical proximity unlocking and starting the car, the fob eventually 'goes to sleep.' Thus clicking any button wakes up the fob and then it works.

While my problem was much more complex, I do think that this 'fob going to sleep' issue is real. Once or twice since they fixed my car it hasn't responded to my fob until I pressed a button. Then all was well.

This is not what happened when my car was in the shop for a prolonged period. Nothing made the fob work unless held to the side of the steering column. After replacing the appropriate computer didn't work, replacing the 'comfort access antenna' did. (Who knew there is a 'comfort access antenna' in there somewhere?)

Again, your problem was different than mine, but the fob going to sleep is apparently an issue (for which BMW doesn't yet have a fix).

Perhaps this is helpful.

[golferboy2312]

Originally Posted by stevej2002

Before the episode you describe, had your wife used her fob's buttons recently?

I've had lots of problems with the comfort access/key/car interaction requiring almost a month in the shop while the folks in Munich tried to (and eventually did) figure it out.

However, the first thing that they told me was that if the key fob hasn't been used for a while in terms of pushing keys as opposed to its physical proximity unlocking and starting the car, the fob eventually 'goes to sleep.' Thus clicking any button wakes up the fob and then it works.

While my problem was much more complex, I do think that this 'fob going to sleep' issue is real. Once or twice since they fixed my car it hasn't responded to my fob until I pressed a button. Then all was well.

This is not what happened when my car was in the shop for a prolonged period. Nothing made the fob work unless held to the side of the steering column. After replacing the appropriate computer didn't work, replacing the 'comfort access antenna' did. (Who knew there is a 'comfort access antenna' in there somewhere?)

Again, your problem was different than mine, but the fob going to sleep is apparently an issue (for which BMW doesn't yet have a fix).

Perhaps this is helpful.

She had not used her fob in quite a while, so maybe this sleep thing is real...

[VipinLJ]

The going to sleep thing is real. I have that on my Audis. If I don't use the car for a few days, keyless entry will not work. I have to press the button on the fob to wake it up and then it does.

Point 1 has happened to me once (but then, my car is only a month old). Hasn't happened after. I assume it's just software bugs.

Point 2. No idea about that.

[premier3is]

Originally Posted by golferboy2312

Hi all,

I have a question about how the car should behave with respect to the keys and profiles. I have a profile for key number 1 setup (for me, I am the main driver), no profile setup for key number 2 (so I think it is the "guest").

Situation 1:
When I approach my car in the morning to get in and go to work, it typically turns on the path lighting and headlights, makes lots of noise that sounds like fuel pumps and motors whirring, the doors unlock (I have that setup in the comfort entry section). It does that MOST of the time during the day, but I have definitely seen it NOT happen sometimes. Is this just more BMW software bugs, or is there something about approaching the car after not driving it for a while that is different?

Situation 2:
My wife and I just went out, she dropped me off somewhere. I drove, so when we got there I turned off the car and left, taking key number 1 with me. My wife had key number 2 in her purse in the passenger floor. She got out and went to the driver side and got in (leaving the key in her purse). She put her foot on the brake and tried to start it, nothing happened. She took her foot off the brake, put it back down and tried to start it again. Nothing happened again, but on the center screen it asked her to pick a driver profile. She picked guest. She then put her foot on the brake and tried to start it, nothing happened. She then took out the key fob and pushed the unlock button, the car unlocked. She put her foot on the brake again, tried to start the car, and this time it started. Is this normal behavior? It seems to me with a key in the car it should have started the first time.....

For point 1, I have the same issue once in a while where it doesn't unlock/lock when approaching and I have to use the key fob. I have no idea why it does it, and I couldn't figure it out either but after I read here that the keyfob goes to sleep if you don't use it for long, that makes sense why this happens.

I'd like to know if BMW confirmed this for you stevej2002 ?

[JayPichardo]

I think Fob 2 went into sleep mode. It does this to prevent things like his from happening.

[phillyd2]

I keep the key in the car and if I don’t drive it for a couple of days I get the No Key Found error message when trying to start. Then I just need to pick up the key and shake it for all to work. The sleep thing is real.