Understanding "Comfort Access"

[Coloradocurt]

A week now since bringing home my new-to-me 2011 135i M CV and trying to get better acquainted via the Owners Manual. My understanding is that with the remote on my person, I should be able to start the car without inserting that remote into the slot on the dash (i.e., door closed, remote in my pocket, foot on the brake, push the "Start" button). It doesn't start. Am I doing something wrong? No problem starting if the remote is first inserted into the slot, but according to the Comfort Access feature (which is listed as an included option in the VIN decoder), I shouldn't need to be using the remote inserted into the slot.
Am I missing some unmentioned step? Is this a chronic problem? Is there some sort of simple and inexpensive dealer fix such as resetting the car's computer?
Thanks.

[duder13]

Are you able to unlock the doors from the outside by leaving the key in your pocket and placing your thumb on the door handle ridges, or did you press the key fob button to unlock the doors?

[DaveXRS]

Have you changed the battery ? Comfort access remotes have small batteries that needs to be replaced (like a watch battery).

I have comfort access too and when the battery is very low, I do need to insert the fob to start the car.

Comfort access should allow you to unlock, lock and start the car without taking your keys out of your pockets.

[Coloradocurt]

Mystery solved: While the list of options on the car posted by the seller included Comfort Access, my FOB's are the standard type and not the Comfort Access FOB's. A VIN decoder search on my part confirmed that my car didn't come with Comfort Access.
So, a further question: since my FOB's don't appear to have any obvious way to open and replace an internal battery, does the FOB just get "recharged" when it's installed and the engine is running?

[Horigan]

Yes. The non-comfort access fobs get recharged in the slot.

[xQx]

Originally Posted by Coloradocurt

Mystery solved: While the list of options on the car posted by the seller included Comfort Access, my FOB's are the standard type and not the Comfort Access FOB's. A VIN decoder search on my part confirmed that.
So, a further question: since my FOB's don't appear to have any obvious way to open and replace an internal battery, does the FOB just get "recharged" when it's installed and the engine is running?

Oh man, that sucks. You'll be up for hundreds to get a new fob and get it associated to the car.

Perhaps someone who's been through this before can recommend a way to do it without paying a dealer $500+

It's worth it though, comfort access rocks.

[Horigan]

Originally Posted by xQx

Oh man, that sucks. You'll be up for hundreds to get a new fob and get it associated to the car.

Perhaps someone who's been through this before can recommend a way to do it without paying a dealer $500+

It's worth it though, comfort access rocks.

It would cost a lot more that $500+ to retrofit comfort access. Just the door handles alone are $270 each.

[xQx]

Originally Posted by Horigan

It would cost a lot more that $500+ to retrofit comfort access. Just the door handles alone are $270 each.

I'll bet.

I thought OP said he had comfort access, he just didn't have the comfort access fobs.