[Broken1]

I was hoping E90Fleet could help with this...or anyone else...

Where are the proximity sensors for the comfort access (and their arials - if they have?)



My comfort access "stopped" working today...but only for an instant. I arrived at varsity, and tried to lock my car and it didn't work. I tried a few times and then just pushed the lock button on my key fob.

This got my little brain all worried, and I've now been testing it!
It seemed to work 75% of the time (in different locking/unlocking tests from different angles remebering to wait 5 seconds between each attempt). I then (remebering how I dropped my key on friday (quite badly, so the battery came out(comfort access keys have a battery in a battery cover) and bounced down my driveway) decided to move the battery around a bit. I don't know if it fixed it, but it seems to work more or less -> but not every time!

The reason I am 'worried' is that I had my windows tinted on monday. Testing it on monday after the tint...it seemed fine! I donno! Maybe I should just change the battery in my key!

Ok, so a summary of my mad post:
1. Where are the proximity sensors for the CA?

2. Do you think my key is broken/needs a new battery(cause dropping a battery hard can damage it), or the window tinting is stopping my CA from working 100%

3. Do you think it all does work 100%, but I am just freaking out because I know the window tint could affect it, and the problems I am having are normal radio interference?

hmmm thanks for your comments (specially the ppl with comfort access and tints)

[Tierfreund]

I have the same problem and I don´t have tint. So that can´t be it.
It works most of the times, but sometimes it won´t open unless i pull the handle or I have to try several times to lock.

I haven´t had a chance to bring it in yet.

[E90Fleet]

OK

1) The system basically has 3 transmitters , 1 external reciever and 3 Internal recievers. 1 in each front door, 1 for the boot ( Trunk for our USA friends ) and 2 in the passenger compartment and one in the boot . And 1 reciever in the rear windscreen.

To open the car :
When you put your hand in between the door handle and the door, that doorhandle senses you and sends a request to you key fob asking for its ID code, the key fob then sends it and it is recieved by the reciever in the rear window which forwards it to the car access computer. If the ID code is correct it unlocks the door.

All this takes less than 1 second

Now as you can imagine a couple things can go wrong like:
Your key fob doesnt get the request signal
Your key fob 's transmission gets blocked somehow and the car doesnt recieve it
ect ect

To lock the car:
You press the groove on the door handle
This makes the car access computer ceck if the key fob is inside or outside the car.
If it is outside the car requests the key fob's ID code
The ID code is sent though the rear window reciever to the car access computer.
If the cose is valid the car locks the doors and locks the steering

Again you can have the transmission and recieving problems


Some thing you can test:
1) Try your spare key fob to see how it works (just incase, our dealers here normally only programme 1 key to lock the doors on driveaway, so dont think you have a problem if your spare doesnt lock the doors on driveaway )

2) Make shure when you try to lock the doors you key fob isnt too close to the door, as the car may think its inside ???

3) make shure you are touching the handle to lock in the correct place, remember it has to sense you hand is touching it

4) also remember its a complex system and small hiccups can be expected


As for the tint, they have only ever reported problems with mettalized tints on the E46, normal tint used to cause no problems

[Broken1]

Ok, I will try my spare fob - got to get it though (not kept at the house)

I am not having any problems opening or closing from the key fob buttons, which leads me to think i'm just being paranoid! I will try and not test it, but just see how it handles in day to day operation this week and report back!

Thanks for the info...you and teirfreund have made me feel alot better!

[Broken1]

Oh and one more thing....

I don't know if you can check...
But does the comfort access key still charge in the ignition (even though it has a seperate removable battery?)

I am under the impression that it doesn't charge - the manual states it must be changed when the car shows the warning...about every 6 months! But it would be interesting to know...they might just not want to tell people with keyless go to drive with they key in the ignition...

[E90Fleet]

Originally Posted by Broken1

Oh and one more thing....

I don't know if you can check...
But does the comfort access key still charge in the ignition (even though it has a seperate removable battery?)

I am under the impression that it doesn't charge - the manual states it must be changed when the car shows the warning...about every 6 months! But it would be interesting to know...they might just not want to tell people with keyless go to drive with they key in the ignition...

The key fob is different and doesnt have a rechargable battery, so you have to replace the battery when it runs low

[E90Fleet]

Forgot, they do say the battery's service life is 2 Years

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by E90Fleet

The key fob is different and doesnt have a rechargable battery, so you have to replace the battery when it runs low

Thanks for that info....

But I must admit my moment of insanity this past weekend. I have Comfort Access, and I actually drove all the way from Pretoria to Nelspruit with the key fob inserted in the slot... I thought I was charging the damn thing

At least I know now... I saw the info in the manual, but I guess I wasn't paying attention on what they really mean.

[thrill30]

Originally Posted by Broken1

I was hoping E90Fleet could help with this...or anyone else...

Where are the proximity sensors for the comfort access (and their arials - if they have?)



My comfort access "stopped" working today...but only for an instant. I arrived at varsity, and tried to lock my car and it didn't work. I tried a few times and then just pushed the lock button on my key fob.

This got my little brain all worried, and I've now been testing it!
It seemed to work 75% of the time (in different locking/unlocking tests from different angles remebering to wait 5 seconds between each attempt). I then (remebering how I dropped my key on friday (quite badly, so the battery came out(comfort access keys have a battery in a battery cover) and bounced down my driveway) decided to move the battery around a bit. I don't know if it fixed it, but it seems to work more or less -> but not every time!

The reason I am 'worried' is that I had my windows tinted on monday. Testing it on monday after the tint...it seemed fine! I donno! Maybe I should just change the battery in my key!

Ok, so a summary of my mad post:
1. Where are the proximity sensors for the CA?

2. Do you think my key is broken/needs a new battery(cause dropping a battery hard can damage it), or the window tinting is stopping my CA from working 100%

3. Do you think it all does work 100%, but I am just freaking out because I know the window tint could affect it, and the problems I am having are normal radio interference?

hmmm thanks for your comments (specially the ppl with comfort access and tints)

I have 50% Llumar tint and I have no problem with Comfort Access.... and I use it all the time. I think I've only pressed the buttons in the key fob once or twice, just to test if they really work.

Your problems might be caused by something else...interference, etc.

By the way, what percentage is your tint, and is it 3M or Llumar?

[Broken1]

My tint is supposed to be 20% VLT. It looks a hell of a-lot lighter then it was on my old E46 --- anywhooo...i think the lighter colour is "more classy" then the getto dark...but we'll see how it pans out!

The problem with my CA is that it doesn't lock so well - i donno what it is! When I am "testing" it...it seems to work fine- mostly. But like tonight, I get home...jump out and put my thumb on the grooves...nothing. I get a bit impatient...and put my thumb on again---harder...nothing. I then get frustrated, and try a third time...still nothing. I then (leaving the key in my pocket) feel around for the round button and push - it locks :/

Grrr.

[David328M-Sport]

Broken1, sorry to read about your CA issue.

Although the remote control (or as the E90Post.com community call them key fobs) are designed to take the unintended hit or 2 or 3, there are high G forces at work even dropping such a relatively light unit. Now if the remote is "bundled" with other keys, another remote etc, this makes the entire assembly much heavier of course.

I certainly hope that your remote has not encountered an intermittent problem since the fall.

As I don't have CA, I cannot comment on any experience but perhaps you are encountering possible interference with say mobile phone, home wireless setup etc. Nevertheless, they should be operating on different carrier frequencies and shouldn't interfere with each other in theory at least.

Lots of different processing systems at work in our cars, so lets just hope it's not a "real" problem and if it is, you have it resolved quickly.

By the way, saw the 5th Gear TV show recently with the motor journalist taking a 320d across France. It is up on the videos section of the forum. The journalist was very impressed with the 320d by the way, claiming it to be quieter than the 5 series if I remember correctly. He drove long distances and said he was very comfortable after such a long drive.

[Broken1]

Does anyone know where on the rear windscreen the rear reciever for the comfort access is??(The black part?The heating pannels?By the brake light?)

I tried to find out what make of tint they used on my car - but I can't seem to get an answer! The guy (who claims he's been in the industry for ages - WINDOW TINT CENTER>opposite old investment cars spot) just gives me open ended answers.

I wonder if he lied, and it is infact a metalic tint and it is interfering! (Donno, radio and key fob buttons work 1000% all the time)
The CA doesn't work as it should...just using it today I noticed. I am going to be trying my spare keyfob tonight for a day or two and see if that helps.

I would take my car in to bmw...but they'll just blame it on the tint! GRRR...

AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF...some ASSHOLE in a toyota slammed his door into my car, while I was sitting in it...and left a dent and a white scratch!!!! I swear I could've killed him. He just looked at me and drove off...I checked in the dark and didn't see much...but today in full light...it's there...like a knife through my chest!

*cries* (I had a bad day...)

[E90Fleet]

Sorry to hear Broken1

The spare key is the key, if it works fine its your normal key that you dropped

The reciever uses some of the lines in the rear window as a antenna


Also do a little test:
When it doesnt want to lock, dont just put your thm on the grooves, but move it from side to side a bit and see if it works then
The sensor needs to see a change in its magneic field to know your finger is there, so by oving it it may help it

Ofcourse if its your key this wont make any difference

[Broken1]

Ok, so I got my second key tonight. And with both keys(in my pocket) for the night...it worked flawlessly! I then put the "broken" key in the house...and tried my same test. 10 Open and locks. The new key worked 9/10 times which as good as it was before I started having hassles!

The plan.
I am going to be using my 2nd key for friday/saturday and meanwhile going to buy a new battery for key 1.
If key 2 works perfectly, I know there is a problem with key 1 and will then change key1's battery
Sunday/Monday I will use key 1 *with new battery* and see how it works!

If key 2 works, but not key 1. I'll take the key to bmw...
Key 2 is really seeming to work properly...so I think my key might be damaged...(or most likely the battery which i dropped)

Thanks everyone for your help...I'll keep updating as the saga continues...

Ps. In a Oh my G-d I need to fix my car moment, I fixed the white scratch (from the idiot toyota slamming his door into my car) with a permanent marker. I dotted in the lines, and then polished it with the BMW OEM polish. The dent is quite small, and without the white scratch it doesn't look bad. You can't see the scratch anymore...i did well with the marker!!! But when there are a few marks, I'll take it in to chips away to get it all sorted!

[stressdoc]

Why not test the hypothesis of a bad battery in Fob#1 by switching batteries with Fob#2? That would be cheaper than testing it with a new battery.

[stressdoc]

As a response to the kinds of insults that Broken1 suffered at the hands of the inconsiderate Toyota driver, we may wish to start a string on effective deterents to such unconscionable actions. For example, when we mounted several Estes rockets on the front hood and roof of our teenage-years station wagon, it was surprising how much respect we got at stopsigns and in parking lots. It was even more fun when some fool decided to provoke us to see if they were functional. Not accurate, but impressive nonetheless.

[Broken1]

A battery won't cost me more than R50 (that's even pushing it). So for less than 10 dollars, I don't want to take the battery cover off my only working key ;-)


Let's see if it is infact the key first....Testing key 2 tomorro...see how it works under "normal use" and conditions!

[E90Fleet]

Or just always carry both keys around and it will work flawlessly like in your test

[Broken1]

Ok. Today was a very busy day. I noticed in the first two "uses" of my car that the comfort access wasn't working - even with key 2. This rules out the key.

I decided that since this all started with getting my windows tinted, back to the tint center I went. I said to the guy...i told you about my comfort access, and you said the tint wouldn't affect it. It doesn't work. Take it off and sort it out.

So he was like oh it's such a mission to take it off etc etc. I didn't care. I didn't spend over R300 000 (50 000dollars) to have a car that irritates me.

So, he instructed his poeple to remove the tint (they weren't happy about it either). They took the tint off, then scrubbed the glue off (took 2 people one hour just for the rear window). He then said he will tint the window with the a non reflective, non metalic tint. I asked him why he put a metalic tint on in the first place when I told him specially not to. He said he's got 20 years experience and has hardly ever had a problem.

Anyways, he put on this non-metalic tint and now my comfort access works perfectly with both keys. I took me less than two seconds to be confident it works properly!

It's irritating when poeple think they are too clever, and don't listen to what me (and 3000 odd other members on this forum) know is right!

So...To sum up. There was nothing wrong with my car, just an idiot who fitted a metalic tint when I specifically asked him to fit a non-metalic one and me in denial that it was the tint that was causing issues. Solution - I got the tint changed (a painfull proccess) and now it works PERFECTLY

Thanks to everyone who helped me out here! I really appreciate it guys...
This forum is the best!!!

See the my tint photo's in the Official window tint thread in the media/photo's forum!

[E90Fleet]

Glad its fixed

It a good lession for anyone getting comfort access, make shure you DONT GET METALLIC TINT


This is one reson I only use a BMW approved tint shop (SOLACE in Roodepoort ). They are very friendly ( owner and son runs shop ) and only use the best tint ( I put on 3M Defence pack, so windows cant get smashed at a intersection )

[thrill30]

Great stuff.... now you can enjoy your car without the annoyance of CA not working properly.

I think your post will help a lot of CA equipped E90 owners who are considering metallic tint. Thanks for sharing this info.

[Broken1]

Yea...I should have listened to you. I called Solar Safety shield, but they couldn't fit me in...and I wanted it done....anyways...I did ask for a non-metalic tint!

At least it's fixed now... :-)