Comfort Access key battery replacement: fact or crap?

The ridges on the door handle seemed to indicated the car has CA. I am still not sure if a rechargeable battery in the fob or replaceable battery is an indicator of a CA equipped car or not. If you must press the key fob button to unlock the car and it unlocks, it indicates to me the battery has been fine or the door will not unlock. That also meant it did not lose its memory. Unfortunately it also meant your car is not equipped with CA. When you tried to start the car by not insetting the key in the key slot and you got a no key found display, it also indicates the car is not CA equipped. If you take it to the dealer, I am sure they can tell you by docking your key to link back to BMW in Germany. It will tell you for sure. Hopefully they do not charge you a bundle for "diagnostic services". Good luck.

Thanks for your prompt response. So is it possible that the fob need programing or if remote works opening and closing me the programing is fine? The car still has 7.5 months of warranty. So it should not cost anything, or am I wishful thinking!, lol

Originally Posted by pcm888usa

The ridges on the door handle seemed to indicated the car has CA. I am still not sure if a rechargeable battery in the fob or replaceable battery is an indicator of a CA equipped car or not. If you must press the key fob button to unlock the car and it unlocks, it indicates to me the battery has been fine or the door will not unlock. That also meant it did not lose its memory. Unfortunately it also meant your car is not equipped with CA. When you tried to start the car by not insetting the key in the key slot and you got a no key found display, it also indicates the car is not CA equipped. If you take it to the dealer, I am sure they can tell you by docking your key to link back to BMW in Germany. It will tell you for sure. Hopefully they do not charge you a bundle for "diagnostic services". Good luck.

If it is still under warranty, go for it. They should not charge you.

Originally Posted by ShuShulSan

I recently bought a 2009 328i wagon. It has those ridges on the door handle and the battery in the key-fob is 2032 non-rechargeable. If i red the manual correctly, the non-comfort access have rechargeable battery and comfort access have regular battery. When I try to open the door with key in pocket, it simply does not work. And inside the car when I press the ignition button twice without the key in the slot the car displays the a "Key with diagonal line" on it. I have changed the battery with new one but nothing so far. o I need to take it to dealer to reprograme it?

Thanks.

Do the Comfort Access features work with the other key? If not, I'd suspect a failing battery (car, not key) or a problem recognizing the fobs.

Either way, it should be handled under warranty.

Tom

No, none of the keys work.

But today I pushed the button without the key in the slot and it amazingly started. but I turned it off and tried to do it again and it shows no key inside sign.

I also found out that if I put the key into the slot and pull it out right away and push the start it will work. The door opening still not working. So one can say with high degree of certainty that this car has comfort access but for some reason not behaving. I am taking it to dealer tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Originally Posted by Tom K.

Do the Comfort Access features work with the other key? If not, I'd suspect a failing battery (car, not key) or a problem recognizing the fobs.

Either way, it should be handled under warranty.

Tom

Originally Posted by ShuShulSan

No, none of the keys work....

I am taking it to dealer tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Good luck - let us know what they find.

Tom

I am very curious of what the dealer will do to fix it. It sounded like a weak fob battery or bad battery contact. Anyway. good luck at the dealer.

Updating:

Took it to dealer this morning and after 3 hours of wait, they said is all good and they recharged the battery and paired up the fobs. I went to the car and pulled the handle and nothing worked. The guy took it in again and they asked me to wait little more After another hour they came back and said the comfort access module is bad and needs replacement. They will get it sometime Wednday or Thursday and will take 3 hours to install. They did not charge me anything. The car is under warranty for another 7 months. Do you think I would be billed?
Will update again.

No way they can bill you. Bimmer has a bumper to bumper warranty. You are lucky to catch this now than eight months from now. They could easily charge you a grand from replacement.

So let us say they (BMW) fixes my Comfort access. What brand and type of window tint should I apply to have least effect on the performance of the system? I live in Texas and in few months we will get hell on earth, so tint is very important.

Tinting side windows in California is illegal althought everybody still does it, including me. If your cops do not pill off people and give them hard time for tinting, go with the LIMO dark. It is the color, not a brand. Don't go to dealer because they do not do tinting. They just take a cut. Do not go cheap or you will have a lot of bubbles soon. I say spend around. $200 for a 4 door car is reasonable.

Today I went to Llumar authorized dealer and they estimated $500 for ceramic 30%. 30% is the legal limit in Texas.

I think $500 for a E91 (Wagon has more windows than sedan) is a bit too much. I would gladly spend $300-350 but not more. Any idea on brand?

Originally Posted by pcm888usa

Tinting side windows in California is illegal althought everybody still does it, including me. If your cops do not pill off people and give them hard time for tinting, go with the LIMO dark. It is the color, not a brand. Don't go to dealer because they do not do tinting. They just take a cut. Do not go cheap or you will have a lot of bubbles soon. I say spend around. $200 for a 4 door car is reasonable.

Well, five years ago both my son and I got a new bimmer and we went to the same tinting place. I spend $250 for a regular tint and he spent $350 for ceramic. We both still have the same car. No differences I can detect. if people say ceramic shields heat better, I do not know that. $500 sounds high to me.

Updating,

Today I called the dealer to see if they got the module in! They said yes. So I brought the car in around 10:30. They called me around 15:30 to come pick it up. I went there around 17:30, tested the keyless entry and push button ignition and both work. They charged me nothing. I hope the system does no fail again.

If BMW service, while under warranty, is really free why the previous lease holder on this car never bothered to take it in to have it fixed. Sometimes people do unexplainable things.

Thanks for all your help and support.