XSeries-forum

Afternoon all,

I did a bit of a boo boo a few weekends ago and I left my comfort access key in my mountain bike riding trousers as it went into a quick rinse and spin cycle. It didn't occur to me to remove the battery ASAP, instead I checked the function of the remote to see if it was working (it was able to activate and deactivate just fine). I then was away for work for a week, only for me to return home to my car with the remote key fob not working.

The car still locks and unlocks with the physical key on the driver side, but you have to be very quick with sticking the fob into the ignition to send the immobiliser signal to the car to stop the alarm from going off.

I've also tried the same thing with my spare key (without the comfort access backing and the soldered battery connections), but to no avail. No transmission of signal via the remote.

I've checked F27, F28 and F30 fuses in the fuse box in the passenger footwell and all are fine i.e. unblown. I've replaced the coin battery in my primary remote too but is still unresponsive.

The transponder on the immobiliser is recognised by the car's ECU, so driving around isn't an issue. Not having the remote central locking function when you've got to strap in a toddler, however, is becoming somewhat irksome!

I've gone through all the youtube videos to see what the main issues are for non responsive remotes and gone through their aforementioned troubleshooting lists, but have exhausted all options (bar the antenna / receiver).

Would this be a job for an automotive locksmiths, or somebody who specialises more in automotive electricals?

Many thanks

Been there, done that too. I put the key straight on a radiator and took the physical key out. It survived! The tag for the tracker however ‘drowned’.

I think you’ll need to pay a visit to a local BMW dealership to see if they can identify anything from the fault codes or diagnostics system. It might just be a pairing issue. It may be a simple battery issue too. If the radio electronics have failed then the only place to get a key will be a main dealer.

Be warned, they are silly money. The ones for my i4 (same keys as used in other models) are over £500 each.

I had to get a new key for my 640d from the dealer last year and was only £120.00....£500 is silly money, probably because its a newer model?

You’re right. Some of them are more than that. No justification at all IMHO