[redbullfan]

Hey guys,

I keep getting a notification for the key not being detected almost everytime I open the door with the car running. Sometimes the car doesn't start and I would have to take the key fob out of my pocket to start the car which is very frustrating. I tried replacing the batteries in both keys and it didn't solve the problem. I'm also over the warranty period.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do?

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by redbullfan

I keep getting a notification for the key not being detected almost everytime I open the door with the car running. Sometimes the car doesn't start

It shouldn't need to start if it's running. When I leave the engine running, get out of the car with the fb in my pocket, and then get back in I get that message, as if the car doesn't know that it's already running so it doesn't need to start again.

[redbullfan]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It shouldn't need to start if it's running. When I leave the engine running, get out of the car with the fb in my pocket, and then get back in I get that message, as if the car doesn't know that it's already running so it doesn't need to start again.

I meant to say when I need to start the car it doesn't start

[Rick4345]

Originally Posted by redbullfan

Hey guys,

I keep getting a notification for the key not being detected almost everytime I open the door with the car running. Sometimes the car doesn't start and I would have to take the key fob out of my pocket to start the car which is very frustrating. I tried replacing the batteries in both keys and it didn't solve the problem. I'm also over the warranty period.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do?

When you walk away from the car with the fob the car loses connection with it. They "talk" to each other.

I've learned you can't get very far away from my car.

Do you hold the key next to the steering column after you get in? I do that and haven't had problems with the car not starting at all.

[wdeerfield]

do you have any aftermarket lighting modifications? i had this happen due to the ebay led door projectors.

[redbullfan]

Originally Posted by Rick4345

When you walk away from the car with the fob the car loses connection with it. They "talk" to each other.

I've learned you can't get very far away from my car.

Do you hold the key next to the steering column after you get in? I do that and haven't had problems with the car not starting at all.

It doesn't start when I hold it by the steering column but it sometimes doesn't start when the key is in my pocket, I would have to take it out of my pocket for it to start. The car never did this before and it's really frustrating. Also I have never had a problem like this with my parents Honda with my push button start.

[redbullfan]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

do you have any aftermarket lighting modifications? i had this happen due to the ebay led door projectors.

I have those projector lights, but the problem was still happening even before I installed them

[wdeerfield]

i'd honestly try removing them, get a new battery for the key.

[BEM-S4]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

i'd honestly try removing them, get a new battery for the key.

Was going to suggest the new battery. When in doubt try the easiest thing first.

[afranke]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

do you have any aftermarket lighting modifications? i had this happen due to the ebay led door projectors.

Huh...I have these and the same issue. Guess I'll finally take them off (been meaning too, just lazy). Who figured this one out and how?

[redbullfan]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

i'd honestly try removing them, get a new battery for the key.

I already got me batteries for the keys

[wdeerfield]

Originally Posted by afranke

Huh...I have these and the same issue. Guess I'll finally take them off (been meaning too, just lazy). Who figured this one out and how?

lol i did. i put them in and had nothing but key/comfort access issues. i am curious if people without comfort access have the issue. I contacted the seller on ebay and they kept telling me to install them correctly. I tried everything. So i removed them 1 by 1 and when they were all removed my problem went away.

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by wdeerfield

do you have any aftermarket lighting modifications? i had this happen due to the ebay led door projectors.

WTF.....lol wow. I seriously hope that's my issue. I've replaced both key fob batteries and the actual car battery (I guess I have a spare good battery now because I didn't trade it in for the core fee). Now that I think of it that's when I started having this issue, I have to put my key fob by the e brake handle if I want my car to start....I pretty much gave up on the issue lol

I thought it happened when I did the NBT EVO retrofit because I know there's some antennas in there that I moved around. My car was "down" for most of August through January while I fiddled around with some issues and kept adding mods, like the projector lights and NBT EVO, so I never could pinpoint when it actually started, it all makes sense now!

[Buse]

I have been having this problem as well and I can't get it to replicate. Sometimes it happens when a passenger door is open and sometimes when my door is open. My car has the BMW logo door projectors (one of which I'm in the process of changing because it no longer works), but I have no idea if they were factory or aftermarket.

I'm assuming there's no way to fix it besides replacing the lights with OEM, which are a whopping $140 a pair vs the $11 I paid on amazon for the replacement?

[redbullfan]

Originally Posted by Buse

I have been having this problem as well and I can't get it to replicate. Sometimes it happens when a passenger door is open and sometimes when my door is open. My car has the BMW logo door projectors (one of which I'm in the process of changing because it no longer works), but I have no idea if they were factory or aftermarket.

I'm assuming there's no way to fix it besides replacing the lights with OEM, which are a whopping $140 a pair vs the $11 I paid on amazon for the replacement?

I honestly find it hard to belive that its the projectors that are causing the problem.

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by redbullfan

I honestly find it hard to belive that its the projectors that are causing the problem.

If I remember correctly the projectors only use two of the three wires, the OEMs use 3.

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by Buse

I have been having this problem as well and I can't get it to replicate. Sometimes it happens when a passenger door is open and sometimes when my door is open. My car has the BMW logo door projectors (one of which I'm in the process of changing because it no longer works), but I have no idea if they were factory or aftermarket.

I'm assuming there's no way to fix it besides replacing the lights with OEM, which are a whopping $140 a pair vs the $11 I paid on amazon for the replacement?

If they were OEM they should have the BMW logo on the back of them. There?s a few sites that have brighter aftermarket puddle lights that use the same OEM plug and all wiring, like bimmian.com, that are cheaper than the oem?s but work just fine with comfort access. I know because that?s what I used to have before I swapped to the eBay projector ones lol.

I?ll change mine out tomorrow or so and test this theory as I still have my oem?s and brighter aftermarkets.

[redbullfan]

Originally Posted by obriennathaniel

If they were OEM they should have the BMW logo on the back of them. There?s a few sites that have brighter aftermarket puddle lights that use the same OEM plug and all wiring, like bimmian.com, that are cheaper than the oem?s but work just fine with comfort access. I know because that?s what I used to have before I swapped to the eBay projector ones lol.

I?ll change mine out tomorrow or so and test this theory as I still have my oem?s and brighter aftermarkets.

any update?

[obriennathaniel]

Originally Posted by redbullfan

any update?

Well, I was going to do it today when I installed my LCI blackline tail lights but my tool box is so cluttered and junky that I couldn?t find the previous puddle lights. I?ll try again tomorrow when I?m not in a rush and have time to move things around.

[bimmer456]

Which pocket do you have the key in? If it is the pocket closest to the door it may not pick it up. Try putting it in your other pocket or in the cup holder. Also try starting the car with all doors closed first so it is better able to locate the key inside the car. I noticed if it's close to the edge of the passenger cabin it may not detect it.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

I noticed if it's close to the edge of the passenger cabin it may not detect it.

If it's in the trunk it won't detect it with standard access, allowing you to lock the fob in the trunk and not being able to get into the car. That's really odd, since I can unlock it from a range of at least 200 feet, and if I have the fob in my pocket I can open the trunk by touching the lid handle switch even if the doors are locked. The system does have its quirks.

[bimmer456]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

If it's in the trunk it won't detect it with standard access, allowing you to lock the fob in the trunk and not being able to get into the car. That's really odd, since I can unlock it from a range of at least 200 feet, and if I have the fob in my pocket I can open the trunk by touching the lid handle switch even if the doors are locked. The system does have its quirks.

That's true, it should pop the trunk automatically if it detects the key in there, it doesn't. You can use the app to unlock the car if you know the BMW assist password. You can then open the trunk to retrieve the key. If your car is valet locked another quirk is that you can still lower the center armrest and lower the rear seats that way to access the trunk.