Hobi

Hi All

BMW GB was contacted a few days ago and they requested my dealer to source another E60 545 with more or less the same spec as my car. The main thing they wanted to test was the Climate Comfort Glass that I have all round my car.

They wanted the dealer to do a signal check comparing my car to another E60. This test has NOT been done to date because there wasn't a suitable comparison car in the dealer network with this type of glass!

Anyway, the dealer did test for signal levels and I saw these reading myself on a screen. When the car is waiting for signal, there is a flat line. When the key button is pressed, spikes are recorded in the line. Readings were taken and have been submitted to BMW AG via the PUMA system.

To date, they have tested the following - ALL in "perfect" working order:

1. Key Remote proximity charger via ignition key coil.
2. Accumulator battery and levels within the keys themselves
3. Order another master key and re-coded it to my car
4. Replaced the entire Antenna circuit: fin aerial, amplifier, coax cables, rear screen
5. Car software update and diagnostics
6. Electrical characteristics of the remote alarm/locking systems and circuits
7. Verified that the problem was NOT caused by my custom AV system and circuitry

We have now narrowed down the range "blindspots". The keys do NOT work when you are:

1. standing directly in front of the car at any distance including reaching out to the centre of the bonnet
2. front quarter, both sides, standing about 10 feet away from the car
3. both sides, standing between the B and A pillars, 10 feet away +
4. anywhere around the front half of the car when you are standing more than 15 feet away

However, the keys work fine anywhere from the rear of the B pillars backwards until approx 20 feet.

Waiting for BMW AG to figure it out... :'(

All the Best

Hobi

12vguy

All your problems are quite normal when it comes to low power RF devices. As one who sells aftermarket devices every day (www.directed.com - We make Viper, Clifford, and more...) it is just nice to see that the RF Gods mess with the OEMs as much as us.

The desciption of how your head acts as a radiator is pretty close to true and it works with all our systems as well.

What normally happens in our world is:

1. There will be interfence (military bases, TV towers, etc) that although not right on frequecy with your RF will generate harmonics strong enough to jam your receiver. This reduces the range because until you get closer (your signal gets stronger) than the interfence, you cannot get through.

2. The radiation pattern of the key fob itself is hard to manage and is affected by what you are carrying, how you hold the key, etc.

3. The antenna in the car will not be perfectly isotropic and the signal is blocked by metal so it is quite normal to have better range from certain parts of the car.

4. Most often the cause of reduced range consistently is low battery in the key fob (People think they last forever ). BMW appears to solve this by charging the battery from the coil at the key switch. (Anyone have a tech brief on this - personal interest).

In any case, RF range is a tough thing to predict and guarantee. I would be very interested in any concrete solution that you guys confirm fixes the problem. From the post above mine, it does not appear that overhaul of all the major components did much good......

12V GUY