Crazy Door Locks?
11-29-2010, 11:01 AM
#1
Hello All,
2006 530xi Touring with Comfort access, about 73k miles. New battery about 5 months ago.
The door locks normally auto lock at about 10mph as they are set-up to do. I unlock with the dash button after turning off the ignition.
Lately the door locks are all operating on thier own very sporatically. Just started a few days ago. I was driving around 20-30 and they unlocked, then relocked after a several seconds. It happened again a few times at various speeds and conditions over the next couple of days. No real method to the madness that I can figure out.
A couple of other times they have cycled lock > unlock while I am walking to get into the car in the garage or after just getting out of the car. Sometimes the key is in my pants pocket, but usually when driving I put it in the driver door pocket. I really don't think I am accidentially pushing any buttons on the remote to make this happen.
This is happening with the ignition on and off it seems. Not sure about times that I am not around or if this is happening when the car is locked with the alarm on and unattended. The lock button on the dash always functions when pushed and both remotes operate the locks as good as ever (which is not as good as I would like, but acceptible, the comfort access has always been finicky and the seat memory has a real mind of it's own).
At the moment this is just worrysome, but obviously this could be a real issue. No error messages in I-drive, yet.
My wife and kids have all seen it happening, so it's not just me.
Anyone else had this happen?
2006 530xi Touring with Comfort access, about 73k miles. New battery about 5 months ago.
The door locks normally auto lock at about 10mph as they are set-up to do. I unlock with the dash button after turning off the ignition.
Lately the door locks are all operating on thier own very sporatically. Just started a few days ago. I was driving around 20-30 and they unlocked, then relocked after a several seconds. It happened again a few times at various speeds and conditions over the next couple of days. No real method to the madness that I can figure out.
A couple of other times they have cycled lock > unlock while I am walking to get into the car in the garage or after just getting out of the car. Sometimes the key is in my pants pocket, but usually when driving I put it in the driver door pocket. I really don't think I am accidentially pushing any buttons on the remote to make this happen.
This is happening with the ignition on and off it seems. Not sure about times that I am not around or if this is happening when the car is locked with the alarm on and unattended. The lock button on the dash always functions when pushed and both remotes operate the locks as good as ever (which is not as good as I would like, but acceptible, the comfort access has always been finicky and the seat memory has a real mind of it's own).
At the moment this is just worrysome, but obviously this could be a real issue. No error messages in I-drive, yet.
My wife and kids have all seen it happening, so it's not just me.
Anyone else had this happen?
11-29-2010, 12:16 PM
#2
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My Ride: 2007 530xiT: CPO purchase in 2008, used by a BMW exec previously, and like-new when I got it. Compared to my other cars, at first I thought it felt heavy and steering was too heavy. Now, I really enjoy driving it in town and on the freeway. On my
I don't have this problem but I don't have comfort access either. But how about this:
1) does the problem occur with one specific remote? if so, that remote may be defective
2) if not, comfort access module is defective, since you say it's already finicky
1) does the problem occur with one specific remote? if so, that remote may be defective
2) if not, comfort access module is defective, since you say it's already finicky
05-24-2011, 10:54 PM
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My Ride: 2010 535 xi - M Sport Pkg & other goodies
Hey, did you ever get it figured out? I'm thinking it must be related to comfort access, as we just got ours, and its comfort access has been acting funny. Only 50% of the time I'd say the doors work, and occasionally, when in the car, it even says the key is not there, so it refuses to start unless I put it into the slot. I'm going to take it in and see what they say. I've already replaced the batteries in the fobs and it didn't help one bit.
And then today my wife went and opened the front passenger car door (fob was in her purse), and she puts her purse down on the car seat, and closes the door, to go around to the back of the car to put something in the trunk. And the car locked itself! With her purse inside! Two things that shock me are that 1) it just locked itself after she had opened the door (I know they'll lock if you unlock them but don't open the door) and 2) it should know that there's a key inside and none outside!
Same thing happened a second time, though this time, she had the key in her pocket. She unlocked the driver's door, opened it, closed it, and then it auto locked.
I wonder if this is all related to the comfort access gremlins...
And then today my wife went and opened the front passenger car door (fob was in her purse), and she puts her purse down on the car seat, and closes the door, to go around to the back of the car to put something in the trunk. And the car locked itself! With her purse inside! Two things that shock me are that 1) it just locked itself after she had opened the door (I know they'll lock if you unlock them but don't open the door) and 2) it should know that there's a key inside and none outside!
Same thing happened a second time, though this time, she had the key in her pocket. She unlocked the driver's door, opened it, closed it, and then it auto locked.
I wonder if this is all related to the comfort access gremlins...
05-25-2011, 07:45 AM
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The OP had only 5 posts to his profile - maybe he/she disappeared?
That said, something similar happened to my 07 w/CA and it turned out to be a car battery issue; After my battery was replaced (the FIRST time) the problem never resurfaced. I have, however, caused car to unlock or trunk to open because the CA Fob was in my pocket and a button was pushed - even though I have a leather cover on my FOBs. Other (just a few) forum posters have reported CA door modules needed to be replaced.
That said, something similar happened to my 07 w/CA and it turned out to be a car battery issue; After my battery was replaced (the FIRST time) the problem never resurfaced. I have, however, caused car to unlock or trunk to open because the CA Fob was in my pocket and a button was pushed - even though I have a leather cover on my FOBs. Other (just a few) forum posters have reported CA door modules needed to be replaced.
05-25-2011, 04:22 PM
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My Ride: 2010 535 xi - M Sport Pkg & other goodies
Ooh! You may be onto something! This morning, when I first started the car, I got the "car on a lift" symbol in the instrument cluster, along with a message on the iDrive screen something along the lines of "High battery load" or something like that. I checked and saw none of the interior lights were on, so that's odd.
Why would the car battery, which otherwise hasn't shown any signs of being bad, affect the locks?
The car's a used 2010 MY I picked up last weekend, and was built in July 2009, so it's a few months shy of two years old. I wouldn't think its battery would be dead yet?
Before buying it, I recall someone suggested to make sure a battery log exists for the car, or to check it, or something. Is this something you can shed more light on for me, and could it help me out in diagnosing battery issues, or it's a trip to the dealer for this so they can test out the car battery under load or whatever?
Why would the car battery, which otherwise hasn't shown any signs of being bad, affect the locks?
The car's a used 2010 MY I picked up last weekend, and was built in July 2009, so it's a few months shy of two years old. I wouldn't think its battery would be dead yet?
Before buying it, I recall someone suggested to make sure a battery log exists for the car, or to check it, or something. Is this something you can shed more light on for me, and could it help me out in diagnosing battery issues, or it's a trip to the dealer for this so they can test out the car battery under load or whatever?
06-08-2011, 09:44 PM
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Battery Log likely refers to the requirement from BMW for all BMW dealership to charge batteries on new and CPO cars while they sit on the lot. I believe they're required to charge the batteries at least once every week or two weeks to ensure they never die. Once a lead acid battery has drained completely once, it affects their ability to hold a charge from that point forward. If your CPO'd car was allowed to have the battery die during its stay at the dealership, your battery's strength is now suspect.
It's not the like the old days anymore when a used car sales man rushes out to boost the car when you want to test drive it. Modern cars have such high amperage requirements on batteries even when parked, that they are now very sensitive to weak batteries.
BMW's prescribed procedure for battery problems is to run through a full diagnostics and drain test before replacing the battery with a new one. I suspect it is related to higher incidences of battery replacements by the dealerships in response to customer problems. What's easier, tracking down a high amp draw or swapping out a battery?
If you can't isolate your issue to one key or the other, it's like your battery in the car. However, it's problems might be caused by a component not sleeping properly after you've shut off the car. Regardless, you should go back to the dealership to get this resolved.
And by the way, welcome to BMW ownership. These quirks are pretty normal.
It's not the like the old days anymore when a used car sales man rushes out to boost the car when you want to test drive it. Modern cars have such high amperage requirements on batteries even when parked, that they are now very sensitive to weak batteries.
BMW's prescribed procedure for battery problems is to run through a full diagnostics and drain test before replacing the battery with a new one. I suspect it is related to higher incidences of battery replacements by the dealerships in response to customer problems. What's easier, tracking down a high amp draw or swapping out a battery?
If you can't isolate your issue to one key or the other, it's like your battery in the car. However, it's problems might be caused by a component not sleeping properly after you've shut off the car. Regardless, you should go back to the dealership to get this resolved.
And by the way, welcome to BMW ownership. These quirks are pretty normal.
06-08-2011, 09:54 PM
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My Ride: 2010 535 xi - M Sport Pkg & other goodies
Thanks, the car may have sat at the used lot for 4 to 6 weeks, during which I don't know if they would have charged it. It was an Audi dealership, so hopefully they have high standards. I haven't had any problems starting the car in the few weeks we've owned it.
I went to the dealer a couple of weeks ago, and they did say that they suspect two of the door handles are faulty and not causing the system to sleep or something like that (as I once got a high battery load warning in the morning starting the car). So they're waiting for parts to come in from Germany to test that theory out. But I've also gotten often a message that the key is not found, and I can't start the car, unless I press the Start button 5 times in a row, until it eventually works. So I don't see how the door handles would cause that. I'd think it's the Comfort Access module or antenna or something.
I told them I'd heard the battery might be the fault, based on some posts I'd read, but I don't know if they ran a test on it.
I went to the dealer a couple of weeks ago, and they did say that they suspect two of the door handles are faulty and not causing the system to sleep or something like that (as I once got a high battery load warning in the morning starting the car). So they're waiting for parts to come in from Germany to test that theory out. But I've also gotten often a message that the key is not found, and I can't start the car, unless I press the Start button 5 times in a row, until it eventually works. So I don't see how the door handles would cause that. I'd think it's the Comfort Access module or antenna or something.
I told them I'd heard the battery might be the fault, based on some posts I'd read, but I don't know if they ran a test on it.
06-09-2011, 09:23 PM
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The problems you're after with Comfort Access are not that different from a bunch of complaints heard before. Indeed, I've had those problems on my e61. I have not been successful at tracking down the root cause. Plus, I cannot replicate the issue consistently enough for the dealership to have the issue addressed. My theory is a weak sensor for Comfort Access. I will experience issues such as seeing the "Key Missing" icon when I shut down my car after a drive (the car is designed to continue running even if you toss your key out the window on the freeway). Or, I'll use the car after work and the Comfort Access will refuse to respond.
Here's why I think it's a sensor range or weakness issue. If I take the key (doesn't matter which one) out of my pocket and wave it closer to the steering column, it will pick up the key. Ditto with the front door handle. Sadly, the issue never replicates when I'm at the dealership so I'm out of luck for getting it fixed. The service guy always writes the same thing on the work order each time: could not replicate issue. no problems found.
I use to complain when they called to survey my service experience. Now, they don't call anymore. I suspect they've slotted me into the "do not call" list so as not to ruin their standing with BMW ratings anymore. Sigh.
Ironically, I have a Mazda 3 hatchback with keyless entry and it has never failed once. We're talking an entry-level hatchback here. In summary, BMW's Comfort Access is a gigantic FAIL.
Here's why I think it's a sensor range or weakness issue. If I take the key (doesn't matter which one) out of my pocket and wave it closer to the steering column, it will pick up the key. Ditto with the front door handle. Sadly, the issue never replicates when I'm at the dealership so I'm out of luck for getting it fixed. The service guy always writes the same thing on the work order each time: could not replicate issue. no problems found.
I use to complain when they called to survey my service experience. Now, they don't call anymore. I suspect they've slotted me into the "do not call" list so as not to ruin their standing with BMW ratings anymore. Sigh.
Ironically, I have a Mazda 3 hatchback with keyless entry and it has never failed once. We're talking an entry-level hatchback here. In summary, BMW's Comfort Access is a gigantic FAIL.
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