Parts For Sale 2x Key FOBs for sale (left from my totaled 2018 BMW i3)

[smaster553]

Hit me up if anyone is interested in them. I am not sure what to charge for them (LOL)

 

[alohart]

The only real value for these key fobs would be if another i3 or i8 owner needed to swap some damaged parts; the fobs themselves can't be made to work with any other i3 or i8.

I have read a few claims that with some really specialized equipment, fobs could be made to work with a different car. However, I've not read about any i3 or i8 owner who has successfully used fobs from a different car.

 

[bmwnomad]

Christmas ornaments, paperweights, door stops, skipping stones, put one under the leg of a wobbly table, the list goes on and on…

 

[mojo]

In fairness, some people do give their key fobs a really hard time, and I'm pretty sure that the plastics used on an original key are better than those used in the cheap Chinese-made "key fob case and blade" replacements you can buy on Ebay. You could probably use parts from these to refresh worn bits on heavily used keys?

 

[FoolOnTheHill]

Damn shame BMW is so draconian about their keys. I need a backup key (bought used, only came with one), but this will not work for me. Also, Bimmertech is no longer able to do keys for people, which means dealer only. Ridiculous.

 

[Mondomensch]

bought used, only came with one

Yes, the cost of getting a second is an unwelcome surprise to those of us new to BMWs.

 

[alohart]

Yes, the cost of getting a second is an unwelcome surprise to those of us new to BMWs.

There are some on-line BMW dealers that sell fobs for somewhat less than what they would cost at a dealership. Proof of ownership must be demonstrated and the final step of pairing a new fob with one's i3 must be performed which isn't difficult, apparently.y

 

[Whereitis]

I just ordered a 2nd fob and the used car dealer I bought the car from got it for me from the BMW dealership at their cost, which is 20% off (and it was really nice of them to do that for me) but still over $400. He said they had to order it from the factory (after verifying my lic and reg) and have it coded and shipped (so the key would fit my doors I suppose) and therefore if I'd bought one privately, it wouldn't have fit my car. This is just a disgusting way for BMW to ding us all for triple the actual value of one of these things just because it's a BMW. Ooh, fancy car, gotta pay more for a key.

 

[kd7iwp]

When I bought my 2009 535xi wagon it only came with one key. BMW wanted $710 CAD for a second fob (comfort access) which was out of the question. Fortunately a guy locally on Craigslist had a key programmer and I paid him $150 for a fob and he programmed it, then $50 to a local locksmith to have them cut the key blade.

 

[alohart]

When I bought my 2009 535xi wagon it only came with one key. BMW wanted $710 CAD for a second fob (comfort access) which was out of the question. Fortunately a guy locally on Craigslist had a key programmer and I paid him $150 for a fob and he programmed it, then $50 to a local locksmith to have them cut the key blade.

I wonder whether that's still possible. Car manufacturers have been increasing the security of their keyless entry systems, so maybe BMW is now the only source of fobs.

 

[mfogarty]

I've seen some CCTV videos of scumbags wandering around the front of properties using what's called a 'relay technique' getting the signal from the key fob in the house.

Is the i3 susceptible to this kind of snooping or is it only those that have Comfort Access? Think I'll be putting it in a piece of tin foil in the future!

 

[JamesInLondon]

I've seen some CCTV videos of scumbags wandering around the front of properties using what's called a 'relay technique' getting the signal from the key fob in the house.

Is the i3 susceptible to this kind of snooping or is it only those that have Comfort Access? Think I'll be putting it in a piece of tin foil in the future!

We have a metal box in a cupboard by the front door and all keys are dropped into it once we enter the house.

Although my understanding is that car thieves focus on two groups of vehicles; expensive ones - e.g. Range Rovers, Mercedes G and S class for which they already have orders, and popular ones like Toyota, Honda, Kia which are stripped and the used parts sold into a thriving black market. I don't think that the i3 fits into either of those groups, and - it's worth remembering that thieves are in it for the money they get - if nobody wants to buy the stuff they steal, then it's not worth stealing it.

 

[mojo]

Is the i3 susceptible to this kind of snooping or is it only those that have Comfort Access?

As I understand it (and as discussed on other i3-specific forums) it is not. If you don't have Comfort Access, the key only transmits when you press a button. Otherwise it's silent, and there is nothing to "relay" to the car.

And, as said - it doesn't seem at all popular car with thieves. That may vary by location, but in the UK it doesn't appear anywhere on the "most stolen" statistics.

 

[Mondomensch]

I think I remember reading that the BMW fob comfort access transmission is motion-activated, so fobs sitting somewhere shouldn’t be susceptible. Fobs in a pocket, though,…

 

[mojo]

I think I remember reading that the BMW fob comfort access transmission is motion-activated

But apparently motion-sensing was only added later in production. Some time in 2019? Not a feature that's present on my car, and I don't regret that. I've never found it too taxing to press a button on the remote!