Key fob won't open or start car

[Reynold]

Hi,

I have a 2015 BEV and have had almost no problems for 4.5 years. Today I went to use the car and the fob would not unlock to the door. Grabbing the handle would also not unlock the door. I was able to open the door from BMW app on my phone. However I could not start the car, and I got the message "Remote control: Engine will not start". I press the start button again and this time I got "Hold remote control to steering column". Once I did this I could start and drive the car. However, once I got to my destination and turned the car off, I could not lock the car by touching the handle or with the button on the fob. I was able to lock the car from my phone.

I thought maybe the battery the fob was dead, so I replace it. This did not help, the car behaved the same way.

Maybe the fob was dead, I got my spare fob, almost never used, and this also behaved the exact same way.

It looks like the car is not "receiving" and signals from the fob, neither the buttons being pressed nor the proximity signal. It's strange though, it does "sense" the fob when placed against the steering column.

Has anybody seen this behavior before?

Any ideas on things to try?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[eNate]

That is weird.

There are a number of antennas to detect your FOB, and whether it's outside the driver door, inside, at the hatch, etc, so this sounds like a bigger picture problem. That's the "active" system that requires battery power in the FOB to respond to prompts from the car.

The steering column sensor is a backup that uses a passive RFID system that doesn't require battery in the FOB. That's why it requires close range.

With a fresh battery, I'm surprised the FOB buttons aren't working to lock/unlock. I would expect that to be a receiver different from the "keyless" antennas, but I guess everything is integrated now.

Have you checked fuses?

 

[Reynold]

eNate,

Thanks for the the ideas. What you are saying about the many antennas is very interesting, didn't think about that.

I have not checked the fuses. Would there be one fuse for just the fob receiver unit? I will check and report back.

Thanks.

 

[TOEd]

Battery in my fob died. So nothing worked except could still place fob against column to drive it. Wife's fob also quit working at same time. Replaced both batteries. Still nothing. Got battery tester out to check. Turned out all batteries were dead. Bought new batteries at dollar store. Solved our problem.

 

[eNate]

^^ That's actually a highly likely scenario the OP is facing. If the 2nd FOB never gets used then it could be dead for a long time and never get noticed.

That recently happened with the car I sold after getting the i3. My wife's FOB lived in her purse and she rarely drove my car, so when I collected it from her for the sale, I shouldn't have been surprised to find it not working.

And I've definitely picked up bad button cell batteries from the corner store.

That seems like a more likely combination of events than the car's fuse blowing for no apparent reason, or a module that went kaput, and giving you the problems you're having.

 

[rtanov]

I'm embarrassed to admit this but when I replaced the keyfob battery I forgot to peel off the protective film from the battery... was wondering why the new battery won't work

 

[Reynold]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your help. You were both on right path, it was a battery problem. The new battery I put in my main fob must have been dead. The battery in my spare fob was the one that came with the car (4+ years), never been used, but I guess they just die after a while. I finally put another battery in my main fob and it worked. I guess three dead batteries in a row is unlikely, but not impossible.

The weird thing to me is that I had replaced the battery in my main fob this summer, after receiving a warning that the battery was getting low. This time no such warning was seen. I suspect I put the battery in my pocket in a way that must have just held the button down, so it drain out all in one go.

I did check the fuses, but they were fine as predicted.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Joff]

I have had a similar intermittent problem with one of my key fobs. The battery is good, but doesn't always connect well enough. Opening it up, it seems impossible that the contacts are not perfectly connected to the battery. A little squeeze on the case over the battery does the trick when it acts up.

 

[MarkH]

Interesting. I had the identical symptoms.
Main FOB wouldn't unlock car or let me drive it.
Spare FOB - same thing.
Replaced batteries in both FOB's using unused batteries purchased a year ago from a dollar shop.
Same result. - The batteries tested a 3V+
Bought new Eveready lithium batteries and installed.
Both FOB's now working.

 

[BrianHansen]

This post saved me from a sleepless night..

I had the exact same problem, and went through 4 batteries and switching around in 2 key fobs for a total of 7 times before I went and bought some new batteries..

Thank you so much for the help..
I have leard that you need good batteries for a good car..

 

[Bimmerbruhtheone]

Hi all, i am having a similar issue with my 2014 bmw i3. I bought it with one fob that seemed broken but it still started the vehicle only when touching the steering column at a specific right place. I only get the "hold remote to steeeing column" prompt when pressing start. No functions on the fob work. When i went to have a new fob programed, the tech told me there was an issue with a car and so the second fob had the same use as the original, only barely starting the car. Just wondering if this is a receiver/module issue , 12b battery issue, or some kind of antenna issue. Both fobs have been tried again and again with new batteries, they both transmit a signal but nothing is being teceived by the vehicle. I also checked the relevant fuses and they all seemed fine. Hoping this isnt a super expensive fix and if there is anything i can do because i already spent a lot for the new fob and diagnostic mechanic fees. Anyone with any knowledge on these issues please reply or contact me i would greatly appreciate it!!!

 

[rkonuch]

Hi all, i am having a similar issue with my 2014 bmw i3. I bought it with one fob that seemed broken but it still started the vehicle only when touching the steering column at a specific right place. I only get the "hold remote to steeeing column" prompt when pressing start. No functions on the fob work. When i went to have a new fob programed, the tech told me there was an issue with a car and so the second fob had the same use as the original, only barely starting the car. Just wondering if this is a receiver/module issue , 12b battery issue, or some kind of antenna issue. Both fobs have been tried again and again with new batteries, they both transmit a signal but nothing is being teceived by the vehicle. I also checked the relevant fuses and they all seemed fine. Hoping this isnt a super expensive fix and if there is anything i can do because i already spent a lot for the new fob and diagnostic mechanic fees. Anyone with any knowledge on these issues please reply or contact me i would greatly appreciate it!!!

Did you ever find a solution to this problem? I’m having the exact same issue.

 

[Skye2002]

I have read all the messages on this topic. Do like I do... change the fob battery once a year. Choose a date that means something to you so it becomes second nature. Solves the problem before it happens. Also, use quality batteries, definitely not 'no name' brands from a Dollar shop. Button / cell batteries do have a limited shelf life, and quality brands do have a strong advantage over cheapies. Here in Australia, it is also recommended we change our smoke alarms batteries once a year (and the advertising says April Fool's Day).
Just a final thought... also make sure the battery is the correct one. For example, a CR2032 is thicker than a CR2025. A thinner, incorrect battery will not make a connection with the fob's contacts.

 

[louisgrenier]

You can't just put a brand-new battery in a fob like you would do with a AA battery. The new CR2032 batteries are now coated with some stuff that tastes horrible. This is to prevent children from swallowing them . It does a lot of damage to their stomachs. But this coating, on some brands, prevents a good electrical contact. So you have to rub them with something abrasive to remove the coating. On the package, it is written Child resistant when it is just the package that is child resistant. When there is a coating, it is marked as Child bitter coating. Some FOB have a better contact than others. Like an Apple Airtag, you do have to clean the coating. I did put a lot of them in the garbage before understanding this issue

 

[robthebold]

I haven't had any problems with brand new batteries (well, cells, technically) sold as: "Now with bitter taste!" I put them in as usual with no issues. and I haven't seen anything written on the packaging -- at least not in text big enough for me to read -- about the need to prepare them prior to use.

And they do taste really bad -- it would have been rude not to try . . .

 

[Samlic]

I had this problem after parking my i3 without locking it for a month.

It won’t respond remotely with the buttons on the key fob.

I need to Hold the fob to the steering column to start and drive.

Uses phone apps to lock and unlock.

Also noticed the tyre pressure monitor is not displaying any numbers.

Everything else works fine.

Final fix: disconnect 12 VB for 5 minutes and reconnect.

 

[evanstuff]

My i3 keeps warning me that my fob battery is “EXHAUSTED”, even after I replace it, but it keeps working. I’ll buy some fresh CR2032 batteries.

 

[Skye2002]

I had this problem after parking my i3 without locking it for a month.

It won’t respond remotely with the buttons on the key fob.

I need to Hold the fob to the steering column to start and drive.

Uses phone apps to lock and unlock.

Also noticed the tyre pressure monitor is not displaying any numbers.

Everything else works fine.

Final fix: disconnect 12 VB for 5 minutes and reconnect.

My understanding is that if you fail to lock your car, the car and key fob keep "looking" for each other, hence your flat fob battery. It could have been worse... a friend of mine has a brand new Subaru Forester and whilst parked in her locked garage, didn't lock the car. The result was a flat 12v battery overnight. She was not happy .

 

[John O'Malvern]

My i3 keeps warning me that my fob battery is “EXHAUSTED”, even after I replace it, but it keeps working. I’ll buy some fresh CR2032 batteries.

I [and others] believe the i3 is very fussy about the quality of the battery/cell. I only use Duracell ones. (I won't buy Duracell AA or AAA etc, but that's another [very leaky] story.

 

[EvanstonI3]

My understanding is that if you fail to lock your car, the car and key fob keep "looking" for each other, hence your flat fob battery. It could have been worse... a friend of mine has a brand new Subaru Forester and whilst parked in her locked garage, didn't lock the car. The result was a flat 12v battery overnight. She was not happy .

We never lock the car in the garage and we are now going on 3+ years from the FOB battery and no issues with the 12v.