New Fob for +$500 or what else could I try ?

[stormgrey11]

As I was trying to leave from work, I noticed that my remote would not unlock the door from my usual 100 ft range .

I thought that it would not work at all but it finally did, standing right next to the door.
I also get the dreaded no remote present error trying to start but, no worries, holding the key to the steering column does start the car.

I never got the remote battery exhausted error, but nevertheless, I figured a new CR 2032 would do the trick.

Man, was I wrong, I tried a couple and no change. I checked the voltage and they were around 3.0 volt. These came from on of the 6 packs from Amazon.

So, just in case, I went and purchased a Duracell. It showed 3.3 volt and I though, well, maybe this is it !

No, no change !!

Could it be the 12 volt battery ? Afterall, it was 3.5 ears old and it was due for a preemptive change anyway.

So I ordered a replacement battery from Remy and installed it and registered it today,
Wouldn't you know it, no change ?

So, what could it be ? I only have one fob so I can't really be sure but I would really not spend the $ 500 plus for a new fob.

So, here it stands, new battery in FOB, new 12v battery.

FOB locks and unlocks the door when standing right next to the drivers door.
Dashboard shows message no remote present when I have the key in my pocket but it starts holding up to steering column.

Any ideas ?

 

[kd7iwp]

I just bought a second fob and it was $969 Canadian (about $670 USD). Disgusting isn’t it.

 

[EvanstonI3]

Take the fob battery out.
Wipe both sides a few times with a damp cloth.
Dry it.
Reinstall and see if that helps.
Many of these coin size batteries now come with a bitter coating so that hopefully kids don’t swallow them. If there is a coating, it could be interfering. It is water soluble so comes off easily.

 

[eNate]

That's odd because there is no NFC reader I'm aware of that would passively detect the key and allow a door unlock, that's only in the steering column for start up. So I suspect the key is still receiving and transmitting, although it could be putting out a weak signal. Does the panic alarm work at a similar close range but not from a distance? Without a second key I don't know if there's a way to test and eliminate the car's CAS as being the culprit, not the key.

 

[The-Traveler]

Guys these fobs are $40 on aliexpress with 1 week shipping. Looks and feels identical I just haven’t coded it yet.

 

[kd7iwp]

Good luck. If you are able to code it and are willing to share how, I’m all ears. Do you have comfort access?

 

[tob1as]

Good luck. If you are able to code it and are willing to share how, I’m all ears. Do you have comfort access?

… grabs popcorn

 

[macdaddybighorn]

Guys these fobs are $40 on aliexpress with 1 week shipping. Looks and feels identical I just haven’t coded it yet.

That's because you can't code it, it needs to be coded to the VIN by the dealer. Then you need to activate it with your steering column. Activating it is easy, but there is no information or tools out there to code it, not even the automotive locksmiths were able to do it for me. Those fobs are only good for replacing your buttons.

That said I hope someone can prove me wrong, but I've dug around quite a bit for this info.

 

[Madelvic99]

Take the fob battery out.
Wipe both sides a few times with a damp cloth.
Dry it.
Reinstall and see if that helps.
Many of these coin size batteries now come with a bitter coating so that hopefully kids don’t swallow them. If there is a coating, it could be interfering. It is water soluble so comes off easily.

Agreed. I sand the positive connection on Duracells. Known problem with Apple AirTags - the anti kid coating stops them working

 

[Madelvic99]

Agreed. I sand the positive connection on Duracells. Known problem with Apple AirTags - the anti kid coating stops them working

 

[Whereitis]

That's because you can't code it, it needs to be coded to the VIN by the dealer. Then you need to activate it with your steering column. Activating it is easy, but there is no information or tools out there to code it, not even the automotive locksmiths were able to do it for me. Those fobs are only good for replacing your buttons.

That said I hope someone can prove me wrong, but I've dug around quite a bit for this info.

This really pisses me off. You should be able to buy a $40 fob and make it work, but they have some software that prevents it. I "got a deal" on the one I bought from the (used car) dealer I bought my i3 from. They only got me for $400, then I had to provide my license and registration to prove it was actually my car, then wait weeks for the factory to send the fob to the dealer, who then shipped it to me (to save me a drive back to the dealer to pick it up). All because my i3 only had one fob when I bought it and I wanted a spare. I predict a class action suit will one day put an end to the practice, but most likely not in my lifetime.

 

[tob1as]

Or you can look at it this way: it’s exceedingly hard to ever steal an i3 - pretty good insurance … I personally struggle more with cost of wear and tear items on the car. Like tires and windshields, and finding competent mechanics to work on it in the US.

 

[kd7iwp]

This really pisses me off. You should be able to buy a $40 fob and make it work, but they have some software that prevents it. I "got a deal" on the one I bought from the (used car) dealer I bought my i3 from. They only got me for $400, then I had to provide my license and registration to prove it was actually my car, then wait weeks for the factory to send the fob to the dealer, who then shipped it to me (to save me a drive back to the dealer to pick it up). All because my i3 only had one fob when I bought it and I wanted a spare. I predict a class action suit will one day put an end to the practice, but most likely not in my lifetime.

Still a lot less than I paid! It was $700 USD for my replacement fob at my local dealership.

 

[Whereitis]

My used dealer was great. He gave it to me at his cost. But it's still way overpriced compared to what it costs BMW to make them. They're a massive profit center for all the carmakers.

 

[eNate]

I don't know if it's really a profit center in that there probably aren't a whole lot of owners buying spare keys, I doubt even with the exaggerated pricing BMW is making any significant revenues here.

I mean yeah on a per-key basis, sure the're grabbing a fat wad – I'm not arguing the price is justified! But like tob1as I'm happy my i3 isn't as "available" to the general theiving thief as, say, a Kia. I don't think BMW is squirreling away untold riches with their spare key side hustle.

 

[Whereitis]

It's not just BMW. All the carmakers are charging obscene prices for these keyfobs. Every one of them is at least a few hundred, even for basic car models. BMW is just especially egregious because theirs is an "upscale" product. Back in the day, a key was $10, an early chip-key might have been $20, and a separate remote (just for door locking/unlocking) another $20. The high-end multi-function remotes were maybe $35. Then they decided to get rid of the physical keylock (which saved them money) and now (since you can no longer just go to a locksmith to replace a key), they can get away with $300-500 for one of these stupid things. It's total ********, and they might not sell a lot of them because they come with the car, but they laugh their ***** off with every one they do sell.

 

[Mondomensch]

I treat it as another one of those secret expenses of living in the BMW ecosystem. Sort of like on my X3 where if you don’t use the BMW brand washer fluid concentrate, because of the washer system design it grows stuff in the tank and clogs the pump, requiring expensive pump replacement.

Not fun, but I prefer it to big things like engine/battery failure ( although maybe that’s a false choice).

 

[Stevick]

$642.58 with tax at my dealer. It seems the BMW model is to gouge owners after the sale, in every way possible.

 

[turns2stone]

I treat it as another one of those secret expenses of living in the BMW ecosystem. Sort of like on my X3 where if you don’t use the BMW brand washer fluid concentrate, because of the washer system design it grows stuff in the tank and clogs the pump, requiring expensive pump replacement.

This is not FUD, it literally happened to my G01 X3!

 

[alohart]

This really pisses me off. You should be able to buy a $40 fob and make it work, but they have some software that prevents it. I "got a deal" on the one I bought from the (used car) dealer I bought my i3 from. They only got me for $400, then I had to provide my license and registration to prove it was actually my car, then wait weeks for the factory to send the fob to the dealer, who then shipped it to me (to save me a drive back to the dealer to pick it up). All because my i3 only had one fob when I bought it and I wanted a spare. I predict a class action suit will one day put an end to the practice, but most likely not in my lifetime.

To me, the high cost of an i3 fob is worth the security that leads to this cost. A human must process a fob purchase request and verify one's driver license and registration which take time ($$). Each i3 is limited to a fixed number of fobs during its lifetime, so someone must update a database to reduce one of the available fobs. The new fob must be programmed to the i3's VIN, probably also by a human, and then packed and shipped by a human. So there's a considerable labor cost associated with buying a fob.

I predict that any class action suit would fail when BMW explains the cost of security.