Comfort access FOB battery

[Jeff_DML]

One of my FOB has stopped working, cannot lock the car anymore and needed to insert it in the slot to start it. Car is only a year old so kind of surprised the battery is dead.

Anyways I popped it open and saw replaceable battery. I called up my local dealer to see if they could replace it and they told me it is rechargeable and I just need to put it in the slot. Told him I had comfort access and he again he told me it is rechargeable. To me it looks like a standard replaceable battery that I assume does not charge. So what is up?

thanks
jeff

[Poppin Fresh]

It charges indirectly in the slot or so am told. I always cycle my key fobs and insert it every now and then into the slot to avoid something like this from happening. Bring both sets of keys and take a long drive with the dead key fobs plugged and see how it goes from there. Good luck and keep us updated.

[McLuVan]

it doesn't charge

[TTBear]

+1. Comfort access keys do not have the inductive coupling recharging feature - you have to buy a new battery.

I'm surprised your service advisor didn't know this.

[schnell325]

Odd....I thought I read in the manual to place the key in the dash on long trips to charge it.

[Trier Germany]

What's the life expectancy of the batteries? And can you buy them anywhere or does BMW have monopoly on FOB batteries?

[Jeff_DML]

yeah I was kind of surprised, think he has the opposite problem, probably most people do not have comfort access and come in complaining about the dead battery.


looks like a standard battery you can buy anywhere

[seej333]

Yep you can buy these batteries anywhere for a couple bucks! I've replaced mine too.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

I called up my local dealer to see if they could replace it and they told me it is rechargeable and I just need to put it in the slot. Told him I had comfort access and he again he told me it is rechargeable. To me it looks like a standard replaceable battery that I assume does not charge. So what is up?

Probably the single most common misconception about E9x BMWs.

Comfort access key fob doesn't have a rechargeable battery; non-comroft access fob does.

Odd....I thought I read in the manual to place the key in the dash on long trips to charge it.

That's part of the problem. The manual does say this, but elsewhere clarifies that this is only for non-CA cars.

[1badtantrum]

Was certainly thinking it was rechargeable as I have been told that it was. According to the owners manual:
"Each remote control contains a rechargeable battery that is automatically recharged when it is in the ignition lock while the car is being driven. Use each remote control at least twice a year for longer road trips in order to maintain the batteries' charge staus. In cars with convenient access* the remote control contains a replaceable battery, replace battery + side up...

all that said, I was told the battery in my FOB was rechargeable. I was getting the low battery indicator and put the FOB in the ignition lock and the low battery warning indicator hasn't come back.....

[Poppin Fresh]

Originally Posted by McLuVan

it doesn't charge

God dammit! I thought I read it in the manual...I gotta lay off the drugs!

[MysticBlue]

Originally Posted by Jeff_DML

One of my FOB has stopped working, cannot lock the car anymore and needed to insert it in the slot to start it. Car is only a year old so kind of surprised the battery is dead.

Anyways I popped it open and saw replaceable battery. I called up my local dealer to see if they could replace it and they told me it is rechargeable and I just need to put it in the slot. Told him I had comfort access and he again he told me it is rechargeable. To me it looks like a standard replaceable battery that I assume does not charge. So what is up?

thanks
jeff

Never ceases to amaze me how uninformed dealers can be about their own product.
This isn't complicated. It's a battery. It's not rechargeable. They don't normally last more than a year, sometimes less. You can get them for a couple bucks at any store. Battery type 2032. Buy three, and throw an extra one in the glove box. Don't know why there is so much confusion about this. Well, I guess misinformation spread by uninformed dealers doesn't help.

[max08e90]

Originally Posted by Poppin Fresh

God dammit! I thought I read it in the manual...I gotta lay off the drugs!

[Jeff_DML]

well for me it ended up not being the battery, I just stopped by during lunch and had to leave before they figured out the issue

[M3luvr]

After I had my new car for a month, the key fob started to have problems. They changed the battery and still gave me problems. Turned out the comfort access module needed to be replaced altogether.

[JIO]

Now let's suppose you have 2 M3's, one with CA and one without. So if I drive the M3 with CA, can I bring along the fob from the other, non-CA M3 and plug it into the slot and recharge the battery without driving the non-CA M3.

This keeps me up at night..."What if....?"

[MysticBlue]

Originally Posted by JIO

Now let's suppose you have 2 M3's, one with CA and one without. So if I drive the M3 with CA, can I bring along the fob from the other, non-CA M3 and plug it into the slot and recharge the battery without driving the non-CA M3.

This keeps me up at night..."What if....?"

Oh man! There was always one in every class I was ever in. That guy that just couldn't help himself... What if....? You're that guy!
That's ok, somebody has to do it.

[gemurdock]

I had the dealer replace mine under warranty. And, no, they didn't know that the Comfort Access key had a replaceable battery.

[han405]

What Kind Of Sa Is That?!?
Has That Person Seen Any Of The Bmw Key Fobs Before?!?
It's A Typical Case Of Lacking Of Basic Analytical Thinking.

Simply Ask, I Wonder How The Key Fobs Could Be Charged, Since There Aren't Any "charging" Contact Terminals On It..
What A Joke...

[TTBear]

Originally Posted by han405

What Kind Of Sa Is That?!?
Has That Person Seen Any Of The Bmw Key Fobs Before?!?
It's A Typical Case Of Lacking Of Basic Analytical Thinking.

Simply Ask, I Wonder How The Key Fobs Could Be Charged, Since There Aren't Any "charging" Contact Terminals On It..
What A Joke...

Ummmmm, actually, you're way off base.

If you have an electric toothbrush, have a look at it. No metal contacts for charging.

Google "Inductive charging".

I think perhaps your "basic analytical thinking" is somewhat lacking....

The non-comfort access FOB WILL indeed charge, when inserted into the dashboard. The comfort access FOB will not.

[darkmercury]

Can you add Comfort Access to an M3 that doesn't have it?

[schnell325]

I am sure you can, for a VERY hefty price.