something odd happened today...

[btgM3]

I just want to throw this out there to see if this has happened to anyone else...

I was on a usual Sunday drive this morning, then decided to stop and get a cup of coffee. When I came out of the deli and started my car back up, I noticed that none of my preset seat positions worked. I was poking around a bit more, and none of my M drive settings were there, my preset radio stations, blue tooth pairing, or the 1-6 quick functions were set. Basically it seemed like everything went back a default setting or something when I bought the car. I would have expected this if I used my other key, but I was using the one I used from day 1 when I set all these things. In the end, I had to go back and set everything up again.

Has this happened to anyone before, or would anyone know why this would have happened? My car is completely stock other than cosmetic mods and a dinan rear section. The only think I could think of was that my V1 was still plugged into the cigarette lighter when I started the car, but I doubt that would affect anything.

Any thoughts or advise are appreciated.

[///WeissBisBlau]

Could the battery be dead, or possibly have come out of your remote, or the connection within it somehow get broken?

[btgM3]

Originally Posted by ///WeissBlitz76

Could the battery be dead, or possibly have come out of your remote, or the connection within it somehow get broken?

I thought that as well. I had the at out yesterday, and all was good. I started it with no issues this morning with it turning over. so there was nothing seemingly wrong with the battery

[kscarrol]

Did you stop the car and restart to see if the settings came back? My first guess would the the car battery as well because electronic gremlins like this are a symptom of a weak/dying battery. Kind of doubt that on a 2013 but sometimes batteries go bad...

One question your dealer will ask is about your driving patterns. A lot of short trips will not fully recharge the battery and some dealers have blamed weak batteries of this as well.

[BPMSport]

Likely causes are:
1) Car battery
2) Key battery if vehicle is equipped with comfort access

[MA///M3]

My key battery is dying and the car has been acting strangely as well. I think mike benvo is correct.

[btgM3]

thanks for the feedback. does anyone think its worth bringing to the dealer to have it looked at?

I only use the car on the weekends and at most put 50 miles on it each weekend. as someone pointed out...most of my weekend use is short trips.

[kscarrol]

If you have comfort access, change the key battery first. As Mike points out this could be an issue and it's only a $2 fix so go that route first before the dealer...

[ilidon]

Did you plug in your key or just left it in your pocket when you started the car? Sometimes that happens if your using CA all the time and then plug your key in and it erases all your settings. For me, it came back once I started the car with CA without plugging the key back in.

[btgM3]

Originally Posted by ilidon

Did you plug in your key or just left it in your pocket when you started the car? Sometimes that happens if your using CA all the time and then plug your key in and it erases all your settings. For me, it came back once I started the car with CA without plugging the key back in.

I always plug the key in. For some reason I just can't get used to the CA.

[Koldun]

Bring it to the dealer, you may have an issue with the cradle that charges the key FOB. I had to get mine fixed twice under warranty, when the entire guts of the thing came out still attached to the key when I tried to pull it out.

[btgM3]

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

Likely causes are:
1) Car battery
2) Key battery if vehicle is equipped with comfort access

Would you recommend I see if it happens again then try the key battery first, or just take it right to the dealer since its still under warrant? Would the key battery really be an issue after 9 months and only 1800 miles?

[Endless619]

Originally Posted by btgM3

Would you recommend I see if it happens again then try the key battery first, or just take it right to the dealer since its still under warrant? Would the key battery really be an issue after 9 months and only 1800 miles?

Maybe you have a short somewhere? At 9 months old a key battery and car battery should not be going south already, but sometimes it does happen. You are under warranty, I would just take it in.

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by Koldun

Bring it to the dealer, you may have an issue with the cradle that charges the key FOB. I had to get mine fixed twice under warranty, when the entire guts of the thing came out still attached to the key when I tried to pull it out.

The OP has indicated he has Comfort Access. CA keys do not charge in the cradle, there is a standard CR2032 watch battery that has to be replaced periodically...

[Someone?]

Keep the Key in your pocket, forget the plug in, Ive never pluged it in once, but the Valet did and i still had no prob, as suggested maybe the Battery?

[///WeissBisBlau]

Shortly after I got my car, I was fiddling around with the remote, taking all the components apart, and the battery out, and all that, and after i reassembled it and when I next went to my car all of my settings had been lost. So I think that is a pretty temperamental thing.

[1fastdoc]

Originally Posted by kscarrol

The OP has indicated he has Comfort Access. CA keys do not charge in the cradle, there is a standard CR2032 watch battery that has to be replaced periodically...

I didn't know this.

So what's the point of having the cradle at all in a car equipped with CA?

[mdosu]

once my key battery showed signs of weakness, i replace the battery. I use CA all the time and it chews up the battery power really quickly.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

I didn't know this.

So what's the point of having the cradle at all in a car equipped with CA?

b/c they're not going to design and manufacture the dash without a hole in it b/c the majority of the car won't have CA...the default design is that it'll have a key fob hole.

[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

I didn't know this.

So what's the point of having the cradle at all in a car equipped with CA?

Cost savings. Why build a separate dashboard section for CA equipped cars...

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by Koldun

Bring it to the dealer, you may have an issue with the cradle that charges the key FOB. I had to get mine fixed twice under warranty, when the entire guts of the thing came out still attached to the key when I tried to pull it out.

cradle doesn't charge your key fob...

[swartzentruber]

Originally Posted by 1fastdoc

I didn't know this.

So what's the point of having the cradle at all in a car equipped with CA?

In DCT cars, you need to put the key in the cradle if you want to shut the car off, with the car still in neutral (rather than going into park). I think that's the only time I've had my key in the dash.