Issues with trunk foot sensor?

tcw495 · 11-27-2018, 11:55 AM

Anyone else having issues using the foot sensor to open the trunk? It's pretty rare that my hands are full enough that I need to use it, but whenever I do, it seems like I have to wave my foot back and forth like 12 times to get it to work. And I always make sure my key is in the pocket of my pants closest to the trunk.

verdao · 11-27-2018, 12:00 PM

Here's your problem... it's not a wave (left to right) that triggers it. It's a kicking motion forward and back quickly that triggers it. Give that a try.

kdeleon · 11-27-2018, 12:01 PM

I haven't had an issue. Just make sure to quickly put your foot under and then back out. It should be one motion. No waving under the trunk.

Speaking of the trunk, I do have a problem with the lock button in the trunk sometimes. On occasion when I press it, the trunk doesn't close and lock. I'm not sure if there is a proximity sensor that prevents it or something else. Seems random when it works and doesn't work.

tiger4366 · 11-27-2018, 12:02 PM

It seems a bit hokey for sure. When the Genius demoed it to me, she actually bent her knee, lifting her foot off the ground and did a distinct kick under the bumper. It's almost as if it's an animated slo-mo kicking action rather that just waving your foot under the bumper.

SocalDude · 11-27-2018, 12:13 PM

I couldn't get it to work either. I will try the distinct MMA kick under the bumper as described above. Thanks.

tcw495 · 11-27-2018, 12:25 PM

Hmmm, that's interesting. I'll have to try out this forward kick thing.

tcw495 · 11-27-2018, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kdeleon

I haven't had an issue. Just make sure to quickly put your foot under and then back out. It should be one motion. No waving under the trunk.

Speaking of the trunk, I do have a problem with the lock button in the trunk sometimes. On occasion when I press it, the trunk doesn't close and lock. I'm not sure if there is a proximity sensor that prevents it or something else. Seems random when it works and doesn't work.

That might be an issue, because I use the trunk lock button every day like 3x per day when I get to the gym, when I get to work and when I get home from work. Never had any issues so you may want to have your dealer look at it.

Rk-d · 11-27-2018, 12:32 PM

You have to be at least an arms length away and it triggers with the tip of your foot moving straight forward under the bumper.

Pimpsy · 11-27-2018, 12:34 PM

There are two sensors that trigger the trunk opening: One senses your shin close to the bumper, the other your foot as it moves under the bumper and back. Both have to trigger properly for it to work. The trick is to quickly make a kick motion near the center of the trunk, starting with your foot off the ground and your shin close to the body.

riceman · 11-27-2018, 01:05 PM

I've noticed what everyone has noticed, especially distance from car, and SPEED of the kick.

SocalDude · 11-27-2018, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimpsy

There are two sensors that trigger the trunk opening: One senses your shin close to the bumper, the other your foot as it moves under the bumper and back. Both have to trigger properly for it to work. The trick is to quickly make a kick motion near the center of the trunk, starting with your foot off the ground and your shin close to the body.

You mean like the one-legged kick Daniel-son made in the Karate Kid movie with two arms up?

Pimpsy · 11-27-2018, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SocalDude

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimpsy

There are two sensors that trigger the trunk opening: One senses your shin close to the bumper, the other your foot as it moves under the bumper and back. Both have to trigger properly for it to work. The trick is to quickly make a kick motion near the center of the trunk, starting with your foot off the ground and your shin close to the body.

You mean like the one-legged kick Daniel-son made in the Karate Kid movie with two arms up?

There is actually a diagram in the manual. Check that, lol.

jm812 · 11-27-2018, 09:37 PM

Learned something new about this car.

Took me a week to notice there was an actual button for park..

rsalt333 · 11-27-2018, 09:41 PM

Test it to find the orientation point relative to the license plate. Side to side positioning is as key as the perfect karate kid kick!

tcw495 · 11-27-2018, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jm812

Learned something new about this car.

Took me a week to notice there was an actual button for park..

That took me awhile as well, since my F12 M6 didn't have one. Glad they fixed that stupid mistake this time around with a park button.

Pimpsy · 11-28-2018, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcw495

That took me awhile as well, since my F12 M6 didn't have one. Glad they fixed that stupid mistake this time around with a park button.

My 550 has a park button but if you just turn the car off it will put itself into park automatically anyway. I imagine the F90 does the same?

tcw495 · 11-28-2018, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pimpsy

My 550 has a park button but if you just turn the car off it will put itself into park automatically anyway. I imagine the F90 does the same?

Pretty much, yeah. My F12 M6 without a park button was a 2013. From what I remember, you had to come to a stop, put the car in neutral, then turn the car off. Then, once your foot was off the brake, press the start/stop button again to put the car in park, otherwise it remained in neutral.

Such a stupid feature because no valet understood it.

jm812 · 11-28-2018, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcw495

Pretty much, yeah. My F12 M6 without a park button was a 2013. From what I remember, you had to come to a stop, put the car in neutral, then turn the car off. Then, once your foot was off the brake, press the start/stop button again to put the car in park, otherwise it remained in neutral.

Such a stupid feature because no valet understood it.

Same with the F10 M5. It wasn't just the valet. Friends, family, wife didn't get it either.

Pimpsy · 11-28-2018, 10:55 PM

My 550 will just put itself into park if you turn the car off. It will even return the shift lever to the center if you have pushed it left into sport mode.

tcw495 · 11-29-2018, 10:25 AM

My sensor worked perfect this morning now that I tried the kicking motion.

bradleyjs · 09-27-2019, 06:39 PM

For the past several days I couldn’t get the “kick to open” the trunk and on occasion the handle button wasn’t working either. I open/close the trunk twice daily to retrieve and store and my car cover (my garage is a storage facility and is controlled by the local Warden [wife]) so our cars stay outside in the harsh FL environment. Anyway, I kept thinking that when it was last in the shop for the 1200 mile break-in service they might have changed something. But they didn’t seem to make any sense.

What I think was causing my issue was my iPhone XS Max. I have been using it to stream the radio and I keep my keys in the same pocket the iPhone. Well, tonight I went to cover my car and left the iPhone on the night stand to charge. Lo and behold, I was able to kick my trunk open as many times that I wanted.

Bottom Line: If your kicking routine is perfect and it still doesn’t open, verify you’re not emanating strange signals from your pocket region!

11-27-2018, 11:55 AM	#1
tcw495 Captain 272 Rep 668 Posts Drives: F90 M5 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Potomac, MD iTrader: (0)	Issues with trunk foot sensor? Anyone else having issues using the foot sensor to open the trunk? It's pretty rare that my hands are full enough that I need to use it, but whenever I do, it seems like I have to wave my foot back and forth like 12 times to get it to work. And I always make sure my key is in the pocket of my pants closest to the trunk.
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11-27-2018, 12:00 PM	#2
verdao Enlisted Member 37 Rep 48 Posts Drives: 2018 M5 First Edition Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (0)	Here's your problem... it's not a wave (left to right) that triggers it. It's a kicking motion forward and back quickly that triggers it. Give that a try.
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11-27-2018, 12:01 PM	#3
kdeleon Second Lieutenant 94 Rep 249 Posts Drives: M5 Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Chicagoland iTrader: (0)	I haven't had an issue. Just make sure to quickly put your foot under and then back out. It should be one motion. No waving under the trunk. Speaking of the trunk, I do have a problem with the lock button in the trunk sometimes. On occasion when I press it, the trunk doesn't close and lock. I'm not sure if there is a proximity sensor that prevents it or something else. Seems random when it works and doesn't work.
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11-27-2018, 12:02 PM	#4
tiger4366 Private 34 Rep 55 Posts Drives: F90 - 2018 M5 Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Philadelphia area iTrader: (0)	It seems a bit hokey for sure. When the Genius demoed it to me, she actually bent her knee, lifting her foot off the ground and did a distinct kick under the bumper. It's almost as if it's an animated slo-mo kicking action rather that just waving your foot under the bumper. __________________ 2018 M5 2017 430i Convertible 2016 GMC Yukon Denali XL
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11-27-2018, 12:13 PM	#5
SocalDude Private 73 Rep 87 Posts Drives: BMW M5 Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Socal iTrader: (0)	I couldn't get it to work either. I will try the distinct MMA kick under the bumper as described above. Thanks.
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11-27-2018, 12:25 PM	#6
tcw495 Captain 272 Rep 668 Posts Drives: F90 M5 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Potomac, MD iTrader: (0)	Hmmm, that's interesting. I'll have to try out this forward kick thing.
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11-27-2018, 12:32 PM	#8
Rk-d Lieutenant 599 Rep 556 Posts Drives: GT3 Touring, 993 C4S, M2C Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: SE iTrader: (1)	You have to be at least an arms length away and it triggers with the tip of your foot moving straight forward under the bumper.
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11-27-2018, 12:34 PM	#9
Pimpsy Captain 420 Rep 862 Posts Drives: 2019 M5C Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	There are two sensors that trigger the trunk opening: One senses your shin close to the bumper, the other your foot as it moves under the bumper and back. Both have to trigger properly for it to work. The trick is to quickly make a kick motion near the center of the trunk, starting with your foot off the ground and your shin close to the body. __________________ Retired 2016 BMW 550i xDrive MSport \| 2013 BMW 550i xDrive MSport \| 2012 BMW 535i xDrive \| 1988 BMW 325ic \| 1984 BMW 318i
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11-27-2018, 01:05 PM	#10
riceman Enlisted Member 15 Rep 44 Posts Drives: 2022 M8 GC Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Atlanta Metro iTrader: (0)	I've noticed what everyone has noticed, especially distance from car, and SPEED of the kick.
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11-27-2018, 09:37 PM	#13
jm812 New Member 5 Rep 7 Posts Drives: 2019 BMW M5C Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Indiana iTrader: (0)	Learned something new about this car. Took me a week to notice there was an actual button for park..
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11-27-2018, 09:41 PM	#14
rsalt333 Private First Class 50 Rep 128 Posts Drives: 2018 F90, 2024 X5 xDrive50e Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Test it to find the orientation point relative to the license plate. Side to side positioning is as key as the perfect karate kid kick!
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11-28-2018, 10:55 PM	#19
Pimpsy Captain 420 Rep 862 Posts Drives: 2019 M5C Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	My 550 will just put itself into park if you turn the car off. It will even return the shift lever to the center if you have pushed it left into sport mode. __________________ Retired 2016 BMW 550i xDrive MSport \| 2013 BMW 550i xDrive MSport \| 2012 BMW 535i xDrive \| 1988 BMW 325ic \| 1984 BMW 318i
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11-29-2018, 10:25 AM	#20
tcw495 Captain 272 Rep 668 Posts Drives: F90 M5 Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Potomac, MD iTrader: (0)	My sensor worked perfect this morning now that I tried the kicking motion.
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09-27-2019, 06:39 PM	#21
bradleyjs Lieutenant 94 Rep 419 Posts Drives: 2019 F90 M5B, 2006 E60 550i Join Date: May 2019 Location: Orlando iTrader: (0) Garage List 2019 BMW F90 M5B [0.00] 2006 BMW E60 550i [0.00]	For the past several days I couldn’t get the “kick to open” the trunk and on occasion the handle button wasn’t working either. I open/close the trunk twice daily to retrieve and store and my car cover (my garage is a storage facility and is controlled by the local Warden [wife]) so our cars stay outside in the harsh FL environment. Anyway, I kept thinking that when it was last in the shop for the 1200 mile break-in service they might have changed something. But they didn’t seem to make any sense. What I think was causing my issue was my iPhone XS Max. I have been using it to stream the radio and I keep my keys in the same pocket the iPhone. Well, tonight I went to cover my car and left the iPhone on the night stand to charge. Lo and behold, I was able to kick my trunk open as many times that I wanted. Bottom Line: If your kicking routine is perfect and it still doesn’t open, verify you’re not emanating strange signals from your pocket region!
	Appreciate 0 Quote