Electrical Gremlins in E90 330xi

bmw330xi · 07-19-2006, 01:54 AM

Hi All
As a new BMW owner, I can finally understand why so many people are so fond of their BMWs. It is definitely the Ultimate Driving Machine, although it appears to not be without it's flaws. My new E90 330xi is less than 2 weeks old, and I've noticed that it seems to be "possessed" when I take it to the car wash. I have washed it twice already, and both times it seemed to lock and unlock itself several times as I was washing it (lights flashed, mirrors folded in/out). Before I take it back to the dealership to have them check it out, I just wanted to check this forum to see if this was a common problem, and if there was a known solution. FWIW, I have a 2006 E90 330xi with Premium Package, AT and Comfort Access (Canadian spec).
Thanks in advance

sbw · 07-19-2006, 07:57 AM

Sounds like something to do with the Comfort Access.

nyc3r · 07-19-2006, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbw

Sounds like something to do with the Comfort Access.

I agree, put your key fob away when you wash your car. It is probably too close and unlocks the car, then car is programmed to auto lock if door is unopened. I have the auto lock set in mine too.

E90Fleet · 07-19-2006, 09:17 AM

The soap running past the door handles makes the car think you put your hand ther to either lock or unlock the car.

Either put your key in the house when you wash it, and it wont happen again

3s-a-charm · 07-19-2006, 09:48 AM

I've seen that too. What do you do if you are driving through one of those "touchless" car washes? I haven't done that yet... just curious.

inTgr8r · 07-19-2006, 09:51 AM

BWM330xi...
It would be good to hear a confirmation on this...

Hope it's just a ....

espo · 07-19-2006, 10:10 AM

It is the comfort access system... I had the same thing happen to me the first time I washed the car. Realized that I actually had the key FOB in my pocket. I just put the key out of range and all is well.

If you are inside the car with the FOB, then touching the OUTSIDE door handles will do nothing. Could you image if someone could just walk up to your car with you in it and unlock the door!!!

mds82 · 07-19-2006, 01:48 PM

Dont take it to the car wash, do it by hand!! No honestly i dont know about that. Maybe its a Q for the dealer if it happens again

txusa03 · 07-19-2006, 01:57 PM

I think there is nothing wrong with your electrical. You have CA so any activity (light touch around the CA zone) will activate CA. Simple as that. Maybe dealer can adjust the CA sensitive level. I don't have CA so I do not know if there is such a thing as sensitive level. Try washing car and leave key in house like other have suggested. enjoy your car.

gdnyc · 07-19-2006, 02:27 PM

The Comfort Access system is causing that. Whenever I wash my car it happens as well. I just move the key fob out of range. Not sure about car washes. My jet black will not see a "touchless" car wash anytime soon. The dealer is banned from washing my car also. They put a tremondous amount of swirl marks at delivery.

bmw330xi · 07-19-2006, 11:28 PM

Thanks for all the responses. I haven't had a chance to verify, but the explanations do make sense. The next time I wash it, I'll make sure I don't have the key fob in my pocket, and verify that it was indeed the cause of the problem. I had kinda suspected that it may have been related to comfort access, however I thought that I (and hence the key fob) was too far from the door when the problem occurred for it to be that.

bmwexecutive · 07-20-2006, 12:04 AM

I had this happen when I was at a do-it-yourself car wash place the other day. I couldn't put the key out of range because someone might take it. So I had the mirros going in and out, the lights flashing and the acoustic signal confirmation everytime because I have the factory alarm installed. The guys in the stalls next to me thought I keep unlocking and locking my car on purpose for some reason.

BK · 07-20-2006, 12:11 AM

What if you put the fob inside the car, like in the slot? Would that work? Honestly, I don't know because my car isn't here yet, but it's a thought -- do the doors still unlock if the fob is in the key slot?

bmwexecutive · 07-20-2006, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BK

What if you put the fob inside the car, like in the slot? Would that work? Honestly, I don't know because my car isn't here yet, but it's a thought -- do the doors still unlock if the fob is in the key slot?

Probably, but I wouldn't have much time to react if some guy came running out of no where, jumped in the car and drove away. I'll probably lung myself onto the roof and try and break a window and then fight the guy inside hollywood style though. No, seriously I would. Seriously, I freakin' would. I'd open up a big can of SPAM on the guy. Wait, I mean whoop ass.

CALIF65GM · 07-20-2006, 12:34 AM

It's CA. The only time (and 1st wash) that I took it to an outside do-it-yourself car wash was in Switzerland and I had the keys in my pocket and the mirrors started folding and the door locked.

When I wash it now, I always have the key out of range.

thekewl1 · 07-20-2006, 12:49 AM

Definately CA. It happened to me the first time i took mine to wash. Just stop the car, insert the fob into the slot and restart the car before you hand it over to the guys. problem solved.

07-19-2006, 01:54 AM	#1
bmw330xi New Member 0 Rep 10 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 330xi Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Winnipeg, MB, CA iTrader: (0)	Electrical Gremlins in E90 330xi Hi All As a new BMW owner, I can finally understand why so many people are so fond of their BMWs. It is definitely the Ultimate Driving Machine, although it appears to not be without it's flaws. My new E90 330xi is less than 2 weeks old, and I've noticed that it seems to be "possessed" when I take it to the car wash. I have washed it twice already, and both times it seemed to lock and unlock itself several times as I was washing it (lights flashed, mirrors folded in/out). Before I take it back to the dealership to have them check it out, I just wanted to check this forum to see if this was a common problem, and if there was a known solution. FWIW, I have a 2006 E90 330xi with Premium Package, AT and Comfort Access (Canadian spec). Thanks in advance
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07-19-2006, 07:57 AM	#2
sbw Ultimate Driver 35 Rep 368 Posts Drives: 2015 Porsche Cayman Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Earth iTrader: (0)	Sounds like something to do with the Comfort Access.
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07-19-2006, 09:17 AM	#4
E90Fleet Lieutenant General 1312 Rep 10,185 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: South Africa iTrader: (0)	The soap running past the door handles makes the car think you put your hand ther to either lock or unlock the car. Either put your key in the house when you wash it, and it wont happen again __________________ BMW if you are reading, I need a job, Please.
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07-19-2006, 09:48 AM	#5
3s-a-charm Major 135 Rep 1,328 Posts Drives: 2017 Tesla Model X Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Calgary, Canada iTrader: (2) Garage List 2007 BMW X5 [0.00]	I've seen that too. What do you do if you are driving through one of those "touchless" car washes? I haven't done that yet... just curious. __________________ 17 Tesla Model X 90D (I've been converted!) PAST: 14 Tesla Model S P85D, 16 X1, 13 X5 M-sport, 04 M3 Cab, 08 E92 M3, 08 535xiT, 07 X5 4.8i, 06 E90 325i, 87 E30 325i, 85 E30 318i
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07-19-2006, 09:51 AM	#6
inTgr8r Lieutenant General 2432 Rep 11,667 Posts Drives: M2 Comp Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (10)	BWM330xi... It would be good to hear a confirmation on this... Hope it's just a ....
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07-19-2006, 10:10 AM	#7
espo Captain 12 Rep 715 Posts Drives: 2014 M235i Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Sugar Land TX iTrader: (0)	It is the comfort access system... I had the same thing happen to me the first time I washed the car. Realized that I actually had the key FOB in my pocket. I just put the key out of range and all is well. If you are inside the car with the FOB, then touching the OUTSIDE door handles will do nothing. Could you image if someone could just walk up to your car with you in it and unlock the door!!! __________________ E46 325xi Oxford Green/Sand Leatherette/Myrtle Wood Auto ZCW - Retired E90 330xi Mystic Blue/Black Leather/Aluminum 6sp Manual ZSP/ZPP/ZCW/CA - Retired F22 M235i Mineral Gray/Red Leather/Aluminum 6sp Manual ZPP/ZTP
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07-19-2006, 01:48 PM	#8
mds82 Major General 364 Rep 5,842 Posts Drives: 2006 325xi Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: South Central Connecticut iTrader: (40) Garage List 2006 325xi Snow Pics [0.00] 2006 BMW 325xi [0.00]	Dont take it to the car wash, do it by hand!! No honestly i dont know about that. Maybe its a Q for the dealer if it happens again
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07-19-2006, 01:57 PM	#9
txusa03 Major General 550 Rep 6,563 Posts Drives: TS330iPPSP6MT Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Planet Earth iTrader: (3)	I think there is nothing wrong with your electrical. You have CA so any activity (light touch around the CA zone) will activate CA. Simple as that. Maybe dealer can adjust the CA sensitive level. I don't have CA so I do not know if there is such a thing as sensitive level. Try washing car and leave key in house like other have suggested. enjoy your car.
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07-19-2006, 02:27 PM	#10
gdnyc Lieutenant 24 Rep 472 Posts Drives: 2006 330xi Jet Black Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: NYC iTrader: (0)	The Comfort Access system is causing that. Whenever I wash my car it happens as well. I just move the key fob out of range. Not sure about car washes. My jet black will not see a "touchless" car wash anytime soon. The dealer is banned from washing my car also. They put a tremondous amount of swirl marks at delivery. __________________ 2006 330xi BMW, please get rid of the RFT's and give us a spare tire!
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07-19-2006, 11:28 PM	#11
bmw330xi New Member 0 Rep 10 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 330xi Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Winnipeg, MB, CA iTrader: (0)	Thanks for all the responses. I haven't had a chance to verify, but the explanations do make sense. The next time I wash it, I'll make sure I don't have the key fob in my pocket, and verify that it was indeed the cause of the problem. I had kinda suspected that it may have been related to comfort access, however I thought that I (and hence the key fob) was too far from the door when the problem occurred for it to be that.
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07-20-2006, 12:04 AM	#12
bmwexecutive Banned 241 Rep 2,453 Posts Drives: 2006 330i Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: East Coast iTrader: (4)	I had this happen when I was at a do-it-yourself car wash place the other day. I couldn't put the key out of range because someone might take it. So I had the mirros going in and out, the lights flashing and the acoustic signal confirmation everytime because I have the factory alarm installed. The guys in the stalls next to me thought I keep unlocking and locking my car on purpose for some reason.
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07-20-2006, 12:11 AM	#13
BK Smiling politely 165 Rep 7,931 Posts Drives: 330i Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Washington DC iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 330i [9.00]	What if you put the fob inside the car, like in the slot? Would that work? Honestly, I don't know because my car isn't here yet, but it's a thought -- do the doors still unlock if the fob is in the key slot? __________________ E90 330i Black Sapphire 6MT \| 991.1 C4 Platinum Silver 7MT
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07-20-2006, 12:34 AM	#15
CALIF65GM Colonel 97 Rep 2,041 Posts Drives: e93-35 May08 ED Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: SF, CA iTrader: (0) Garage List 06 - Oct. 05 build ... [0.00]	It's CA. The only time (and 1st wash) that I took it to an outside do-it-yourself car wash was in Switzerland and I had the keys in my pocket and the mirrors started folding and the door locked. When I wash it now, I always have the key out of range. __________________ 5-2-08 e93-35 ED Montego w/Jade Grey, Step w/Paddles, PP, SP, CA, hot seats and iPod.Awaing re-delivery soon. Debadged 330xi ED 11/14/05 Auto/Mystic Blue/Gray leather with Alum/PP/SP/CA/Fold-down rear seats/Alarm. Sold to Carmax on 6/7/08 with 50,624 miles on clock
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07-20-2006, 12:49 AM	#16
thekewl1 Lieutenant 12 Rep 552 Posts Drives: 09 335i Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: So Cal iTrader: (3)	Definately CA. It happened to me the first time i took mine to wash. Just stop the car, insert the fob into the slot and restart the car before you hand it over to the guys. problem solved. __________________ Delivered: 10/21/08 \| 09 e92 335i\|AW\|CR\|PP\|SP\|NAV\|PDC\|CA\|6MT\|iPod\|Logic7 Sold: 06 330i/Mystic Blue\|Terra\|PP\|SP\|NAV\|CA\|6MT\|Butt Warmers\|Rear Shades\|Fold Down Seats
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