[Timethief]

Hi all! We just got our new X3 last week. So far it is a great car! During our ordering process, we mentioned that we live in a building that has valet parking - meaning that the valet guys have a key so all we do is drive up, park in front of the building, and they move it to the garage at their leisure. Conversely, we call for the car, they bring it to the front of the building, we come down, climb in, and pull away using our key. Quite handy when it snows!

On our last X3, we just used the valet key for the valets. They tell us there is no valet key for the new X3, but now that we are at the point where we now have the car, they are not sure if we can even have 3 key fobs registered and useable for the car. We haven't gotten the final answer (they are researching it ) yet, so I thought I would take a shortcut and ask you guys!

How many key codes can the new X3 deal with?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Powerrunner]

That is a great question, I would think that at a minimum they could program the 3rd fob the same as one of the other 2 fobs!

Please post what they come back to you with.

[bekind]

A new FOB will be insanely expensive even if they can marry a 3rd one to the truck.

Too bad there is no way to actually start the X3 with the backup key.

[AJWilson]

Your dealer will be able to supply you with a 3rd FOB, but be sitting down when you get the bill.

[Lotus7]

One of the X3 promo videos states that you can have up to (4) key fobs and two user presets per fob for seat/mirror presets plus you can select a guest mode in iDrive (which should be used by your parking valets) which won't change all your iDrive, radio, seat and mirror presets.

Re: Key fob cost. My friend Charlie needed a third fob for his 2010 M3. The cost was $360 for the fob plus a dealer labor charge of $140 to register it to the car and cut the mechanical back-up part. I doubt that the X3 is going to be significantly different. It's not like loosing a $3 mechanical key.

[MA78]

Originally Posted by Timethief

How Many Fobs?

I thought this was the opening line to a bad joke...


:P

[Nahoa]

? Valet key system works just as it did on the last model with the removable physical key. It's intended t be returned to the driver, not kept by the valet.

Can't offer you anything on adding a third fob.

[Lotus7]

Originally Posted by Nahoa

Can't offer you anything on adding a third fob.

Aw, ca'mon don't be so stingy -- If 1000 members on the X3 forum kicked in just 50 cents each, we could buy the original poster a third fob.

Which brings us to the use of the appropriate terminology. The multiple definitions of the word "fob" are:

# a vest pocket to hold a pocket watch
# an adornment that hangs from a watch chain
# flim-flam: deceive somebody; "We tricked the teacher into thinking that class would be cancelled next week"
# short chain or ribbon attaching a pocket watch to a man's vest
None of those describe the thing that unlocks and allows starting of a X3.

A "fob" is something that is attached to, or used in conjunction with a key.
Which raises the question of which came first -- the key or the fob?
or the even more meaningful question of "Why did the fob cross the road?"

In BMW-speak, the thing we're talking about is actually called a "Remote control/key"

So get with the program and ban the use of the word 3-letter "fob" for the much less efficient use of the 18-character "Remote control/key" Bandwidth is cheap.

[Nahoa]

At first with it in all caps I thought we were talking about a forward operating base. But, ya know, that name always kind of bothered me . . . though not enough to look it up and document it on a blog.

Can I go with "key thingy"?

[Lotus7]

Originally Posted by Nahoa

At first with it in all caps I thought we were talking about a forward operating base. But, ya know, that name always kind of bothered me . . . though not enough to look it up and document it on a blog.

Can I go with "key thingy"?

You could always go with just "thingy" , but that might be too politically incorrect because of its other possible connotations.

[Xegesis]

I can confirm that the 2019 G02 X4 can accept at least 3 key fobs (2 regular, 1 display key), all with:

• Full comfort access support
• 1 driver profile each (since there are slots for 3 driver profiles in iDrive 6.0 and later)

Installed and tested by BMW dealer on my vehicle.

[najnad]

Or just let the valet keep one fob and you and your spouse has the other fob on a separate key chain and not on one individuals key chain....so whomever needs the X3, they pick up the fob separately...and if someone forgets to leave the fob behind, just use the valet's fob for that trip...

[pungo]

Originally Posted by Xegesis

I can confirm that the 2019 G02 X4 can accept at least 3 key fobs (2 regular, 1 display key), all with:

• Full comfort access support
• 1 driver profile each (since there are slots for 3 driver profiles in iDrive 6.0 and later)

Installed and tested by BMW dealer on my vehicle.

Holy 9 year old thread resurrection for a different model code vehicle
But since it's resurrected, my used 2011 F25 came with 3 key fobs.