[grand_national]

Hi. I'm new to BMWs and the forum. I have a 2019 X3.
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I've searched the forum, but can't seem to find an applicable thread for my issue.
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I needed to replace the batteries in both our fobs. Ever since then, the fob buttons work and the car starts, but all of my Comfort Access features do not with either fob.
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I've been looking for a reset or resync procedure applicable to my year and model without success.
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I find reference to instructions for "plug the key into the dash, etc., etc.", but I don't seem to have a slot on my dash for that.
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The dealer wants $400 to "diagnose this issue".....so that's a last resort.
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Could someone please point me to a procedure which is correct for my year/model to resync my fobs for CA?
Thanks so much in advance.

[Killed by Death]

Go to 2:31 minute mark...Shows how to re-register your key. That should work.

[grand_national]

Thank so much, but I think I'm missing something here.....

@ 2:36: shows how to activite the fob - (the fob already works to lock and unlock using teh buttons and start the car by pushing the brake and start button with the fob inside of the car).
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@ 2:55 "...if you have Comfort Access, and you want that to work as well.... well, let us know and we can take care of that for you with a remote coding session".

???? The Comfort Access is the part which doesn't work for me.

[X3rd Time Is a Charm]

Comfort Access in a 2019 is when you grab your door handle and the car unlocks and when you want to lock it you touch the ridges on the top of the door handle when you have your fob in your pocket. It’s not like the newer ones where it unlocks when you walk towards it and locks when you walk away .

[grand_national]

Yes. That is correct.

That's what used to work with the existing fobs, but no longer does. I think CA is also where you put your foot under the rear of the car to trigger 2 sensors to automatically raise the tailgate; that no longer works either.

Again, the fob itself works with the buttons on the fob and the steering column acknowledges the fob as being present allowing the car to be started.

If I go into Profiles, and select each fob to be the current, the car customizes itself to each fob, such as moving the seat to the preferred position.

The CA functions just don't work. I've done nothing to the car itself. The only thing I did was replace the batteries in he fobs with Energizer CR2032 (and another brand as a second test; neither work) as the car's online manual states to do when the fob batteries go low on power.

My question is, "How do I reassociate the fobs to the CA system?"

Thanks in advance.

[X3rd Time Is a Charm]

I’m not sure how changing the batteries in the fobs would change you settings for the Comfort Access .

[Qsilver7]

It is odd that CA stopped working when the battery was replaced. And since the fob still works when you press the buttons…that really narrows it down to the issue being focused on the proximity of the fob to the CA antennas (and kick feature).

The fob communicates with the vehicle over a 315 MHz radio frequency to various CA antennas around the vehicle. Perhaps a fuse has blown (not sure why)…but this appears to be a very focused issue.

The fob being able to start the vehicle is a totally different communication system. Starting is associated with the aerial in the steering column which communicates with the remote through induction. So the battery (dead or alive) doesn’t affect the ability to start the vehicle…all it needs to start is to receive the 125 KHz RF signal from the remote when it is near the aerial in the steering column….and through induction the communication to start the vehicle is powered.

[dinan5m3]

If "that" CA fuse was blown then that should also impact the emergency call system malfunction. But that failure is so obvious by showing up in the instrument cluster.

[grand_national]

I've tried both of our fobs with various batteries (2 new of different brands and 1 previous) with all of the door handles and the liftgate. Nothing.

If does not seem to detect anything.

I've tried some CA "reset" procedures I've found online, but most refer to using the physical key to open the door and then leaving the key in the door while performing the "resetting the fob" process. The problem with that is, I can't leave the key all of the way in while pulling the door handle to open....the door handle pulls the key out a bit and the alarm sounds which I need to turn off using the fob buttons - so the procedure is interrupted. Plus my fob buttons work fine. Like mentioned above; different system.

There is a service bulletin out about an issue with the fobs, but I have the new version.

Also, some other reset procedures refer to plugging the physical key or the entire fob into the dash. I can't do that as the 2019s apparently no longer have a slot for a key and the induction backup method for starting is to be used.

Other posts refer to a bad antenna....but all antennas on all doors going bad at once including the liftgate sensors?

I don't know what fuse to check, but a blown fuse might explain why all sensors don't work and I get the new message, "i: Comfort Acess Reduced" (see bottom).

Other posts refer to a bad module(s) which I have no way of diagnosing.

I have an OBDII scan tool which honestly may be too old to read a 2019, but it does seem to read and then returns no errors as does the various video screen message options.

Is there an inexpensive one anyone could suggest?

The most recent "twist" is after using the fob to open and start the car, stopping the engine results in a message in the bottom middle "gauge" of the dash "i: Comfort Access Reduced". I've Googled this message many times and I only find one post which points to bad parts apparently (I hate when people don't follow up on how they actually fixed the issue).

So, the informational message is "Confort Access Reduced". How? Why? No other information is provided and that informational message does not seem to be in the manual nor retained anywhere.

Right now this issue is resulting in (Un)Comfort(able) (In)Access.

I should add....
At first fob 1 showed a low battery message. Changed battery. Working again. (I never use Comfort Access with fob 1, so I don't honestly know if it ever worked with fob 1.)
Comfort Access always worked with fob 2. It stopped working for fob 2. Changed battery. CA still doesn't work for either fob.

[grand_national]

Has anyone ever seen an Informational Message "i" on the instrument cluster right above the steering column stating "i Comfort Access Reduced"? and if so, what was the cause/solution?
Thx

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by grand_national

Has anyone ever seen an Informational Message "i" on the instrument cluster right above the steering column stating "i Comfort Access Reduced"? and if so, what was the cause/solution?
Thx

Here's a starting point... Googling "Comfort Access Reduced BMW" may be worth searching.

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1891429

Antenna issue a possibility?

[Raphael X4]

Have you tried getting another set of batteries from a different brand?

Sometimes, in defective batteries the voltage is too low for only some things not to work.

[alexdm]

Originally Posted by Raphael X4

Have you tried getting another set of batteries from a different brand?

Sometimes, in defective batteries the voltage is too low for only some things not to work.

This is a good shout. Duracell batteries for example apparently have a bitter coating on them to prevent children swallowing them. Sadly this also adds resistance if the battery contacts in the fob touch that area of the cell. My father had a problem with the fob (unsure if it was exactly the same issue but it was something to do with comfort access) and changed the Duracell batteries for Panasonic ones. Fixed the issue straight away.

[dmicah]

Given that both fobs don't work, it sounds like it's not a fob problem. I found the link posted by HighlandPete interesting. Is rodent damage a possibility?

Also, I found this thread interesting:

https://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1850713

[grand_national]

I tried an off-brand battery first and then an Energizer fob battery. No difference.
Driver #2 Fob's battery (mine) died and I replaced it the above b/c I could not start the vehicle w/o holding the fob up to the steering column. It gave a message on the instrument cluster to that effect (Low Battery). The only aspect of CA I use is the hatch close/auto-lock hatch BUTTON (not foot) which always has been "flacky". After the battery swap, it would not work at all.
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Independently, Driver #1 Fob's (wife) CA stopped working a few days later. I replaced the battery with an Energizer (I had bought a 2-pack). No difference.
I don't think the rodents would be a problem b/c the car is parked outside and driven almost daily.
There are a lot of posts about the battery being weak. Often, they don't specify whether they are referring to the CAR's battery or the FOB battery. I'd think with all of this technology in place, the car would be able to tell if the CAR's battery is getting weak and post a message.
The message which does show up (the only message) after a FOB reset of "Comfort Access Reduced" on the instrument cluster is perplexing. The functionality is "reduced" to the point of not working at all and there is no other indicator of "why" its being reduced.
The thread about 1 bad antenna bringing down the whole system is interesting.
The car goes to the dealer tomorrow. $200 to "diagnose (not fix) the system"
I'll post what they find (and how much it's really going to cost) to hopefully help out others in the future.

[grand_national]

I said I'd get back once the car is fixed.
The dealer said they did some "pregramming" and also needed to replace the Driver's Side antenna. When asked how often these go bad, the answer was "never", which I find hard to believe based on the number of posts about people losing Comfort Access functionality. Apparently, as I read in another post, when one antenna, goes they all stop working (passenger side door and rear liftgate). They said, the Service Engine Soon light was on, it wasn't. The only indicator of the issue from the car, was when after resetting the fob to the car (holding it to the steering column and starting and stopping the car using the button), the center of the instrument panel stated "Comfort Access Reduced" was a VERY brief time. I can't comment on the cost, because apparently, this was covered under the 15/150 warranty. They also found one of the front air blinder actuators was bad. When I have the bill in front of me , I'll post the part #s. Hope this helps someone in the future. Again, this is for a 2019 X3 xDrive.