Key fob problem (video)

[NCH]

Poor key fob range. Reported to Quill SC and they insist rear windscreen tint is the cause. Truth is I already noticed this prior to car delivery.Will remove the rear tint and try again. If it goes back to working normally, Tint Shop will rectify. Otherwise, Quill will have to fix it and put the tinting back for me.Frustrated. What a joke for a RM300k car!y tint is v-Kool Elite for front windscreen and v-Kool 40 for the rest.Will remove the tint tomorrow, hope to troubleshoot effectively. Any of you have the same problem?This is only 1 of 3 problems to eradicate.

 

[SMG330i]

Same like mine bro.....

 

[Schwepps]

I think it's because you're expecting your BMW fob to work like the simple RF fobs of other cars. It doesn't work at the ranges you were trying. And there's no point in clicking it repeatedly in quick succession - the system has to cycle through a random number security check which changes with each click. Compared with a normal system, this is a high security system virtually impossible to scan and duplicate.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your fob, NCH.

 

[astroboy]

LCI is comfort access mah, still need to bring the fob out and tekan tekan picit picit meh?

My E90 all round VKool Elite, pretty similar problem.

Have u tried winding down all 4 windows and try again to see if the range improve? I didn't know the remote control antenna is at the rear window?! Normally is under front dash mah.

However, I have seen another pre LCI that work in the range u were trying.. I was pretty amazed Immediately I ask what tint film he's using... but I forgot what his answer was..

 

[stanleycck]

Hmmmmm............thats kinda wierd.........mine has a good range with V/Guard all round.........

 

[megatnh]

Hmmmmm............thats kinda wierd.........mine has a good range with V/Guard all round.........

Guys
I m using 3M with mid-range tint and FOB seems to be working fine (touch-wood)... I don't think the tint is the issue...

 

[NCH]

I think it's because you're expecting your BMW fob to work like the simple RF fobs of other cars. It doesn't work at the ranges you were trying. And there's no point in clicking it repeatedly in quick succession - the system has to cycle through a random number security check which changes with each click. Compared with a normal system, this is a high security system virtually impossible to scan and duplicate.

I don't think there's anything wrong with your fob, NCH.

Hey man, the 320d courtesy car doesn't have such problem. It worked flawlessly from 15 meters away. You know why I have to click repeatedly? Because it always doesn't work on first attempt!! Hate it when I can't take it for granted that the door would unlock with 1 press.

 

[megatnh]

Hey man, the 320d courtesy car doesn't have such problem. It worked flawlessly from 15 meters away. You know why I have to click repeatedly? Because it always doesn't work on first attempt!! Hate it when I can't take it for granted that the door would unlock with 1 press.

I presume both of the FOBs are responding the same way eh...

 

[NCH]

LCI is comfort access mah, still need to bring the fob out and tekan tekan picit picit meh?

My E90 all round VKool Elite, pretty similar problem.

Have u tried winding down all 4 windows and try again to see if the range improve? I didn't know the remote control antenna is at the rear window?! Normally is under front dash mah.

However, I have seen another pre LCI that work in the range u were trying.. I was pretty amazed Immediately I ask what tint film he's using... but I forgot what his answer was..

Bro,

It's not like I have to press the button to unlock everyday la but it's not unreasonable to expect it to work normally right? Imagine when your car is parked outside and it's raining. You want to unlock both doors from a distance before running to the car so you don't get wet. It's not possible! I have to get really really close to the car then TRY if it opens.

And Comfort Access doesn't always work. I need to guess if it unlocks everytime I yank the door handle. How do you unlock passenger door with comfort access? because my gf always have to wait for me to get in first and press the Unlock/Lock button below the Hazard Light button. It's just small thing I know, but inconvenient.

If I could unlock the driver door with 1 press, unlock the passenger side with another press in like 5 meters then it would be nice. But the real situation is sometimes I try comfort access entry, pulling the door handle doesn't work so i resort to pressing button.

I know some people are having the same problem so they think it's normal. But they are also a lot of people who are not aware of this because theirs just work.

Why settle for less when you paid more?

 

[NCH]

Hmmmmm............thats kinda wierd.........mine has a good range with V/Guard all round.........

is yours LCI 325i too?

Did you notice any significant decrease of working range after tinting?

 

[NCH]

Guys
I m using 3M with mid-range tint and FOB seems to be working fine (touch-wood)... I don't think the tint is the issue...

If it's not the tint then the SC will have more work to do to diagnose. Not only remote doesn't work properly, but comfort access too.

 

[Schwepps]

Hey man, the 320d courtesy car doesn't have such problem. It worked flawlessly from 15 meters away. You know why I have to click repeatedly? Because it always doesn't work on first attempt!! Hate it when I can't take it for granted that the door would unlock with 1 press.

Granted, your range may be less than others (mine is 10m) but there's no point going click-click-click the way you did it in your video. With each click, you're just cancelling the previous security check cycle before it can complete. My point is; don't expect it to work like normal RF fobs, because that's not the way it works.

 

[NCH]

Granted, your range may be less than others (mine is 10m) but there's no point going click-click-click the way you did it in your video. With each click, you're just cancelling the previous security check cycle before it can complete. My point is; don't expect it to work like normal RF fobs, because that's not the way it works.

If the first click doesn't work, what should I do? wait for 2 seconds and press again??

Anyway I'll have the rear tint removed to see if the range improves.

 

[E46Fanatic]

Did you notice any significant decrease of working range after tinting?

For my non-LCI, the range did drop after the Vkool Elite tinting but its certainly acceptable. You case as shown in the video, seems unacceptable to me, esp when trying to unlock the car from the front. You rear unlock range seems acceptable to me.

If I am not mistaken the LCI 325i sports don't come with the purple tint comfort glass front windscreens anymore right? Or was it the green band front windscreen tint? Anyway if it doesn't, then the unlock range should improve from the front of the car.

 

[E46Fanatic]

If the first click doesn't work, what should I do? wait for 2 seconds and press again??

Anyway I'll have the rear tint removed to see if the range improves.

Why remove the rear? Seems like you are having problems with the fronts no?

 

[NCH]

Why remove the rear? Seems like you are having problems with the fronts no?

The SC says remote control receiver is on the rear windscreen. The problem is more severe if I try to unlock from the front and the range improves as I move closer to the rear.

I have rolled down all 4 windows and tried, no significant improvement. I'm worried it's more than just the tint.

 

[E46Fanatic]

The SC says remote control receiver is on the rear windscreen. The problem is more severe if I try to unlock from the front and the range improves as I move closer to the rear.

I have rolled down all 4 windows and tried, no significant improvement. I'm worried it's more than just the tint.

They key question, is if the rear range is acceptable, why is the front sooo bad? Will the rear tint cause this? From the pic of your car, it does seem that you have pretty heavy tinting on your front windscreen which is not so typical. Most folks do tint up the rear and sides and the fronts are a different type of lighter tint which could be the difference between how our Fob behaves vs. yours.

 

[megatnh]

They key question, is if the rear range is acceptable, why is the front sooo bad? Will the rear tint cause this? From the pic of your car, it does seem that you have pretty heavy tinting on your front windscreen which is not so typical. Most folks do tint up the rear and sides and the fronts are a different type of lighter tint which could be the difference between how our Fob behaves vs. yours.

I m still doubtful it's the tint...I thought the frequency has the radius for it to detect...most probably they have to replace the FOB and the alarm system

 

[NCH]

They key question, is if the rear range is acceptable, why is the front sooo bad? Will the rear tint cause this? From the pic of your car, it does seem that you have pretty heavy tinting on your front windscreen which is not so typical. Most folks do tint up the rear and sides and the fronts are a different type of lighter tint which could be the difference between how our Fob behaves vs. yours.

Actually the front has lighter tinting. It's only v-Kool Elite while the rest is V-Kool 40.

Does anyone have vKool 40 on the rear windscreen?

 

[NCH]

I m still doubtful it's the tint...I thought the frequency has the radius for it to detect...most probably they have to replace the FOB and the alarm system

Do you think they'll go so far to rectify a "small" problem like this? Most probably they'll just tell me again "we tested thoroughly with diagnostic machine and found no faults. it's normal."