Help Key battery flat!

[charris]

My Key for my 20002 BMW 3 series has gone flat it will not work the remote! Have tried charging it on a long journey but still no success. The key will open the door manually but of course it will not cancel the alarm. Has anyone had this problem and can I open the key itself and replace the battery. Does not look as if the key will split to replace a battery!

Thanks any suggestions will be helpful a new programmed key I am sure will cost an arm and a leg!!!!

[phelix]

Carry both keys for a while using the good one to lock and unlock the car and the duff one while driving to see if it will recharge over time. Prior to this experience when did you last use it?

[charris]

When we use it on a long journey even, it will not hold the charge! It will not lock the car without placing the key manually in the lock! Is there anyway to split the key to replace the battery?

[paoloh]

Do not open the key!

[phelix]

Sigh. Let me try again.

Carry both keys for a while using the good one to lock and unlock the car and the duff one while driving to see if it will recharge over time.

Prior to this experience when did you last use it?

The battery in the key is charged through an inductive loop - this sort of charging method is nowhere near as fast as a normal charger such as on a mobile phone. If you haven't used that key for 12 months, for example, it may take 10 hours or more of driving to charge it.

[R360]

Just seen this topic so went and tried my spare key. Its flat and wont unlock the car so i will take Phelix's advice and using both keys for a while.
The last itme i ever used my spare key was around 2 years ago so presume it will take a long time to start charging up

[skoff]

I am doing the same. Though I wonder if you need to go through the procedure to pair the key to the vehicle?

I have 3 keys:-
1 works as it should
1 doesn't do the remote opening, but works as a conventional key and starts the car
1 doesn't do the remote opening, works as a conventional key in the door locks, but doesn't start the car...

I think the third key is never going to work, but I am holding out hope for the second key

Oh, I also have a 4th key, but that's just a plastic thing that doesn't have any buttons on it - I think it's like an emergency key

I have been running the second key in the ignition for a couple of days now and will report back if I get it working.

[bramley]

skoff said:

Oh, I also have a 4th key, but that's just a plastic thing that doesn't have any buttons on it - I think it's like an emergency key

Think that's the valet key isn't it? Gives access to the car but not much else? Dunno.

There is a way of reseting the keys I believe by sticking them in the ignition and doing a kind of ninja cheat code special move on it, but I can't recall what the sequence is. Worth a google or browse of www.bmwtips.com etc

[skoff]

bramley said:

skoff said:

Oh, I also have a 4th key, but that's just a plastic thing that doesn't have any buttons on it - I think it's like an emergency key

Think that's the valet key isn't it? Gives access to the car but not much else? Dunno.

There is a way of reseting the keys I believe by sticking them in the ignition and doing a kind of ninja cheat code special move on it, but I can't recall what the sequence is. Worth a google or browse of www.bmwtips.com etc

Yes i tried the ninja cheat code, but couldn't get it to recognise the keys, I think because they haven't been used for a long time and don't have a charge...

I think the programming process can be found here:
https://wiki.bentleypublishers.com/display/tech/In...

[Sticks2]

Stealer might help you for nothing as they did me when one of mine appeared flat. They did something like this

http://www.programyourkeys.com/BMW_3-Series_Key_Re...

[DoubleYellow]

Mine has just started doing this. Same car / year. Didn't actually know the fob charged whilst in!

Mine recently came to light after a long drive to and from Wales.

[eliot]

DoubleYellow said:

Didn't actually know the fob charged whilst in!

I realised this about a year or so ago, so I now swap my main and spare key over every 6 months or so.