Charge car key? Alarm doesnt work....
 

People tell me it auto charges when you leave the key in the ignition. But I've had my car for years and never had the alarm (in the key) give out.


Any other remedies?

what do you mean never had the alarm in the key give out? the key doesn't have any sort of alarm in it??

and it does charge the key when it is left in the ignition and the car is on

'given out' meaning that the key wont arm or disarm my car (buttons dont work). it always 'charged' enough to work. but i've been leaving it in the ignition with ample time, but it doenst charge.

wondering if the battery that is charged/recharged in the key gave out...

thoughts?

when you say leaving it in the ignition, you mean you are driving it correct?

also, had you not been using this key for a while? generally with normal use, it should stay charged enough to lock and unlock the car. If the key had not been used in a while I would worry about the battery in it not being charged. Otherwise I would tend to think it was more the battery itself inside of the key has died and is unable to be recharged, rather than being a recharge issue.

The rechargeable battery in your key may have died. BMW have no fix except a new key (very expensive) however others have opened their keys and replaced the battery (requires some soldering). Here's the post with some pics.

so dealer friend reprogrammed it and it works like a charm. it was like holding down the trunk and lock buttons while taking it in and out of the ignition.

i think b/c my car battery had died it reset the codes in the fob.

good to go. $0 spent.