Driver's Door Handle Hot to the Touch
 

I noticed that the inside fornt portion of my driver door handle (but not the other 3) is warm at times.

Is this is why my comfort access isn't working?

My Question: What is in there that could be shorting/overheating? Any DIY's?

And why isn't it popping a fuse? I would say someone needs to get.to the electrical on the handle and.check it asap.

Great point Ron. I'll open the box up first thing tomorrow AM and report back. Something tells me I may find a paperclip.

Any idea which fuse I should be looking for? I'll probably just check all 8 associated with the door handles.

Check them for what, please? They have obviously not blown. Do you know the correct rated values?

As noted above, check to see if some hack bypassed the fuse with a paperclip, or as you noted a fuse that's rated too high.

I wasn't assuming a paper clip or wrong high amp fuse, that would be
a "bad band aid" and it would also mean your X5 was recently owned by Mr. "bad band aid"?

I was assuming something like a wire rubbed bare in the door handle wiring, something one could find by opening up the door and in essense getting close to replacing the handle.

Inside of handles light up. Does the hot handle light up? If not or dimly I would assume there is a short there.

The door handle is an actual control unit and it has a good sized antenna inside. If it is getting constant current it may warm-up the handle, but I dont think so.

http://www.bmwmotorsports.org/pdf/e7...t%20Access.pdf

The lighting on the handle appears unaffected.

My gut is something related to comfort access since that system isn't working and I believe it has components in the front of the handle/pull.

A rubbed wire that is pulling enough current to create notable heat would surely be pulling enough current to pop whatever fuse is/should be there. So there may well be a bad wire (though I've heard the CA board shorts out for some), but for that to produce the heat/draw I'd assume something is amiss at the fuse level as well. Will investigate. Obviously, if I find an issue there I'll have to call the previous owner or dealer into question, but unless you buy new knowing the previous owner isn't the norm.

Thanks! I would really like to know what electronics are hanging off the front portion of the handle/pull. The front/inside of the pull is where the heat is coming from.

BTW, local dealer quoted me $450-500 for the handle and said it needed programming. Not sure if they were giving me a line on the programming part. Price didn't seem that awful.

It would be interesting to see if a handle off eBay would swap over.

I am pretty sure no programming is required. If I am not mistaken you dont have to remove the door panel to swap the handle. I have one silver handle available from my pats car. However as with any control module failure i always disconnect the battery overnight and sometimes the problems go away.
There is a capacitive sensor on the inside of the handle, which is pretty much a coil. As I said when some current goes thru it it will warm up. But that would be low current, probably under 1amp, 2 at most. Current in excess of 5 amps that could possibly blow a fuse would melt the handle or make it painfull to touch.

You have a CA handle from a parts car you'd be willing to sell?

Yes, of course.