YOURY WROTE
"I keep the remote in the car and the tiny physical key in a magnetic box under the car."

By 'remote' do you mean the normal, 3-button key fob remote?

And what is the 'tiny physical key' ???

Squeeze the serrated top of the key fob remote and pull away and a mechanical key will slide out. This will allow you to mechanically open the drivers door and access the fob you have inserted in the holder at the bottom of the glove compartment.

Of course, the backup key; I thought you were saying there was another transponder key within our fobs.
So then is Youry keeping the remote in the glovebox, and the metal key under the car at all times? How does he lock the car when he leaves?
Or, is he leaving remote in glovebox, exiting the car and locking it with the metal key, then storing it under car until he returns? This sounds like a PITA. What is the advantage?? That he can't lose the remote if its stored in the car?


I am trying to understand why any of you are bothering with all this, and I haven't gotten there yet! What about just keeping the fob in your pocket?? If the fob battery dies, you have the metal key right there inside it... :confused:

I keep the spare remote in the glove box in case I'm out (miles away from home) and happens to lose the main remote that I have with me all the time
If I lose my main remote, I pull the box from under the car, manually unlock the car and use the spare remote from the glove box to start and drive the car.

The point of this conversation was a backup if one loses the fob. In the "old days" you just kept a metal key hidden some where. Now with the fob there is the chance that the fob will become inoperable due to moisture if hidden outside of the car. The solution is to hide the metal ket and store the fob in the glove compartment. I chose to hide the entire fob in a sealed bag on the outside of the car.

Got it, thanks. Didn't realize you were using both fobs in this process.
I've just never bothered I guess. My wife's fob would be at my house anyway, though she almost never uses it. So she would be my backup plan.

It always works out that the time you need a spare key (or fob) is a dark stormy night when no one is there to help. My spare $365 fob is cheap insurance for me or my wife if a key is ever lost. Last year on a Sunday my wife was 70 miles away from home when the key was lost. My hidden key was worth the investment to get her (and the X5) home safely.