After a year of ownership this is the one feature that drives me nuts...I ususally want the keys nearby to clean the inside of my car when i wash the outside, but as water trickles over the door handles (in almost any amount) the car is constantly locking and unlocking....comfort access works better while washing the car then when i really want to use it (many times it does not see the key in my pocket when I'm touching the door handles)....

Direct spray from a hose, or water running off the roof onto the handles makes it lock and unlock..to this end, I have made sure that my keys are far enough away inside my house so as not to allow the system to work withthe car in my driveway (as well as the fact that the teenager across the street has a penchant for breaking into stealing cars!).

Perhaps Funf AG can make rain/washing shield for comfort access door handles..a kinda door handle condom for dummies..

agree with 23 and x-cellent's post
I posted before, ther dealer changed the comfort access handle on driver side
supposed that a short made this happen
they never disputed the fact that heavy rain could open the windows, and it did some damage to the leather seats....
now afer my second handle replacement it seems OK, but the rainy season is coming soon
we will see

re: comfort access + washing = madness.

never found it necessary to have my keys with me when washing the car. ;)

Thanks for the feed back. And the market research for yet another Funf Dreisig AG exclusive product.

Our crack team of engineers and fairies have already spent billions of pico seconds thinking (but not actually doing anything constructive) about this new 'must have' X5 accessory. Unfortunately just thinking about the BMW Comfort Access door handle ribs and the word condom, caused the engineer's eyes to glaze over well before the fairies were satisfied -- with the prototype.

None the less, we have decided that the condom concept is still viable if applied to the right appendage -- the key fob. So we are currently researching the most exotic (read pricey) materials which both look cool and block the signal from the key. We envision a whole line of Funf Dreisig AG BMW Comfort Access Key Fob Condoms for Dummies in various designs, textures. colors, flavors, etc. Funf himself has eagerly volunteered to test each and every one of the products of the nearest analog - Trojans.

The marketing concept is a product so cool that BMW owners worldwide will be know for the suave way they flick their fobs out ready for action and retract them into their ultra-cool Funf Dreisig AG BMW Comfort Access Key Fob Condoms for Dummies to prevent premature, err... unintended locking/unlocking.

Funf Dreisig AG

p.s. we are seriously considering an enhanced verison that is sure to elicit comments along the lines of "Is that a BMW Comfort Access key fob in your pocket? Or are you just happy to see me?"

Will Funf AG offer a "ribbed" version...for her pleasure?

It kind of late, but I recommend you to buy or borrow a dehumidifier and then park you car indoor. Leave the dehumidifier in your car and working a whole day. Make sure you take out all the carpets before doing so. The moisture gets really deep into every corner.

Also, you need to check the trunk area. Do not use warm or hot air flow like the hair dryer, it can screw up the glue or leather. If possible, you can use a
fan together with the dehumidifier.

If you want to expose your car under the sun light to make it dry, make sure
open all the windows and the sunroof, otherwise the water vapor will go
deeper or even reach the area that were not effect before.

Good Luck!

I wonder if it makes a difference with Comfort Access if you leave the key in the ignition slot while you wash it? The manual states to leave the key in the slot when taking it to a car wash. I've used a car wash many, many times and never had anything bad happen. If anything, a car wash would really make it go crazy.

That makes sense to leave the key in the car while washing it as it won't let it unlock/lock while the key is in it.

The comfort access simply sees a change in voltage through a hall sensor when you put your hand behind the handle. And there is enough water through there to do that while washing. As for the windows down while raining, the keys shouldn't have been within range for that to happen so it may bave been the sitting on the unlock, unlock pressed in the wifey's purse etc.

Hmmm...

"With the aid of the 3 sensors, the electronic outside door handle module detects the status of the outside door handle. Each change in the status of the outside door handle module triggers the corresponding function.

These functions are:
• Trigger pulse by inserting a hand into the handle recess ofthe outside door handle; Capacitive sensor1
• Unlock request by pulling the outside door handle; Hall sensor
• Lock request by touching the sensitive area on the outside doorhandle; Capacitive sensor2

Sensors
To protect the battery, the outside door handle electronics module switches off the capacitive sensors forthe driver's side after192 hours when the vehicle is atrest. The passenger-side capacitive sensors are switched offafter72 hours.

Capacitive Sensor1
Apulse is generated when a hand is inserted into the handle recess ofthe outside door handle. The pulse wakes up the electronic circuitryin the outside door handle.
If the vehicle is in sleep mode, the electronics module will wakeup the Comfort Access and Car Access System 3. This involves the outside door handle electronics module sending outa wake-up signal via the CAS-bus.
Comfort Access permanently switches on the remote control receiver in order to receive the data sent from the ID transmitter.

CapacitiveSensor2
Touching the sensitive area generates a signal from the capacitive sensor2 until contact ceases. The electronic module in the outside doorhandle sends the requestvia the CAS bus. The requestis to lock the vehicle.

Outside Door Handle Hall Sensor
The Hall sensor is a backup system for capacitive sensor1. After192 hours, the outside door handle electronics in the driver's door enter sleep mode. This period begins when the vehicle is locked or unlocked. The Hall sensorremains operational fora longerperiod.

Sleep mode reduces the power consumption ofthe outside doorhandle electronics by switching off the capacitive sensors. By pulling twice on the outside doorhandle (two Hall sensor status changes) the vehicle is unlocked."

And now you know why the engineers and fairies at Funf Dreisig AG decided to focus on the fob. :)

Funf Dreisig

Funf Dreisig AG has always had a firm policy of making sure partners are completely satisfied. And Frau Dreisig would have confirmed this, if she hadn't been render speechless by a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Funf Dreisig AG