Rainstorm opened Windows/Sunroof - Took a soaking!!!!
 

Last night had to leave my car outside - had lighting/rain. About 5am woke up to take the dog out - all windows and the sunroof were all open. Car took a beating to say the least - ShopVac sucked out well over a gallon of water from the seats and carpet. When I tried to move it initially it would go into drive then jump back to park. Tried a few times and it seem to reset itself.

Any suggestions - going to rain most of the weekend - so airing it out isn't an option in the sun. Most of the water the squishy stuff in the carpets and seats are out - just damp no standing water.

So - should I get BMW involved in this one? Anyone else notice this - saw a single post that was entered in 2007. Under no circumstances should this happen. Keys were pretty far from the car and I know you have to be pretty close for the all open function to work with the key - tried it from the inside of the house and it wouldn't work until very close. Also held it for a while.

You need to get the padding out from under the carpet ASAP. The surface areas of the carpet and seats will dry, but that padding will hold water and you're looking at mildew and mold.

Used a water extractor as well and its feels extremely dry - will try lifting the carpet next - but I'm also calling my Service Advisor. Cars a lease but I still keep it pristine. Tried the all open/all close from the keyfob and it now doesn't work. So its got to be the module.

That's another problem, the electronics. You might want to disconnect the battery until everything dries, unless it's already been damaged when you tried to start it.

You might want to try to buy a bag of silica gel/desicant and put it in a few bowls/containers in the car, hopefully it will absorb more of the moisture.

Tough situation... good luck.

:iagree:

FWIW I now carry my X5 key on a carabiner style key ring and hang it from a belt loop. Because in the last 8+ years I have locked, unlocked, opened the rear hatch and rolled down all the windows on our old E53 X5 completely by accident when the key was in my pocket.

I'm not saying that is what happened, just that it is possible to do by accident while walking away from an X5.

Funf Dreisig

I've heard of some people havin luck using uncooked rice to dry things out. Of course, you have to make sure it is dry enough that the rice doesn't turn completely soft and disintegrate.

Ok, basically spent the day sucking out the water out of the carpet, then pulled the rubber gaskets at the bottom of the door - removed the rear seat then lifted the carpets. Yes the rubber pad was soaked with water. Used my extractor again and towels - a hairdryer on low. Removed most of the water from the pad. Most collected toward the edges. Removed the tan trim clips that stuck into the body with a OEM trim puller. Tomorrow will reassemble everything together. Turned the car on super high heat for about 30 minutes to throughly dry the interior out - it helped with the leather and carpets.

Should be ok now all the standing water is removed and some air can get under the carpet. Unfortunately its not about 80F right now and its pretty humid - otherwise would be dry by now.

Don't know if it was my fault or the electrical storm - keys were in the house but I tried pressing the unlock far from the car and the windows do go down when held so I could have put them in my pocket and when watching a movie last night it could have triggered it. Don't know - in the future will keep the keys out and the car in.

I used this feature a lot in the 8.5 yrs we had our 2001 X5.But I never quite figured out exactly why the range varied so much. Sometimes I could get the windows to roll down from way far away. Other times I had to be so close I could just open the door and roll them down quicker :( The one variable that seemed to make the most difference, was whether I was moving toward the X5 or standing still. When I really really wanted those windows to open (think 105F in a black top parking lot), I'd stop walking towards the X5 before I held the button down. This trick usually worked even at far range.

Ironically the unintended use of this feature is most likely to bite people in their own driveways. Where they are inside (so they don't hear the unlock beep) but the keys are still within range and not moving.

Once again this may not be what happened in this case. But others may want to think about where they put their keys in their own home :yikes:

Funf Dreisig

Here's a trick that really works with most car remotes. Now, you're not going to believe it at first, but try it and you'll see.

If you touch the remote to your chin when you activate it, it will increase the range. It sorta uses your skull as a bigger antenna.

I haven't tested it with the X5 style remotes, but I have tested it with Ford Focus, Ford Taurus, and Z4 keys/remotes, and using the lock/unlock function it clearly increases the range.

I would probably keep some of this in the back seat on the floor for a couple of weeks to speed-up final drying:

http://www.damprid.com/indexf671.html?cat=173071

Hardware stores usually carry this stuff.

I confirmed about 15-20 extra feet of range doing that with my E53 and the older style key on my mothers E39 528i. Works better than expected.

And stim141, definitely book a check up with your SA and at least have the faults read... there are sensors and wiring under the carpets that need to be checked up on after a wet experience.

It's no coincidence that this seems to happen to people when the car is sitting outside in the rain.

A BMW technician discovered that water ingress in both of the front door lock actuators can cause the windows and sunroof to open by themselves.

Late to your post....but seriously, if you can, pull your carpet up. There is probably quite a bit of water underneath the carpet that may feel dry but is in the foam underneath.

It may feel dry ontop....but I would not risk the chance of mold and mildew

How does water get in the actuators from the outside? Design flaw?

Where did you hear of this?

Possible if you have comfort access and keys are nearby... When I wash my car, I always keep keys inside otherwise pooring water on door handles makes car lock/unlock...

Could you elaborate on this 'feature' of comfort access ?

Does it seem to be the electrical (conductivity) or mechanical (weight/force) properties of the water?

How much water does it take? IOW does it take the direct force of a stream of water say from the end of a hose or just a good showering like when rinsing?

Has your car ever locked/unlocked when it was raining?

Thanks in advance - Funf Dreisig

Or just get this --> WheelSTO - Your Performance Wheel Hub

I wonder what your doctor would say about this procedure...

The dlr told me that trick, way back in Sept '01, when we picked up
our X5...it does seem to add some distance, though our key has always
worked from a considerable distance. It can't possibly be any more detrimental
than having a cell phone glued to one's ear, 10 hrs a day, :rofl:.
GL,mD

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

Not trying to sound like a low tech/no tech Philistine, but one would think that
BMW would have figured out key less entry by now...otoh, maybe that ~$1,000
option is not worth the aggravation or "comfort".
BR,mD