With CA, you can only unlock the car by pressing on the door's handle, but continue pressing on it will NOT open the windows.

A common problem is when people lock the car, put the key in the pocket and walk away. While still close to the car, something in the pocket can press and hold the unlock button leading to unlocking the car and lowering the windows.

I never put the keys in my pocket until I am sufficiently far away... I had similar problems in the past with my others which did not even have CA feature - it was always accidental press on the buttons. Get yourself that BMW leather key holder, it will protect it from accidental presses !

http://www.bmw-online.com/ProductDetail.aspx?p=2345

Thanx for all the great replies! To reiterate my fobs were on the third floor on the table, about 400 to 500 feet away concrete house hurricane proof on the gulf of mexico, SW Florida. No buttons pressed.

what is my recourse with BMW and rain damage?

dok

Probably nothing. They will claim there is no malfunction. You will get back a work order with "no problem found".... document all you want, unless THEY document the same problem three times there is no lemon claim..

I suspect they will blame you .... tell you they can maybe dry it, or you can file with homeowners/insurance...

Good luck. Something is rotten in Denmark, er, Munich.

A

Ironically, pressing and then continuing to press on the bumpy part of the door handle will lock the X5 and then CLOSE all the the windows and sun roof (called Comfort Closing). I guess the question is whether this works correctly all the time on all X5s. Or is every case reported really a key fob operator mistake. :dunno:

FWIW those of us without comfort access can close all our windows and doors too. But here in the US we have to use the little physical key in the electronic key fob. IOW BMW wants us to be in physical contact with the X5 to avoid liability for anyone who might get hurt by a closing window etc.

Funf Dreisig

I just confirmed that splashing water on the door handle does open the locks if the remote is close by. :yikes: So in a severe downpour, you could unwittingly unlock the car. Also the car really hated it when I tried to wash it with the keys on me (yes. That was my first time!). Kept locking and unlocking and making that beep sound:stickpoke I gave it a good hose down around the door handle but it did not try to open the windows.

These cars have so much electronics you don't know what to expect. I would not discount the possibility of lighting induced electrical surges causing weird behavior including opening the locks and perhaps windows etc.. I would imagine the great minds at BMW would have safeguards against such things. If indeed lightening did cause windows to roll down, it might even be able to start the car and perhaps even put it in gear and drive away. Imagine the picture of zombie X5s after a storm :dunno::popcorn:

I don't.:cool:

Funny you mention this, apparently in Europe you can open and close all windows from key fob, but I guess it was too risky for US market. I did a European Delivery on my 330i and the person presenting the car to me was so confused that windows would not close when holding down the lock button on the fob. He though there was something wrong with the car, so he called over his boss who confirmed that for US market cars this was disabled.

I have had the lock/unlock issue when washing the X, as well, the other day with the X parked safely in the garage, I came out to find all windows down (but sunroof closed).

This is definitely a serious matter.

:wow:Well, well ,well there definitely is something funny here! Sorry I have not been diligent in updating everyone I was on a missionary trip in Haiti just after this happened!
Just before I left I went to the dealer who stated that they found no malfunction and this had to be an operator mistake. So we are "out of good will" going to replace the carpet, some electronics on center console, anthracite liner, and THE EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLES WITH SENSORS!
One heck of a NON malfunction fix! Perhaps I may have been remiss in telling everyone earlier I bought 2 (two) X5 35d exactly the same to the tee color and all. The one in question since we picked it up always took 2-3 times to start with push button. The day before the incident the car phone speaker with a friend talking on it was interjected simultaneously with multiple radio stations blaring.
I have talked to customer relations and requested a buyback on the 16 day old vehicle. The first response was NO! Further up the line with corporate who was not aware of all that they were fixing and that a loaner car has been refused to me even to this day are looking further into the fiasco. Interestingly when I was talking to corporate she was confirming that I had already been offered $3000.00 on top of everything... This was the first I had heard this and it added more suspicion to the situation.
I have to say I love the other X5 we have and have already looked at audi, MB blutech, MDX! Oddly I have been so upset about this when I see a BMW commercial I feel sick! We will see what happens:popcorn:

dok

Dok - please keep us posted. I come from owing Audi's, and this is my first BMW, ironically I stopped being an Audi customer due to rotten service at the dealership and through Audi Corporate. I seriously hope that I haven't stepped out of the pot and into the fire!