[Alpine F31]

Originally Posted by nachob

There are all sorts of scenarios that are unintended for this really lame luxury. For example, you are a woman driving your snazzy bmw in a dark parking structure. You make it safely to your car and lock the door but the key is in the proximity. Someone touches the handle and bam, door unlocks for the guy stalking you? Or you are standing next to your car talking to a friend, you turn off your car and take the fob and while your back is turned, your 2 year old thinks it's fun to hit the start button and put the car in R for RACE mode and push the gas.

I know these are stretches....

Not only are these stretches, they are both factually wrong.

When you are in the car with the door locked, someone on the outside cannot unlock it! It doesn't work like that.

If you turn off your car and take the fob, IT WONT START. Even if you left the key in the car, no 2 year old, 3 year old or even 5 year old would be able to start the car by pushing the start button...that wouldn't work either unless they knew to press the brake pedal at the same time...if that was even physically possible for a toddler.

[jtzako]

Originally Posted by Alpine F31

The comfort access wont lock the car even if the engine is not running if the key fob is in the car. The trunk also will not close if the key is inside the trunk, running or not. If you walk away with the key and the car is running, it will sound a chime and a warning that "key has left the vehicle, restart not possible", then it will continue to run until you turn it off, or it runs out of gas, or gets stolen.

Yeah, seems silly it would keep running without the fob.. Though may be it was intentional in case the fob battery dies while you're driving.. We all know how many crashes where attributed to ignition shutting off.. though why one couldnt just pull over and stop is beyond me.

[Dattebayo]

I don't know about yall BMWs, but my car turns itself off after the keys leave a couple feet away from the car. I know cause I typically keep the car running while I stop at my mailbox and if I don't park it literally an arms length away, the car will turn off when I move to the mailbox.

[Zooks527]

I'm no fan of the CA system, but I really despise the joystick shifter in the automatic. I've put it into reverse instead of park a few times by shoving forward until it stops (funny what 40 years of habit can do), and I've also rested my hand on the stick prior to parking and had it drop into Park while I was still slowly moving forward. I really hate the damn thing.

[Pyewacket69]

Originally Posted by Dattebayo

I don't know about yall BMWs, but my car turns itself off after the keys leave a couple feet away from the car. I know cause I typically keep the car running while I stop at my mailbox and if I don't park it literally an arms length away, the car will turn off when I move to the mailbox.

Do you have it in Eco mode when it shuts down?

I've gotten out of my car, left it running, locked the car and walked away just to see if it was possible. (I never put the car in Eco mode)

The car beeped as I was exiting the vehicle to alert me, but it never shut down during the 5-8 minutes I was away from the car while it sat and idled in my driveway.

[SDKevin]

Originally Posted by Pyewacket69

The car beeped as I was exiting the vehicle to alert me, but it never shut down during the 5-8 minutes I was away from the car while it sat and idled in my driveway.

That's what my wife's Kia does, I assumed pretty much all would do the same.

[c63er]

Laugh and make fun all you want, but this has actually happened to me with my ASS equiped 28i X3.

The problem is the car goes into ASS as soon as it comes to a stop, and the display lighting is similar as when the car is recently shut down. So if you are not completely paying attention (rarely am when I am in the X3-- kids, groceries, etc..) then you think the car is off when its not. In an M3 or a car I cared about, sure this would never happen, but when its a car you don't care about (X3/family car) then it happens.

This has happened to me 2-3 times, but never got the point of monoxide or death If i recall, what made me realize the car was actually still on was that when i tried to use the key FOB to lock the car, it wouldn't lock. I **think** thats what alerted me, but can't exactly remember. I DO remember feeling stupid, with the car looking and sounding like it was off, but it was actually on when I went back to open the door and display tells you the car is actually on.

Point is, don't be so judgmental, its happened to me, so I could imagine some housewife with a million things going on would just walk into the house without locking the car and not realize it was still on.

As a complete hater of ASS (I really still cant believe there is a real environmental benefit to this) I do hope this tech is completely done away with forever

[DeaconBlues]

Originally Posted by Zooks527

I'm no fan of the CA system, but I really despise the joystick shifter in the automatic. I've put it into reverse instead of park a few times by shoving forward until it stops (funny what 40 years of habit can do), and I've also rested my hand on the stick prior to parking and had it drop into Park while I was still slowly moving forward. I really hate the damn thing.

Couldn't agree more. I have no idea why so many automakers have moved away from the tried-and-true P-R-N-D floor shift to unnecessarily complicated designs. (Was anyone really clamoring for the return of the column shifter?)

When I first drove a F30 3-series, it took me a few minutes to figure out the joystick, and to this day I still find it a pain in the ass to use. It's one of many reasons my 228i has a third pedal.

As for the CA system, I've never accidentally left the car running, and I don't have a garage, though I did once lock my fob in my trunk when I was a few miles from home -- because I hadn't unlocked the doors, I had to take a taxi home to pick up my spare key. Oops.

[Glassjaw047]

If you have the stop/start go eco feature for when you're stopped at redlights, when you go to park the car and if you leave it on & lock the door then the car will shut off because of that feature being on.....

This lawsuit is just another buck to be made in another way to scheme.....scummy as f**k and individuals who are just flat out stupid IMO....

[ebolean]

More like "clueless lawsuit"

[sstarrx3]

I am in the LOVE the shifter camp!! To me it is just easier to use. No extra low gears or neutral to accidently shift into. A simple tap of a button to put it into park. If I am going to have an automatic this is the type of shifter to have.

[BoomWasabi]

Originally Posted by sstarrx3

I am in the LOVE the shifter camp!! To me it is just easier to use. No extra low gears or neutral to accidently shift into. A simple tap of a button to put it into park. If I am going to have an automatic
this is the type of shifter to have.

I don't even hit "P" on the shifter to park. Just push the button to stop engine and it will also shift to park.

[adema24]

The people that died because of this had it coming. They would have found some other dumbass way of dying. At least they didn't take anyone else out with em.

[sstarrx3]

Originally Posted by BoomWasabi

I don't even hit "P" on the shifter to park. Just push the button to stop engine and it will also shift to park.

I do this accidently on occasion. I find it does an unsettling shutter when i do this, almost like an old car that likes to run after you shut it off then shakes when it does turn off. Don"t like that!

[B.a.f]

Originally Posted by sstarrx3

I do this accidently on occasion. I find it does an unsettling shutter when i do this, almost like an old car that likes to run after you shut it off then shakes when it does turn off. Don"t like that!

I do that almost every time and never noticed the behavior you describe (can't possibly happen with fuel injected engines...). The engine nicely shuts down, then (0.5 to 1 second later) the transmission switches to "P"

[shark715]

Originally Posted by Alpine F31

The comfort access wont lock the car even if the engine is not running if the key fob is in the car. The trunk also will not close if the key is inside the trunk, running or not.

Yes, that's what's supposed to happen.

But on our X5 with Comfort Access and power tailgate I was leaving my office late in the evening last winter with temperatures in the single digits dressed in shorts on the way to the gym (yeah, stupid me for being outside in shorts even for the short 100 foot walk from the building door to the car), walked up to the rear of the car carrying my gym bag with the key fob in the gym bag, the keyfob allowed me to open the tailgate with the button by the license plate, threw my bag in the back of the X5, pressed the button on the inside of the tailgate to shut it, and walked around to the driver's door only to find that CAS would not unlock it to let me in the car despite the keyfob being inside. Went back to the tailgate and CAS would now not open the tailgate either.

You can guess where my cellphone and building access card were (yeah, inside the gym bag inside the car). So, what am I going to do now? (dressed in gym shorts in a deserted office building parking lot about 8PM with the temperature about 4 above, and not within walking distance of any sort of shelter).

Holy crap! What have I gotten myself into???

Lucky for me, after about 5 minutes, I saw someone else coming out of the building, and I begged and pleaded with him to let me back inside, and I was able to get back to my office.

Called BMW Roadside Assistance, and one of the first things they asked was for the X5's VIN, which of course I had no way to get for them. They would not respond without it. Luckily, even at that late hour, they were able to call the dealer where I had it recently serviced, and they were able to look it up.

[Alpine F31]

Originally Posted by shark715

Yes, that's what's supposed to happen.
...... walked up to the rear of the car carrying my gym bag with the key fob in the gym bag, the keyfob allowed me to open the tailgate with the button by the license plate, threw my bag in the back of the X5, pressed the button on the inside of the tailgate to shut it

I'm surprised the gate closed with the key inside. It should not have.

Originally Posted by shark715

[I] walked around to the driver's door only to find that CAS would not unlock it to let me in the car despite the keyfob being inside. Went back to the tailgate and CAS would now not open the tailgate either.

This part is correct. It should NOT open the door from the outside when the key is inside, otherwise anyone can open your door while you are inside with the door locked. The screw up is that your gate closed with the key inside while the doors were locked. If I try to close my trunk with the key inside the trunk will not latch. I figured that out by accident and thought the trunk was broken. Then I realized my key was in the trunk, took it out and problem solved. The only think I don't like about comfort access is that it doesn't come standard on the car.

[allthatisntnow]

By that logic, the nimrods that leave their cars running and walk away expecting them to turn off should never even get off the driveway. They'd be sitting there dribbling waiting for the car to start itself without any user input. Some people.

[kz1000]

Press button twice.
Exit vehicle.
Lock door.
Don't die.


It's easy!

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Dattebayo

I don't know about yall BMWs, but my car turns itself off after the keys leave a couple feet away from the car. I know cause I typically keep the car running while I stop at my mailbox and if I don't park it literally an arms length away, the car will turn off when I move to the mailbox.

First off, let me state that I am not in favor of the aforementioned lawsuit. Folks need to learn how to properly use the equipment they purchase.

Having said that and as an M235i owner since May, 2014...

I rented a new X3 2.8i in Tucson for a week last January. I was running errands one day for my ailing mom and ended up at the nearby super market. When I returned to the car, I was surprised to see that the engine was still running. Now please keep in mind that I carried the Fob several hundred feet away and into a building. The X3 did not care. It kept running. And I know I pressed the big button.

[Dattebayo]

Originally Posted by Pyewacket69

Do you have it in Eco mode when it shuts down?

I've gotten out of my car, left it running, locked the car and walked away just to see if it was possible. (I never put the car in Eco mode)

The car beeped as I was exiting the vehicle to alert me, but it never shut down during the 5-8 minutes I was away from the car while it sat and idled in my driveway.

I have it in comfort mode. It could be because I have a 6MT that it turns off. Albeit, the computer does continue to say ignition is on, but I will push the cluch, put it into gear and the engine will be off. Not sure if this is an error with the programming for a MT, but that is just my experience.

[shark715]

I would prefer that that the attorneys stick to their chosen profession versus trying to play automotive engineer.

With what they are suggesting, consider the scenario where you are out running errands with your wife, GF, partner, etc., you happen to be the one driving, and they happen to be the one carrying the keyfob. You drop them off to run into a store while you go run a different errand down the street.

With the way CAS works today, as they walk away from the car you will get a message that the keyfob is out of range (or a similar message), which is your warning not to shut the car off as you won't be able to re-start it. This scenario has happened to me on more than one occasion.

I, for one, don't want the car deciding when it's going to shut itself off, potentially leaving me stranded.

Similar scenario when the battery in your keyfob runs out of power, although in my experience with our X5 you do get repeated warnings that the battery is failing and needs replacement.

If cruise control were just coming to market today, I could see similar lawsuits with attorneys claiming that the manufacturers should have known that some owners did not understand that the car would not stop itself.

My answer is the same as others here have indicated...if you are incapable of understanding and remembering that, then it's likely you are not capable of correctly operating a vehicle without endangering everyone else on the road.