[3.0L]

I recently had an odd experience with a rented X3. I had parked the car in a lot, then walked off to do some brief shopping. I thought I had shut off the engine and accessories by pushing the Start button twice. When I returned about 10 minutes later, I was shocked to see that the engine was running!

How was this possible when I had the wireless key in my pocket? Shouldn't the car have disabled itself when I walked away?

[ska///235i]

U can leave the engine running and lock the car..thats if you have the keys with you

If the keys are still inside the car then you cant lock the doors

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by ska///235i

U can leave the engine running and lock the car

I did lock the car as I walked away. At least I now feel a little better about doing a numb-skull thing.

[jbenington86]

Only thing I can think of is it may have been in the "ready" and once the power consumption went up so high from acessories the engine kicked back on? Not even sure if this is possible either haven't screwed around with the ignition system enough to know everything that is possible.

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by jbenington86

Only thing I can think of is it may have been in the "ready" and once the power consumption went up so high from acessories the engine kicked back on? Not even sure if this is possible either haven't screwed around with the ignition system enough to know everything that is possible.

Yeah, this "feature" does concern me a bit. I'm going try this trick with my M235i and see what transpires. I'd like to think that if I left the engine running and then walked away without looking the doors (key in pocket), the engine would shut down.

[CE750Jockey]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I recently had an odd experience with a rented X3. I had parked the car in a lot, then walked off to do some brief shopping. I thought I had shut off the engine and accessories by pushing the Start button twice. When I returned about 10 minutes later, I was shocked to see that the engine was running!

How was this possible when I had the wireless key in my pocket? Shouldn't the car have disabled itself when I walked away?

Here's what happened. I'm guessing that when you hit the button twice to shut it down that you had your foot on the brake. The first push WILL turn the engine off, but if you still have your foot on the brake, the second push will restart the engine, not turn off the accessories.

[todd hollander]

Originally Posted by 3.0L

I recently had an odd experience with a rented X3. I had parked the car in a lot, then walked off to do some brief shopping. I thought I had shut off the engine and accessories by pushing the Start button twice. When I returned about 10 minutes later, I was shocked to see that the engine was running!

How was this possible when I had the wireless key in my pocket? Shouldn't the car have disabled itself when I walked away?

If you had your foot on the brake and hit the button twice, you probably restarted the car!

[alz0rz]

This is possible on the M235i and all BMW's with Push Start.

[th1rd3y3]

Hell my wife drove my car without the key. We swapped cars after picking hers up at the body shop one day and I had both keys in my pocket. I got back to work and she got to the grocery store and realized she had no keys for my car.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by th1rd3y3

Hell my wife drove my car without the key. We swapped cars after picking hers up at the body shop one day and I had both keys in my pocket. I got back to work and she got to the grocery store and realized she had no keys for my car.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

So lets say you stopped to get lotto tickets & its cold outside. You get out with key in your pocket and leave it running, lock the door and go in the store. A thief comes along and thinks he needs your car more than you, breaks the window, gets in and tries to drive away.......can he? or what if you forgot to lock the door and he just jumps in since he did not want to make a mess our of your spiffy ride. I would think there would be some kind of safety feature that would stop the car from driving away without the key. I will have to experiment this weekend. Hell sometimes when I try to reverse the car with the door open it auto goes into park to prevent any damage or accident.

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by ehagerty

So lets say you stopped to get lotto tickets & its cold outside. You get out with key in your pocket and leave it running, lock the door and go in the store. A thief comes along and thinks he needs your car more than you, breaks the window, gets in and tries to drive away.......can he? or what if you forgot to lock the door and he just jumps in since he did not want to make a mess our of your spiffy ride. I would think there would be some kind of safety feature that would stop the car from driving away without the key. I will have to experiment this weekend. Hell sometimes when I try to reverse the car with the door open it auto goes into park to prevent any damage or accident.

You did not have to waste your time with the story as the scenario was explained 2 posts above...
Once the engine is running, you can drive away with no key in your possession...

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by ska///235i

U can leave the engine running and lock the car..thats if you have the keys with you

If the keys are still inside the car then you cant lock the doors

I locked my keys in my car about a month ago so don't believe that. Went running, came back to car and threw my fanny pack in the trunk with the keys in it and the trunk would not open so I was screwed.

[horsepower_and_hounds]

Originally Posted by dr335is

You did not have to waste your time with the story as the scenario was explained 2 posts above...
Once the engine is running, you can drive away with no key in your possession...

Oh sorry....I thought that was a joke.

[BEAR-AvHistory]

It will run without the key but am pretty sure it will not start again if its turned off.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

I locked my keys in my car about a month ago so don't believe that. Went running, came back to car and threw my fanny pack in the trunk with the keys in it and the trunk would not open so I was screwed.

You didn't lock the doors though. The trunk lid isn't a door.

It is not possible to lock the passenger or drivers side door without the key. You must either use the physical key or the remote button to lock the doors outside the car. Even if you hit the central locking button while either door is open it will only unlock the doors and not lock them unless you close the door and obviously if you are pressing the central locking button you will be in the car.

Only special situations will let the doors lock without doing anything. Like if you unlock the car it will auto lock if no doors are opened.

[chaswyck1]

This is one of the more confusing threads I've read in a while. Remember when it was easy to unlock the car, start the engine, turn the engine off and lock the car again? I have to say though that I've had this BMW system for three years now because my MINI had comfort access and the double press start/stop button and I have never once left the engine running nor have I ever left the keys in the car because they never leave my pocket.

[Lucky13]

Originally Posted by jbenington86

You didn't lock the doors though. The trunk lid isn't a door.

It is not possible to lock the passenger or drivers side door without the key. You must either use the physical key or the remote button to lock the doors outside the car. Even if you hit the central locking button while either door is open it will only unlock the doors and not lock them unless you close the door and obviously if you are pressing the central locking button you will be in the car.

Only special situations will let the doors lock without doing anything. Like if you unlock the car it will auto lock if no doors are opened.

The car doors were locked as I was out running, came back to the car and touched the trunk and opened it while my key was in my fanny pack, threw the fanny pack in the trunk and shut it and then I could not get into the car.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

The car doors were locked as I was out running, came back to the car and touched the trunk and opened it while my key was in my fanny pack, threw the fanny pack in the trunk and shut it and then I could not get into the car.

Do you have CA?

[Lucky13]

Yes, standing 2 feet from the car and opening the trunk with the doors locked shouldn't be any different than having the key sitting 1 foot inside the trunk but the trunk wouldn't not open. I didn't do it on purpose but I was surprised the trunk wouldn't open when I grabbed the trunk release since the key was literally moved 3 feet closer (inside) the car.

[jbenington86]

Originally Posted by Lucky13

Yes, standing 2 feet from the car and opening the trunk with the doors locked shouldn't be any different than having the key sitting 1 foot inside the trunk but the trunk wouldn't not open. I didn't do it on purpose but I was surprised the trunk wouldn't open when I grabbed the trunk release since the key was literally moved 3 feet closer (inside) the car.

Well in that case the trunk should have opened but I don't rely on this tech.

Seems I have saved myself money and problems all in one.

[chaswyck1]

Comfort access doesn't work if the key is in the car. How it knows is anybody's guess, but it does make it impossible to lock your keys in the car unless you lock them in the trunk