[RachelS]

I just found out that you should cycle your key fob every 30 days.

It means that you should switch off from one to the other so that they don't go dead. They charge themselves as you drive.

FYI

Rach

[YYdoodle]

Ah good idea. Didn't think of doing that.

[silverado]

But remember that a lot of your car settings are associated with the key. When you change your key, you should find that many of your settings will change. This includes many of the settings that you can adjust using iDrive, in addition to car seat position and others that are set by the dealer (that's why dealers call it "key" programming).

[johnfkitchen]

That's a good reminder, thanks, Rachel!

The good news is that the manual (page 28) gives you more time than 30 days:

"Each remote control has an integrated key. Power is supplied by a long-life rechargeable battery that is automatically recharged when it is in the ignition lock while the car is being driven. Consequently, you should use each remote control at least twice a year in order to keep the batteries charged."

PS. A little more careful reading reveals that the user profile is not governed by which FOB is in the ignition, but which unlocked the car. That makes it even easier.

Page 29:
"When you unlock the car, the remote control
used for the purpose is recognized and the settings
stored for it are called up and implemented."

[e90fanatic]

what happens if ur remote goes dead? will all info be erased or is all the settings stored on the car?

[johnfkitchen]

Originally Posted by e90fanatic

what happens if ur remote goes dead? will all info be erased or is all the settings stored on the car?

This is a guess based on having worked in technology for a long time - I expect that the information is stored in the FOB in a non-volatile memory that retains its content even with a dead battery. I'm 90+% confident of this, but it's still a guess.

[RachelS]

Does anyone know what setting are stored in the fob.

I think the seat position is...how about temp?

[silverado]

This is a guess too. The information may be stored in the car, not the fob. The fob may have an ID and the car can store settings for a bunch of fob ID's. IMO, the car is a more appropritate place for storing such information since it has a lot of storage and sophisticated computing hardware that's used for many functions. Makes producing the key fobs a lot easier and cheaper. For example, in addition to eliminating the need for writable storage on the key fob, the fob would not need to receive any information; all it would have to do is transmit its ID.

[johnfkitchen]

I think you are correct about them being stored in the car. I read this incorrectly, sorry.

As to what is stored, the answer is on page 29 of the Owners Manual. It's a lot of stuff!


Response of the central locking system when the car is unlocked
Automatic locking of the vehicle
Automatic adjustment of the driver's seat and the exterior mirrors after unlocking
Functions assigned to the programmable buttons on the steering wheel
12h/24h mode of the clock
Date format
Brightness of the Control Display
Language on the Control Display
Units of measure for fuel consumption, distance covered/remaining distances, and temperature
Show visual warning for Park Distance Control PDC
Automatic climate control: AUTO program, activating/deactivating cooling function and automatic recirculated-air control, setting temperature, air flow rate and distribution
Audio volume
Tone control
Speed-dependent volume control

[RachelS]

wow....mmm sound good to me....

[CC 330i]

Very interesting and informative topic! Thank you!

I remember reading that in the manual but I had forgotten. I noticed already that when I use my wife's key, the seat memory buttons not "remember" my 2 settings for the seat, so I guess each key has 2 button memory for the seats, so we really have 4 possible seat memory positions total. Pretty cool!

[dchickles]

I wonder how you charge the fob when you have Comfort Access. Any European owners know?

[ward]

you probably don't need to charge it ,

probably works just like a fast pass bridge toll thingy

[UncleWede]

The FOB (what does that stand for?) also stores the VIN and mileage on the vehicle, at least the amount when it was removed. I took my FOB into the dealer, he inserted into a reader connected to his computer, and was able to pull mileage and VIN to generate teh service request.

[cpcollin]

I don't think it (fob) stands for anything in this context.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_fob

[Broken1]

Originally Posted by dchickles

I wonder how you charge the fob when you have Comfort Access. Any European owners know?

According to the sales person, with comfort access...once every 6months to a year, you need to drive a 30-60 minute journey with your key in the ignition to charge it. The fob also has a long life battery. BUT I will be able to tell you the definate answer sometime soon!

[1km]

Originally Posted by cpcollin

I don't think it (fob) stands for anything in this context.

Hi - I haven't posted here before, so I'll confine this test to a bit of trivia.

A fob is a chain or ribbon used to attach a watch to a waistcoat, or the pocket used to hold the watch - hence fob watch. It also means an ornament hung on such a chain - what we might now call a pendant.

As watch chains have evolved to become key chains and key rings, the term for the attached ornament has stayed the same.

Fob: possibly from the German Fuppe - a pocket.

Oh, and I love my new E90!