Just a quick note to the group in case this could in any way be similar your situation:
- Bought a CPO 2008 E91 with 2 fobs.
- Dealer thought it was supposed to have CA (battery in fob, ridges on door handles) but... no such luck, never worked. Mmeh, I still bought it.
- Drove it for a couple weeks with one fob, then discovered by accident the "backup" fob didn't work - AT ALL FOR ANYTHING (totally dead).
- Replaced the CR2032 battery in both fobs (as a precaution). Nope - Fob#2 still didn't work at all.
- Reset the dead fob by pressing it into the ignition pocket for 20+ seconds, with the "good" fob nearby (THANK YOU e90POST COMMUNITY FOR THIS INFORMATION) - FOB WORKS! Ok, yay me - but here's the extra added bonus:
- Getting out of the car, I again discover by accident (!) THIS (previously dead) FOB HAS COMFORT ACCESS! Woohoo!
So naturally the non-CA fob is now the "backup" fob, and I will be using the CA one for everyday use.
How does that happen though - I have ONE fob with CA and one without. Seems a little quirky to me, and I'm not paying the outrageous dealer fee to have it coded, that much is certain. I haven't yet found / read about an "easy" reliable way to recode CA for an unresponsive fob.
-e