Non-repeating electrical gremlins

[DSilk]

Over the past 2 weeks my car has exhibited, on 2 seperate occasions, a couple of odd gremlins that each occurred just once and have not reappeared. With the first, I had driven to work and when I parked my car and tried to open the driver's side door from inside the door handle did not unlock the car. I used the button on the dash to unlock, and since then the system has worked flawlessly. Odd.

On the second occasion my wife and I had gone out to dinner in seperate cars (since we were both coming from our respective offices). After dinner when I was approaching my car I unlocked it with the key fob. As I got closer I heard a sound like the ventilation system on full blast. Now my car has a set up where I can program it to ventilate the car before I get in, but I hadn't set it. When I opened the door I realized that the sound was static from the driver's door speaker and it was on full volume. I tried lowering the volume knob, turning the radio on and off, relocking and unlocking the car, but the static continued until my wife called me to ask why I wasn't leaving. As soon as I answered my cellphone (it's hooked up to the car via bluetooth) the static stopped and everything returned to normal.

I cannot imagine what might have caused these, but there has been no hint of a problem since. Water is not an issue, since my car is always garaged, both at home and at my office and it wasn't raining when either of these issues cropped up.

[monterey]

is your car programmed to unlock the car when you turn off the ignition? when you say you try to open the door with the handle was the indicator up or down?

[DSilk]

Originally Posted by monterey

is your car programmed to unlock the car when you turn off the ignition? when you say you try to open the door with the handle was the indicator up or down?

No, it's programmed to unlock with the first pull of the interior latch release handle. The door button was down and failed to come up when I pulled the handle despite numerous tries. I finally used the button, which immediately unlocked the door(s), and the problem has not recurred.

[monterey]

On my car, the first pull physically pops the lock up, 2nd pull unlocks the door.

[DSilk]

Originally Posted by monterey

On my car, the first pull physically pops the lock up, 2nd pull unlocks the door.

On mine the first pull pops the lock up and unlocks it, while the second pull unlatches and opens the door. I suspect we are saying the same thing.

[monterey]

I'm confused when you say it's "programmed" to unlock with the first pull. I programmed my car to unlock when I turn off the ignition.

[UPSROD]

Mine also unlocks when the ignition is turned off, but takes two pulls to get the door open.

[DSilk]

Originally Posted by UPSROD

Mine also unlocks when the ignition is turned off, but takes two pulls to get the door open.

If it takes 2 pulls to open the door it isn't unlocked when you turn off the ignition. If you want to test it, drive the car and then park it. Turn off the ignition, and without touching the door handle have your wife or girlfriend try to open the door from outside. It won't open if the door is still locked (and I bet it will be). Two pulls are only required if the door isn't unlocked, since the first pull unlocks it and the second pull opent the door. You can program the door to unlock and open in a single pull (at least I could with my previous M3), but that isn't the default setting.

[kscarrol]

Have to say I've never heard of being able to program the single pull in the E9x.

Like others, you can program the locks in the iDrive to lock when you start moving and unlock when the ignition is turned off. If you don't have it programmed this way then when the car is turned off, the doors remain locked, requiring two pulls to unlock and open the door.