Poltergeists? .... My E39 unlocks itself at random. Any thoughts?

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reverse - 21 Jan 2008 22:14 GMT

2002 E39. I have recently been leaving it in a rented space in a lot
close to my home at night. Four times since I've begun using the lotI
have returned to find either the driver's door or all doors unlocked.
First, even the second, time, I figured I didn't lock it. But the next
two times, I know it was locked when I left it.

Anyone have any ideas what might cause this?

I've considered that someone parking nearby has the same key
frequency? Not likely, but is it possible? Anyone understand the
security to know if it's possible. If so, what's the fix? Parking
where I live is near impossible at night and it took me a long time to
get this space, so I cannot easily move to a new space somewhere.

Or, can there be something in the car itself that triggers the locks?
Some weird short?

I have one key that no longer works on any of its remote functions and
the other that has lost some of them (resetting the seat position for
example) but still works the door locks. Could that be related?

Help please before someone else discovers that the car's unlocked
regularly. Not that I leave anything of value in it, but....

much thanks for any advice.

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Dodgy - 24 Jan 2008 12:37 GMT

Personally I'd try to rule out some of the possibles.

If you can, take the battery out of the remote central locking keys,
all of them, and go back to the "old fashioned" way of opening and
closing the doors.

That way you can find if it's your own key fob is doing it.

Dodgy.

>2002 E39. I have recently been leaving it in a rented space in a lot
>close to my home at night. Four times since I've begun using the lotI
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
>much thanks for any advice.

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R. Mark Clayton - 24 Jan 2008 14:14 GMT

> Personally I'd try to rule out some of the possibles.
>
> If you can, take the battery out of the remote central locking keys,
> all of them, and go back to the "old fashioned" way of opening and
> closing the doors.

Except you can't take the battery out and the car won't start without it.

> That way you can find if it's your own key fob is doing it.
>
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>>
>>much thanks for any advice.

Reply to this Message

Jeff Strickland - 24 Jan 2008 17:35 GMT

The key fob only works for a few feet, mine says it works up to 200 feet,
but as a practical matter I find it only works about 50 feet, and frequenlty
less than that.

Operating the locking system the "old fashioned way" makes sense, sort of,
but all one need to to isolate the fob is to take it out of radio range.
Having said that, I can lock my car the old fashioned way and still unlock
it with the button -- the point being that this is not a definitive test.

> Personally I'd try to rule out some of the possibles.
>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>>
>>much thanks for any advice.

Reply to this Message

R. Mark Clayton - 24 Jan 2008 22:51 GMT

> The key fob only works for a few feet, mine says it works up to 200 feet,
> but as a practical matter I find it only works about 50 feet, and
> frequenlty less than that.

I have got as far as 50m on mine, and it might work even further.

> Operating the locking system the "old fashioned way" makes sense, sort of,
> but all one need to to isolate the fob is to take it out of radio range.
> Having said that, I can lock my car the old fashioned way and still unlock
> it with the button -- the point being that this is not a definitive test.

Indeed. The other element is the RFID type mechanism that works in
conjunction with ignition lock.

I was also supplied with a 'dead' key, which IIRC merely requires
reprogramming, so I might try umlocking and starting with that, to see what
happens if you lose the only 'live' one.

>> Personally I'd try to rule out some of the possibles.
>>
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>>>
>>>much thanks for any advice.

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