Unattended Starting

[krspring]

First time, maybe, second time confirmed! My wife has left work twice to find her 3.8 Coupe running and idling in her parking spot. Both times the car was locked, key with her, but the coupe was running. Anybody else have this happen? The second time we experienced it, the only possibility was that there was new BMW parked beside her for a time; wondering if there was RF interference between the two cars as it left before she did. But still cannot figure out what would cause the car to start!
2010 3.8 Touring Coupe

 

[ImInPA]

First time, maybe, second time confirmed! My wife has left work twice to find her 3.8 Coupe running and idling in her parking spot. Both times the car was locked, key with her, but the coupe was running. Anybody else have this happen? The second time we experienced it, the only possibility was that there was new BMW parked beside her for a time; wondering if there was RF interference between the two cars as it left before she did. But still cannot figure out what would cause the car to start!
2010 3.8 Touring Coupe

Well, if that's her story, and she is sticking to it, then I wish you the best of luck in getting help with this one. Perhaps you could drop the car off at a BMW dealer and come back later to see if it started on its own. My money says that it is far more likely that, because the genny is so quiet, she is getting out and leaving it running once and a while. With the rolling security codes it would truly be a horrible bug if just RF interference could start the car and unlikely that yours would be the only one affected. Of course it could be aliens....lol. I will be curious to see how many other's have reported such a thing. Have you installed a remote start system in the car?

 

[Soledad]

Does she have the key start or the push button start? When you leave a push button start car with the key fob and the car is still running it makes a very loud and very noticeable beeeeeeeeeep sound. I've done it many times and it's kind of embarrassing.

 

[krspring]

It is the push button start. And the car was confirmed to be off by another worker when they arrived. I know weird; makes no sense to me. And it hasn't happened to me when I've driven the car. I am ready to trade the keyless FOB for a good old fashioned key!

 

[STREETS]

Electronic RFID fobs have over 13 million code combinations- plus one needs to hit the start button. Very strange indeed.

 

[ImInPA]

Electronic RFID fobs have over 13 million code combinations- plus one needs to hit the start button. Very strange indeed.

Agreed. It just doesn't make sense that, even if some other remote passed the correct codes, that the circiut could be closed to send power to the starter without pushing the button. There is obviously some missing information here.

 

[darrell]

Electronic RFID fobs have over 13 million code combinations- plus one needs to hit the start button. Very strange indeed.

Foot on the break also to activate the Start button.Very strange indeed!

 

[ImInPA]

Foot on the break also to activate the Start button.Very strange indeed!

Excellent point.

 

[Bernie]

I agree with one of the previous posts...the car is so quiet that I've caught myself twice exiting the car, then attempting to lock the car... only to realize the car was still running. The main clue was not the engine noise, it was the car beeping at me (long single beep) when I tried to lock it.