Update: One Down, One to Go!
Concerned about the BMW sitting undriven for several days and the light being on 24/7, I removed fuse 43 as it seemed to disable the illumination in question for the time being to preserve the drain on the battery. I had the battery tested and confirmed that it is top operating condition (it was replaced just a year ago). I recently purchased a can of foaming evaporator cleaner to freshen up the A/C and while planning my attack on the evaporator, I can across some loose wires in the glove box that appear to have become detached from the light inside the glove box. Knowing that I must remove the glove box in order to access the evaporator through the final stage resistor housing, I did so and took the opportunity to repair the loose wires and clean the evaporator. Upon reassembling the car, I popped the fuses back in to see if by some random chance the problems had been resolved. To my surprise, one of the two issue did resolve itself after the repair; that is, the illumination issue with the odometer and headlight control switch is now resolved. Perhaps the wiring being out cause this issue, or perhaps the BMW gods have smiled upon me on this day—don’t really care so long as the problem is resolved. That’s one down, one more to go.
I also tested the key remote with an RF detector to confirm that the key is in fact sending a signal and that the battery is not dead. I have spent the better part of an hour trying to reprogram the key according to online sources with no success. I removed the rear C pillar cover to expose the antenna to inspect for any obvious solutions—nothing jumped out at me as being wrong, so still needing some assistance on this matter. To summarize, the key fob does not function to lock or unlock the vehicle, even from a short distance. The central locking system functions without issue through the use of the key manually in the door and through the button in the center console. The key appears to be sending an RF signal at 315 MHz and to have at least a sufficient charge of battery to register on the RF tester.
I am slightly outside of my area of expertise on this issue; if anyone has more extensive knowledge of the central locking system, the key remote function, or any other knowledge or advice that may help me to further diagnose and resolve this issue, your help is greatly appreciated.
Concerned about the BMW sitting undriven for several days and the light being on 24/7, I removed fuse 43 as it seemed to disable the illumination in question for the time being to preserve the drain on the battery. I had the battery tested and confirmed that it is top operating condition (it was replaced just a year ago). I recently purchased a can of foaming evaporator cleaner to freshen up the A/C and while planning my attack on the evaporator, I can across some loose wires in the glove box that appear to have become detached from the light inside the glove box. Knowing that I must remove the glove box in order to access the evaporator through the final stage resistor housing, I did so and took the opportunity to repair the loose wires and clean the evaporator. Upon reassembling the car, I popped the fuses back in to see if by some random chance the problems had been resolved. To my surprise, one of the two issue did resolve itself after the repair; that is, the illumination issue with the odometer and headlight control switch is now resolved. Perhaps the wiring being out cause this issue, or perhaps the BMW gods have smiled upon me on this day—don’t really care so long as the problem is resolved. That’s one down, one more to go.
I also tested the key remote with an RF detector to confirm that the key is in fact sending a signal and that the battery is not dead. I have spent the better part of an hour trying to reprogram the key according to online sources with no success. I removed the rear C pillar cover to expose the antenna to inspect for any obvious solutions—nothing jumped out at me as being wrong, so still needing some assistance on this matter. To summarize, the key fob does not function to lock or unlock the vehicle, even from a short distance. The central locking system functions without issue through the use of the key manually in the door and through the button in the center console. The key appears to be sending an RF signal at 315 MHz and to have at least a sufficient charge of battery to register on the RF tester.
I am slightly outside of my area of expertise on this issue; if anyone has more extensive knowledge of the central locking system, the key remote function, or any other knowledge or advice that may help me to further diagnose and resolve this issue, your help is greatly appreciated.
