[northernmonkey]

or drive it yourself and just let your mate hold the key is probably the option I'd go for

out of curiosity how many people on here who think this is a problem is this the first car you've had that used a keyless drive system and/or stop/start button? just wondered as for me its not an issue, i guess the 3 years i owned the E92 i got so used to pushing the engine stop/start button that its just natural to do that now. i guess if i'd come straight from my old E60 where it still had them old fashioned ignition barrel things i would definitely be forgetting to press that button now and then as well.

[RCUK]

My 335d had the button .. but also had a slot for the key so had to stop the car to remove the key.

Can see this one being a prob as people think 'ah got me key .. off i go' ... and engine still on.

[Jon D]

Originally Posted by RCUK

Thinking about the insurance bit .... gues as you would have the key in your possession they would not (and you would not) know u left the car running.

Time for an experiment!!
Anyone willing to start their engine .. then get out with the key in their possession ... and let a mate drive it down the road to see if he can - and how far he gets? Curious as to whether the car will drive - or whether it just 'runs'

It will definitely drive without the key being within range as evidenced on one of my earlier test drives.
The salesman took the car to refuel it and then handed it over to me with the engine running and off I went - yes, you've guessed it, with the key in the salesman's pocket and not mine.
I was away for about 4 hours at distances of up to 80 miles from the garage and only realised I didn't have the key when I returned to the garage and tried to lock the car.
Good job I didn't stop for a coffee!

[RichardM]

I did it at a petrol station the other day, left the car running without realising. I'm not sure why though as my previous 2 cars had keyless start and I never forgot to turn them off. It must be the super refined engine!

[Chuckfireswift]

Having had a 2006 E61 520d before my current F10 520d, I was pretty used to the whole stop/start button thing (But of course on the E61 the key had to be in the hole). I did the same thsi morning. I stopped at my office got out of the car (thinking I had turned it off) and walked away, I came back a while ago to drive back home and heard the engine running (traffic noise had reduced by now as Rush Hour was over).

As a result, I tried the above experiment. I got home, got out of the car with the key and gave it to my wife. I got back in the car (engine still running) and attempted to drive it away. As I put in into drive, the alarm 'binged' and warned me the remote was not present and I could not 'start' the car.... I then expected it to cut out...but it didn't. I drove off and went around the block with full functionality as if the key were right there with me.

I too now join the list of F10 owners who must remember to be very careful from now on!!!

[james d]

Would you say that having to remove a normal key from the ignition of a car is a design flaw? Can't imagine coming to a stop and not pressing the button(normally press it twice to turn off screen/radio) before getting out of the car.Positive cars have been stolen with keys in ignition and engine running since cars had keys,feel it's more a flaw in some people's central nervous system than anything else,sorry!

[Shake n Bake]

It's a pointless gimmick. You still have to take the key from your pocket to lock and unlock, a pain when carrying kids, shopping, briefcase etc. Why a proximity sensor for starting but not for door locks?

Then with no key ignition you are left with that big bulky thing stuck in your pocket as you drive.

Pointless. Totally pointless gimmick.

But worse by far is the ability to be able to drive off without the key. Entirely feasible to find yourself 100 miles from home, engine off and unable to restart.

[shiner]

Anyone know for sure the engine runs on until its out of gas? It would be very easy to fashion a watchdog timer inside the engine management computer that says "I haven't moved forward in half an hour and the throttle, brakes clutch etc have not been touched, and the pressure sensor in the drivers seat says no one is sitting there - I'll switch off". That would be a simple fix.

I agree, no matter how careful you are, sooner or later you are going to be on that stressful mobile call on your monthly sales call when you pull up at the train station. Or the kids are screaming in the rear seat at the Supermarket. And your gonna get out and leave the engine running. Its an accident waiting to happen.

[rsash]

Hello, New guy here.

Think about this one.

Went to the football the other day, wife dropped me off and went in the car to the other side of town shopping.

Half way through the game I tapped my pocket and thought, Oh! the car keys are in my pocket, not in the car. I hope the Missus has her set of keys with her.

Spent the rest of the match wondering if she got to Sainsbury's, turned the car off and could not restart it.
Luckily her keys were in her handbag.

So now I always put the keys in the centre cup holder and make sure we know where they when we get out.

Ash

[Shake n Bake]

Originally Posted by rsash

Hello, New guy here.

Think about this one.

Went to the football the other day, wife dropped me off and went in the car to the other side of town shopping.

Half way through the game I tapped my pocket and thought, Oh! the car keys are in my pocket, not in the car. I hope the Missus has her set of keys with her.

Spent the rest of the match wondering if she got to Sainsbury's, turned the car off and could not restart it.
Luckily her keys were in her handbag.

So now I always put the keys in the centre cup holder and make sure we know where they when we get out.

Ash

It's rubbish design isn't it.

[GestapoWatch]

Originally Posted by RCUK

My 335d had the button .. but also had a slot for the key so had to stop the car to remove the key.

Can see this one being a prob as people think 'ah got me key .. off i go' ... and engine still on.

Same and I still reach for the non-existent key every now and then! Doh!

[The Mewster]

For all the comments about driving off without the key in the car, did you not notice the big warning on the black panel display saying 'warning key not in vehicle, engine start not possible' (or something along those lines)?

[K900]

I had the same problem with a Lexus LS but made sure it only happened once,

Nobody tried ti drive it away so I do not know if that would have been possible.

John

[Shake n Bake]

Originally Posted by The Mewster

For all the comments about driving off without the key in the car, did you not notice the big warning on the black panel display saying 'warning key not in vehicle, engine start not possible' (or something along those lines)?

That is not the issue. The scenario is that once the engine is running the person who has the key in their pocket/handbag etc leaves the car.

You then go on your way merrily up the motorway, stop at the services 75 miles from home, turn off the engine and.......

[The Mewster]

Originally Posted by Shake n Bake

That is not the issue. The scenario is that once the engine is running the person who has the key in their pocket/handbag etc leaves the car.

You then go on your way merrily up the motorway, stop at the services 75 miles from home, turn off the engine and.......

But in that situation there's a warning on the dash shown while the engine is running, so I'd be surprised (and quite worried) if someone were able to drive any distance without realising that the key was missing.

...actually just been out and tried it to check! Start engine, leave running, took key out of car - warning on black panel display saying 'remote control, no engine start' and picture of a key with a cross through it, plus entire nav screen showing a big warning saying something along the lines of 'key not present, or key fault, engine start not possible!'.

To be honest, if someone ignores all of that lot they should probably have the keys taken away from them permanently!

...that is of course I'm missing some scenario where it's possible to leave the key somewhere?

[xenon]

I'm inclined to agree with The Mewster - I can possibly imagine leaving the engine running and locking the car but I can't see how you could drive it without the key being present and fail to notice the multiple warnings.

[Shake n Bake]

Originally Posted by The Mewster

But in that situation there's a warning on the dash shown while the engine is running, so I'd be surprised (and quite worried) if someone were able to drive any distance without realising that the key was missing.

...actually just been out and tried it to check! Start engine, leave running, took key out of car - warning on black panel display saying 'remote control, no engine start' and picture of a key with a cross through it, plus entire nav screen showing a big warning saying something along the lines of 'key not present, or key fault, engine start not possible!'.

To be honest, if someone ignores all of that lot they should probably have the keys taken away from them permanently!

...that is of course I'm missing some scenario where it's possible to leave the key somewhere?

I have egg on my face. I've never tested the scenario and hadn't realised all those visual warnings were there. I have to agree. That would be bloody hard to miss.

Hopefully I never find out.

[blaz]

is this a correct summary?

you are unlikely to turn the car off if the scenario is that you are driving without the key because you will notice the signs and can hopefully get back as far as the key.

but if the scenario is that you locked the car without turning it off you lose fuel, lubricant quality, engine quality and maybe your window and your car?

[plusman]

Picture this:

Get into car (key in pocket). Put foot on brake. Press start button to activate electronics, etc. Press start button again to start engine. Put into Drive and release parking brake. Drive off. Simples.

At end of drive.

Keep foot on brake and press "P" to put auto box into park. Lift up parking brake lever to engage. Press stop button to turn off engine. Press stop button again to turn off electronics - but since foot is still on brake, engine restarts. But because it is noisy outside as I open the car door, I don't notice that engine is still running. Get out and lock car. Engine still running. Key in hand. Walk away. Engine still running. Doh!

Message to self: remember to lift foot from brake when turning off electronics and engine at end of drive.

Dear BMW: Why doesn't the engine turn off when you lock the car or when key is more than say, 10m, from the car?

[Mac B]

Dear BMW: Why doesn't the engine turn off when you lock the car or when key is more than say, 10m, from the car?[/QUOTE]

You have it dead right! Why would anyone want to have the engine running in a locked car? - there are many damaging consequences as mentioned in various posts above.

[SilentHawk]

The following doesn't help if you've left the engine running, but for the other scenario - where you've driven off and the key has gone in another direction - my E60 used to have a "spare" emergency key in the main glove compartment that could be inserted into the ignition slot and would enable engine start, immobiliser off etc. Anybody know if the F10 has this (I haven't looked, and not near my car at the moment). If there was an emergency key of this type it could be placed on the steering column where the two marks are (for keys that have dead batteries)...

[itf joegun]

I like the function of leaving the engine running after locking the car. This is because sometimes, after going out with my dog, I go to a store to buy some things for the eating.

In summer I can leave the car turned on and the doggy will not take to much heat in the car until I am back. Same in the winter, I can leave the car on and the doggy will not freeze

So for me it is a very good function and I like it much.