2006 M45 "Key" indicator light stays on

[The00Dustin]

I recently purchased a used 2006 M45. It has three keys, as the previous owner had his dealership add the third one. All three will allow me to unlock and start the car, but the "Key" indicator light almost always stays on. I read in the manual that the vehicle needs taken to the dealership if the light stays on for more than a few seconds after the car is started, but I wanted to see if anyone could recommend anything I could try before trying to take it to a dealership (there are none near me).

More details:I started tinkering with this after I read the information about the light in the manual. I put the fob I always carry in the port in the dash and the lcd screen said "NO ID" (which the manual says means the key isn't programmed). The car then wouldn't start. I proceeded to remove the key from the port and then the car started fine. I was at work when this happened, so that was a major relief, but I don't know why it happened, and I haven't been able to get it to happen again.After that, I tried to get into the car when it was locked and I didn't have a key fob, the doors wouldn't unlock, so I know it is working for that. I don't think I tried to start it without the fob at any point.A few days later, I programmed two of the fobs to memory 1 and the other one to memory 2, as they weren't even programmed to memories. When I did this, I only had one fob at a time, going back on forth from the car to the house so as to make sure each was working. During the programming to the memories, I placed each of them in the port in the dash and started the car as well, not because the manual said to, but to try to see if I could get any other useful information, the car started with each of the fobs this time, in spite of what had previously happened with one of them. The key indicator light turned off once when I placed one of the keys in the port, but it came back on when I started the car.

I haven't done anything more with it, as I am not sure what more could be done with it short of going to a dealership, but I was searching and came across this forum (which I also searched without result), and thought I would solicit some advice. If anyone has any thoughts, I would appreciate the help.

Dustin

[SteveTheTech]

Welcome to Nico, congrats on the new to you M.

The first thing I would try is replacing the battery inside the remote. I really think it uses a CR2025 watch battery. For good measure you may want to change all three, I would be surprised if the light comes back on for a while.

[The00Dustin]

Thanks for the response. Unfortunately, I don't appear to be receiving e-mails from the forum, so I didn't even see it until yesterday. Anyway, I bought and installed a new battery in the fob I carry (the other two are stored anyway, the car isn't sensing them). The key light is still on. This doesn't really surprise me, as the manual says the tach screen would say low if the battery was low in the fob (like it said no id once). Unfortunately, I am only seeing the key light, consistently, and nothing else at all regarding it. As I said, the manual says take it to the dealer, and I may have to do that, but until then, any other suggestions are welcome. Thanks,Dustin

[SteveTheTech]

Other than battery replacement there is nothing you can actually do to it. It will require a trip to the dealer. It is more of a safety feature, but they will be able to fix that.

In the mean time if the car stops responding to the Start button, installing the fob in the port by the drivers left knee should allow you to unlock the steering lock solenoid and start the car. I would not wait too long though.

As for the email...the computer guys behind the scenes are working to upgrade some of the services like that and the bugs should be fixed pretty soon. If you check the site and click the recent topics it will show everything you have participated in in the last week.

[The00Dustin]

Well, I took it to a dealership, the keys tested fine, the antenna tested fine, and apparently the light shouldn't have been on, so they kept the car due to safety concerns and replaced the key control module on warranty. After the repair, the light is off when I think to look, I haven't verified that it comes on when I start the car, but I keep forgetting to check, and I wanted to update the thread.Dustin

Edit: The key light isn't burnt out, not that I really expected it would be, so all is well.

Modified by The00Dustin at 4:22 PM 7/16/2009
Modified by The00Dustin at 4:23 PM 7/16/2009

[szh]

I wanted to update the thread.

Thanks much! It is important when people get things fixed to let us all know the outcome.

Z