E89 Comfort Access Retrofit

Christopher72 · Post by **Christopher72** » Sun Oct 23, 2022 11:16 pm

The only promising thread I've been able to find for a comfort access retrofit is https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthre ... ort+access and it's for E90. Has anyone here taken it on? It seems like used parts wouldn't be too hard to find.

My thoughts are, if I'm going down the path to retrofit a PDC, rear-camera, Mr 12-volt, it would probably also be the best time to do the Comfort Access, since everything will be apart. Thoughts?

B21 · Post by **B21** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 9:06 am

Good luck with it, yes it should be plug n play but the devil is in the detail…ie coding…

AnubisZed · Post by **AnubisZed** » Mon Oct 24, 2022 8:19 pm

For what you gain, ie; not having to press your fob to unlock the car and not having to put your key in the slot and combined with all the parts you have to fit and wire in (no existing wiring is there!) along with the coding, I've thought about it but totally dismissed it completely.

And I've done some retrofits that are possibly pointless compared to the work and money involved.

Christopher72 · Post by **Christopher72** » Tue Oct 25, 2022 2:00 am

Dave,
I'm gathering parts and still have the ambition. I promise that if you post your OEM PDC refit vid for me to follow along with, I'll record the installation of the Comfort Access, if my willpower to do so continues. I'm a sucker for a magic door handle.

javis20 · Post by **javis20** » Tue Oct 25, 2022 12:36 pm

Why not just get a SmartTop module?

Smartbear · Post by **Smartbear** » Tue Oct 25, 2022 4:20 pm

javis20 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 12:36 pm Why not just get a SmartTop module?

That won’t give you keyless entry to the car or remove the need to place the key in its housing to start the engine?
Rob

AnubisZed · Post by **AnubisZed** » Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:14 pm

Christopher72 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 2:00 am Dave,
I'm gathering parts and still have the ambition. I promise that if you post your OEM PDC refit vid for me to follow along with, I'll record the installation of the Comfort Access, if my willpower to do so continues. I'm a sucker for a magic door handle.

Fair enough

PDC retrofit video will be live very soon, its all finished just haven't had time to upload it yet.

AnubisZed · Post by **AnubisZed** » Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:16 pm

Smartbear wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 4:20 pm
javis20 wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 12:36 pm Why not just get a SmartTop module?
That won’t give you keyless entry to the car or remove the need to place the key in its housing to start the engine?
Rob

Nictrix · Post by **Nictrix** » Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:26 pm

I have comfort access in my X6 and never use it.
I always unlock with the fob and still put the fob in the slot on the dash before starting it.
Got to keep the fob out of range while washing the car as the soapy water unlocks and locks he doors repeatedly.

Pondrew · Post by **Pondrew** » Wed Oct 26, 2022 5:08 pm

Nictrix wrote: ↑Tue Oct 25, 2022 9:26 pm Got to keep the fob out of range while washing the car as the soapy water unlocks and locks he doors repeatedly.

+1. PITA.

I have two cars with keyless start, so when I use the Z4 (which hasn't) I am always leaving the key in the slot when getting out. One day someone will nick it!

Christopher72 · Post by **Christopher72** » Thu Oct 27, 2022 6:52 pm

Pondrew wrote: ↑Wed Oct 26, 2022 5:08 pm I have two cars with keyless start, so when I use the Z4 (which hasn't) I am always leaving the key in the slot when getting out. One day someone will nick it!

Yep -- same feeling. I'm so used to touching a handle to lock and unlock as well as keyless ignition, when I use the smart top to open the car, I'm always putting the fob back in my pocket, only to have to dig it back out while in a seated position. Which can draw stares if not executed well.

peeder · Post by **peeder** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 1:48 am

I did the comfort access retrofit a couple years ago on my E89.
I contacted dumitru.o from e90post and he hooked me up with the CA Passive Go module, antennas, wiring harness, adding $322 to my VO and brand new CA key from BMW.

The things i had to source myself were the door handles and the associate door wiring for the handles. This was the hardest part for me!
Door handles need 2 plugs, one for the light, and the other for the touch sensor.
Found on Aliexpress the plug for the light, but not the touch sensor. So to get it to work, I had to buy 2 used door harnesses from a E9X 3 series that had comfort access so i could reuse the plug!
Had i known that the plugs were that hard to source, I would have asked the breakers to sell me the harness when I was buying the door handles.

I did ths in conjuction with a power folding mirror retrofit too. I coded a whole bunch of things at the same time, but for CA coding, I believe I just added $322 to my VO and then in CAS changed the below to active:
PASSIVE_ACCESS
KOMFORTSCHLIESSUNG_FB
KOMFORTSCHLIESSUNG_PA

The only thing I haven't been able to get working is to have the power mirrors fold when using comfort access via the door handle.
Mirrors will fold if I use/hold the lock button on the remote, but not when i have my finger on the door ridges/sensor.

As for your plans to put in PDC and rear camera, I would at least physically install and route the wiring into the boot for those at the same time. The rear bumper needs to come off to put the CA antenna back there anyway.

Let me know if you need more info, i'll have to go through my old notes I made when I did this retrofit.

AnubisZed · Post by **AnubisZed** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 10:30 am

Nice info

Was it worth the expense and time?

peeder wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 1:48 am ...The only thing I haven't been able to get working is to have the power mirrors fold when using comfort access via the door handle.
Mirrors will fold if I use/hold the lock button on the remote, but not when i have my finger on the door ridges/sensor.

Before doing my Powerfold mirror retrofit I watched this guy and he also had problems with the "fold on touch" feature....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGiY_v6zxrI

peeder · Post by **peeder** » Fri Nov 11, 2022 11:59 pm

AnubisZed wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 10:30 am Before doing my Powerfold mirror retrofit I watched this guy and he also had problems with the "fold on touch" feature....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGiY_v6zxrI

Yeah, that's exactly the same vid that I was watching to get my power mirrors to work too!
He seemed to have the 'fold on touch' working, but after countless hours i've given up

Worth the expense? It wasn't too bad, it ended up around $1.6K AUD. But it's just one of those features that I'm used to with my other cars having keyless unlock/start, so it felt like i was going backwards not having it on the Z4.
It did take a fair bit of time though, had the car apart for a couple of months. But that's what you get for doing everything in one hit.

AnubisZed · Post by **AnubisZed** » Sat Nov 12, 2022 10:31 am

peeder wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 11:59 pm Worth the expense? It wasn't too bad, it ended up around $1.6K AUD. But it's just one of those features that I'm used to with my other cars having keyless unlock/start, so it felt like i was going backwards not having it on the Z4.
It did take a fair bit of time though, had the car apart for a couple of months. But that's what you get for doing everything in one hit.

Yeah my wife has it on her Ford Kuga, biggest problem, for her anyway, is then leaving her key in her bag, thus then not remembering where it is

I've just done a bunch of retrofits all at the same time, fortunately my wife was away so I had her car for a couple of weeks so could just leave the Z in bits most of the time while I did all the work

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