Engine automaticallly re-starts!

[PaperSniper]

This is a weird one for me. Not sure if it is a problem or just a feature.

Situation:
Start car - me in driver seat, wife in passenger seat.
Drive to post office, about 7 minutes away from start point.
Stop engine, I exit car; wife stays in car.
Return to car about 3 minutes later
...and engine restarts once my butt hits the seat! I have touched nothing on the console!
The procedure is then the same as if I'd done a remote start with the BMW app or the key fob: musr put foot on brake, press the Start button before I can drive away.

The "re-start" does not happen if I am alone when exiting the car.

I very rarely have a passenger in the car. This has only happened twice in 6 months of ownership, always with the same scenario as above, once at the post office, once at a convenience store. Seems like a very odd feature to me. Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[ph001]

Doesn't sound right to me - I can think of several occasions where you wouldn't want the engine to start, like if you were in a closed garage etc.

 

[PaperSniper]

I agree. It's not much of a convenience it that's what it was designed to be....assuming it is not a "problem" with this car. My Z4 goes to the dealer for its first service in the next two months, so I will mention it.

 

[Z4monster]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

 

[raven]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

My car beeps at me if i exit and its not fully turned off

 

[Keyper]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

My car beeps at me if i exit and its not fully turned off

What about if you don’t take the keys with u?

 

[PaperSniper]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

I did that once like you, but not in this car. With the Z4 it was obvious the car was not running, as I hear the GROWL when it started itself as I sat down.

 

[PaperSniper]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

My car beeps at me if i exit and its not fully turned off

What about if you don’t take the keys with u?

Mine does also.

 

[PaperSniper]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

My car beeps at me if i exit and its not fully turned off

What about if you don’t take the keys with u?

I've never done that, not sure what would happen. Maybe it would sense the driver's door opened, and beep?

 

[raven]

The moment you open the door it beeps i thinnk if the engine is stil on. Will check tomorrow.

 

[srhutch]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

This was my thought.

 

[raven]

The moment you open the door it beeps i thinnk if the engine is stil on. Will check tomorrow.

I double checked its not beeping when i open the door with the engine running, must have been beeping for something else then, sorry for the misinformation .

 

[PaperSniper]

The moment you open the door it beeps i thinnk if the engine is stil on. Will check tomorrow.

I double checked its not beeping when i open the door with the engine running, must have been beeping for something else then, sorry for the misinformation .

Well, thanks for checking anyway!

 

[Sladester100]

The moment you open the door it beeps i thinnk if the engine is stil on. Will check tomorrow.

I double checked its not beeping when i open the door with the engine running, must have been beeping for something else then, sorry for the misinformation .

It sounds the horn if you try to lock it with the engine running.

 

[PaperSniper]

Are you sure you pressed the engine stop/start when you got out? Sounds like you didn't and it just switched off with the Auto stop/start bit and coincidentally started as you sat back in it.

I have done that previously so you're not alone. I managed to park up at the vets one day and walked the dog before his appointment. When I came back to the car it was running! Luckily no-one had come near it and realised it was started and unoccupied.

Update: I'm the OP.

I could have sworn I ALWAYS put the car into Sport mode, so the auto-stop-start would not be a factor. However, the "genius person" at my BWM dealer said about the same as you. Here's what she thinks happened:

Wife and I enter the car; I am chatting with my wife about something. Started the car, (THINK I pushed the Sport button so it's in Comfort mode) for our 5 minute drive to the post office. Back out of the garage.
Get to post office, still chatting away......apply foot brake, handbrake, and put car into Park.
THINK I pushed the Stop button (but I must not have done so). Engine is not running, so I open the car door and go into the post office. Wife stays in the car listening to the radio.
Return to the car, grab the door handle to open it, sit and the engine starts!

The dealer said this chain of circumstances must all be met for that situation to arise. So it's not a defect, but she agreed it's a quirk. 8)

I suppose this means I pay much more attention to my wife than I do to my car. I wonder if this is the result of 53 years of our marriage? :wink: