Foot trunk release not working M Performance and other rear diffusers

[Status Gruppe MNF]

Originally Posted by jwzimm

As has been stated previously, you CANNOT install a conductive shield (CF is conductive) over an RF sensor and expect good results. The reason some CF diffusers might allow the CA feature to work is that they would be of inferior construction and the CF is very thin or possibly not genuine.

Our diffusers are built from 100% pre-preg CF. I believe ours work usually is because of the angle of ours and the fact that it does not extend in towards the center of the car.

[jwzimm]

Originally Posted by Status Gruppe MNF

Our diffusers are built from 100% pre-preg CF. I believe ours work usually is because of the angle of ours and the fact that it does not extend in towards the center of the car.

If the diffuser covers the antenna for the kick-feature and it is sufficiently conductive it should attenuate the signal and make the system function unreliable.

It may depend on the number of plies of CF that are being applied or even the tow orientation of the stackup.

The point is, you are installing a small Faraday cage over an antenna. You will see signal degradation.

[hockyfrk07]

Has anyone found a solution to this? Disabling the kick feature an option? Apparently you could only access the trunk if you unlock it with the keyremote if you disable the kick feature. Does anyone know if this is true? Its annoying trying to close my trunk a millions times before it actually closes. I dont care much for the kick feature and can live without it.

[Ferg]

Originally Posted by hockyfrk07

Has anyone found a solution to this? Disabling the kick feature an option? Apparently you could only access the trunk if you unlock it with the keyremote if you disable the kick feature. Does anyone know if this is true? Its annoying trying to close my trunk a millions times before it actually closes. I dont care much for the kick feature and can live without it.

Would like to know this as well.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by dangreene

+1 Mine opens randomly quite often. Including in the pooring rain a few days ago resulting in a wet boot!!! (*Trunk..... I'm an Aussie!)
Thinking of changing diffusers bechause of this!

Changing diffusers won't help - it's a feature of carbon fibre (*Fiber..... I'm a Kiwi!)

The BMW installation instructions say to deactivate the kick feature because of this.

[SMOKE EM IF U GOT EM!!]

Originally Posted by Ehronius

I don't mind losing the function, I just don't like how it randomly opens when I pass by or when I already have the trunk open and I close it but keeps opening. So can this be coded off?

Originally Posted by TooFan328i

Ditto. Agreed!

Originally Posted by dangreene

+1 Mine opens randomly quite often. Including in the pooring rain a few days ago resulting in a wet boot!!! (*Trunk..... I'm an Aussie!)
Thinking of changing diffusers bechause of this!

Yes mine works perfectly fine w the cf diffuser and kick function. Not having issues w the kick function at all. Guess I got lucky in that regards. The issue I'm having is when washing and drying the car. It just pops open randomly. Slippery when wet I guess

[JoeyBananas]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Changing diffusers won't help - it's a feature of carbon fibre (*Fiber..... I'm a Kiwi!)

The BMW installation instructions say to deactivate the kick feature because of this.

How do you deactivate it?

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by SMOKE EM IF U GOT EM!!

Yes mine works perfectly fine w the cf diffuser and kick function. Not having issues w the kick function at all. Guess I got lucky in that regards. The issue I'm having is when washing and drying the car. It just pops open randomly. Slippery when wet I guess

Then yours probably isn't CF

Seriously - it's a fact that carbon conducts electricity, so will interfere with the sensors - if yours isn't interfering, then it could well be that it's not really CF.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by JoeyBananas

How do you deactivate it?

http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...91&postcount=5

[SMOKE EM IF U GOT EM!!]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Then yours probably isn't CF

Seriously - it's a fact that carbon conducts electricity, so will interfere with the sensors - if yours isn't interfering, then it could well be that it's not really CF.

Certainly cf. There's plenty of people here whom confirmed theirs are working w kick function as well. Replica or OEM. It's hit or miss I guess. Again that's not the issue I have stated wether it's cf or not. Just that it's popping open when it's wet as many others have said. Works perfectly normal when the car is dry. Thanks for the input though. It's good to know

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by SMOKE EM IF U GOT EM!!

Certainly cf. There's plenty of people here whom confirmed theirs are working w kick function as well. Replica or OEM. It's hit or miss I guess. Again that's not the issue I have stated wether it's cf or not. Just that it's popping open when it's wet as many others have said. Works perfectly normal when the car is dry. Thanks for the input though. It's good to know

If installed by BMW, they are supposed to turn off the kick feature - clearly others don't, and have variable results as you've experienced.

[Brasko]

Regardless of CF diffuser or not, the trunk "kick open" function can be activated by pushing on the center of the rear bumper. See attached pic and give it a try.

[$hah$]

This happened to me the other night leaving the gym parking lot. Put my ticket in the machine to exit the garage and once I started to inch out to merge on the street my trunk randomly popped open and the car behind me started honking giving me a heads up. Other times I wave my foot for what seems forever and can't get it to pop open for the life of me. Weird/ bugged out feature. I'm thinking some magnetic waves of the garage's lift/ lever triggered it.

[hockyfrk07]

Originally Posted by dinonz

If installed by BMW, they are supposed to turn off the kick feature - clearly others don't, and have variable results as you've experienced.

According to the dealerships I spoke with, turning off the kick feature isn't possible. Is this confirmed?

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by hockyfrk07

According to the dealerships I spoke with, turning off the kick feature isn't possible. Is this confirmed?

BMW's published instructions state that it must be turned off - and it can be turned off by coding. That's confirmed.

[jpacc]

hello
i did have read all about this and i just installed the carbon fibre diffuser here is a pic of what i did and its working most of the times more response from the left part than the right don't know why

[Chopstick217]

Anyone else have success with the OEM rear CF diffusor?

[sandjam]

So I installed the Status Gruppe CF diffuser today. They told me the kick sensor would not be affected. The kick feature has worked perfect since I got my car a month ago. After installing the Status Gruppe it no longer works with the kick motion.

So I tried kicking my leg further underneath. Almost lost my balance and shin scrapped on diffuser edge.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by sandjam

So I installed the Status Gruppe CF diffuser today. They told me the kick sensor would not be affected. The kick feature has worked perfect since I got my car a month ago. After installing the Status Gruppe it no longer works with the kick motion.

So I tried kicking my leg further underneath (my shin actually touched the diffuser) and then it popped open. What I figured out is it was not the kick motion. It was that I actually touched the diffuser (when my shin touched it). So I experimented and if I touch the diffuser, anywhere (and I mean a very light, barley touch) it opens. Or just barley touch it with my leg, it opens even with jeans on.

Here the rub. It will only work if the car is not in sleep mode. So if you lock car, it will still work until it goes into sleep mode. Once it does it won't work. So essentially if you go into the store and come out 30 minutes later it won't work unless you wake up car first by unlocking it. So what's the point of having it.



Keep in mind my car is only a month old with latest 58.3 BMW software from factory if BMW changed anything, but this is crazy.

Once again - this is not a fault with the car.

By installing a CF diffuser you have placed a faraday cage in front of the sensor. This will alter its ability to function correctly. This is expected behavior.

[sandjam]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Once again - this is not a fault with the car.

By installing a CF diffuser you have placed a faraday cage in front of the sensor. This will alter its ability to function correctly. This is expected behavior.

I had to look up Faraday cage, haha but that makes sense.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by sandjam

I had to look up Faraday cage, haha but that makes sense.

Yeah. The BMW instructions for their diffuser include coding the foot release to be inactive for that reason. To make it worse, I've heard of issues with water flowing over the diffuser tripping the release if it's not deactivated.

[AIRPOWER]

I put a rear diffuser on on my '15 M3 and lost the kick feature until I relocated the sensor to the left hand side of the bumper cover. Works great since doing that.