BMW X2 Key Won't Start: Hall Sensor Fault Fix Guide

Hi there! I had a similar issue with my 2016 BMW X1 last year (I have some experience working on cars as a hobby). The symptoms were exactly the same, key symbol on dash and no start. Initially thought it was just the key battery, but nope! Took it to my trusted workshop after trying basic troubleshooting. Turns out the control unit for the key recognition system was completely dead. They had to replace the unit and reprogram everything. Cost me around 1000 Euro, but at least it fixed the problem completely. What's your current mileage and have you noticed any other electrical issues before this happened? Just to help narrow things down, since these issues can sometimes be related to other electrical problems on BMWs. Also, have you tried using your spare key? P.S. My cousin had similar issues with his BMW X3, so it seems to pop up across different models.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My X2 has 132158 KM on the clock and the last service was just 3 months ago. I've actually tried both keys with the same result. No other electrical issues before this, everything was working perfectly fine until yesterday. It just suddenly refused to start after getting groceries. That's quite a hefty repair bill you had! Really hoping mine won't be that expensive. Might have to check a few workshops and compare quotes. Did your workshop mention how long the repair job took? Also, did you have any warning signs before the complete failure? Mine just stopped working out of the blue.

Hey again! Yeah, these key recognition issues can be super frustrating. In my case, it also happened completely without warning, was working fine one day, then boom, nothing the next morning. Sounds exactly like what you're experiencing. The repair on my X1 took about a day and a half, but that included all the reprogramming work. They had to order the part first though, which added a couple of days to the whole process. I ended up leaving the car at the workshop for almost 3 days total. Since your mileage and symptoms are so similar to what I experienced, and you've tried both keys, I'm pretty convinced it's the same control unit issue. The fact that it happened right after getting groceries, same sudden failure pattern as mine. Quick tip though, before you go ahead with the full repair, maybe get them to do a full diagnostic scan. When I had mine done, they found a few other small issues that needed attention. Figured might as well fix everything while it was in the shop. Could save you some money in the long run. Have you managed to get any quotes yet? Curious to know if repair costs have changed since I had mine done last year.

Thanks for the detailed follow-up! Really helpful to hear about your experience. I haven't gotten any quotes yet, this literally just happened yesterday and I've been scrambling to figure out what to do. But I'll definitely take your advice about the full diagnostic scan. Better to know about any other potential issues now rather than later. Three days without the car isn't too bad, actually. I was worried it might take longer. Guess I'll have to work from home for a few days when I get it fixed. Good thing I have that flexibility at least! I'll start calling workshops tomorrow morning to get some quotes and check their availability. I'll make sure to mention the control unit specifically since that seems to be the likely culprit based on your experience. Really appreciate all your help and tips, it's definitely made me feel better about the whole situation knowing someone else has successfully dealt with the same issue. I'll probably stop by the workshop I usually go to first thing tomorrow. They're pretty good with BMWs, so hopefully they can give me a reasonable quote. Thanks again for all the info!