My '04 MC came with 2 little wallet keys....no buttons......the other day, I drove to my local pond, and with my wallet key I locked the car up with my regular keys inside and took the wallet key to the pond shore. I was going to go and swim laps with my key tucked inside the lil pocket in my bathing suit, but then was not sure that the key is waterproof.....no buttons but does of course have the chip.....so I buried it in the sand instead.......does anyone know if it is safe to take the key in with you while swimming...fresh water? salt water? haven't asked my dealer yet, but thought I'd ask here first

 

Since it does have the electronics, I'd say no. But if you don't want to bury it in the sand and risk loosing it, there is a little ledge under your MINI by the back drivers-side wheel that you could sit your spare key on. Only you (and everyone who read the un-official owners manual) would know about this hiding spot.

 

do you mean the skinny plastic one? I've jumped in the water with that in my walet before and it still works just fine. Although I havent' tried to wave it infront of the ignition with the door open.

 

what does waving it in front of the ignition do? I don't think on the '04 it does anything fancy likem that, but you can start the car with the wallet key but only if the chip is working...I think in my year, the regular key has a replacable batterry but in the '05 and later the regular key recharges if near the ignition.....I do not think the wallet key has a batterry though, just a chip ....anyone?

 

I dont know about that little key, but I dropped the spare real one in a bucket of water one time and didnt realize it. and it was a couple of days till I got it back out. still works fine

 

The this wallet key, for the most part, is waterproof. Even though it has the transponder chip, this chip is completely encased in epoxy with no external contacts. This is unlike the remote keys, which have a (independent from the transponder) transmitter circuit board for the alarm/keyless entry. Those keys are nicely sealed in their plastic housings, and would make them fairly immune to water splashes and such, but are not protected against immersion for any length of time.