Hello,

I have to say to start out that Momentum Mini in Houston is just about the worst place you can ever receive service or parts. The sales people are amazing, but the rest is horrible.

My key remote (3 button one) stopped working after a long trip back from Denver back to Houston. I went to the dealer and they wanted to charge me $134 to diagnose the key and car, $197 for a new key, and then $114 to program it.

I bought the new key for $160 because thats what I had been quoted over the phone. I told them I will buy my next MINI in the Woodlands (North of Houston). And Im never going back.

Now I tried to sync my remote key to the car and the steps on the forums do not work because I have a post 07/2004 MCS or im doing it wrong. I tried it all the ways stated in the forums.

Anyone know how to program the key remote to an 06 MCS manual??? I refuse to go back to the dealer and get ripped off.

I believe the production was 12/2005 for the car but its an 06 model.

Please help.

email me at ebosma@uh.edu if you can help or post it.

Thanks!

 

You must go to the dealer with all your keys. They will synic the imoblizer with the new key, and the old. It is possible to get the door unlock features to work without the dealers help, but you MUST go to the dealer to program a new key to the imoblizer.
The 3 button keys are different than earlier keys by signifigant amount. The old instructions will not help you. Blanks of the 3 button key can be had on eBay, for $100, but since they still must be cut, and syniced, it is not a very good deal.

 

What happened to your original key? It might just be that the rechargeable battery inside needs to be replaced (it gets recharged while it's inserted in the ignition but rechargeable batteries do wear out eventually).

 

911fan, can you kindly provide documentation of some sort that the 06 keys are recharged by the ignition key? This has been discussed in many threads and the bottom line seems to be that the bat inside the key is not rechargeable, I for one would like to know this for sure.

YD

 

Don't know about 06, but for 05 the explanation was in the owner's manual.

RTFM!

 

Well, it says so in the manual, mini says so, and if you dissamble the key, you can see the coil that picks up the magnetic coil by induction...pretty cool...I had a panasonic razor that charged that way...pretty cool, the magnetic field generating part is the ring by the ignation lock.
Now if you are believe it is all a lie....fine....you know the earth is flat too!!
Nothing wrong with pursuing knowledge...I just thought this question had been put to bed long ago...I guess it is a good time to repost it.
The key has a battery that looks like a standard mercury button cell, it is not. They do fail at some point, but a few folks have found replacements by using the battery markings. The earlier keys do need regular battery replacement, but electronicly, they are very simple.

 

this won't answer your question but i figured it would help!
i have an 06 MCS i just got a new key from Morristown Mini (under warranty) and they definitely sync'd it easily from inside the car. the exact steps? i'm not sure, but it only took like 30 seconds.
they were initially going to to charge me $60 to program the key but they didn't realize that those were only for the older keys, 02-04 i'm guessing.

 

You can program the key to work with the keyless entry, but the engine imoblizer is a bit different. To add a key to the imoblizer (and remove the missing or broken key) requires the keys be present, and each one "read" by the car so it can be remembered. This needs the dealer/special tool some locksmiths have....and is different than reprograming a key to work with the keyless entry, which I understand can be done with the keys and the buttons.

 

I can't believe you had to pay that much for a key. Pretty sure the dealer should sync the key for that much. I would go back, with your receipt, and see if they will sync it. Maybe call first, and if that fails go to the dealership and try to get a manager. Just remember, firm, cool, and calm, just like making love, you can't get all emotional.

And for the record my owners manual for my '06 states that my key is recharged in the ignition and each key should be recharged at least twice a year.

 

Synch: AFAIK, this has to be done by the dealer for the Immobilizer to work. (Mine is a '06 model)

Recharging: the keys are charged by Induction while it sitting in the lock. Induction charging is relatively old technology... think of Braun electric toothbrushes. It's not used often because charging time is very slow. Rotate your keys every six months so the batteries would not be depleted. I have no idea what type of battery is used... guessing it's Li-Ion or Mi-Mh.

Dealers: my experience has been that a dealer's sales dept and service dept can speak different languages. Good sales doesn't necessary equate good service. Like the Sales Mgr, the Service Mgr is also paid a % on all service and part revenues. This encourages over-charging, rip-off scams and dishonesty. And remember that dealers have 3-4 layers of compensation, thus they're expensive. It goes: Dealer General Manager (% of all business), Sales Manager (% of sales), Service Manager (% of service/parts), Service Adviser (% of his transactions), then the Technician. So find yourself a decent "service" dealership or an independent mechanic.

 

This is great info but nobody answered my question on how to program the keyless entry. When you buy the key from the dealer with your vin #, it comes with the immobilizer programmed becuase my key starts and drives the car. But the buttons for the keyless entry do not work.

I want to know exaclty how to program the keyless entry without going to the dealership.

Can anyone answer that????

 

I just spoke with Mini Cooper of the Woodlands and they are doing everything free eventhough they are not affiliated with Momentum Mini of Houston. Now that is great service. So I guess I will be buying the 2010 MINI Cooper S Clubman from them!

I will look at how the guy does it and let everyone know, unless he is a ninja about it.

 

Great that Woodlands is taking care of you!

 

Ok, so I went to the Woodlands and they were great. Problem not fixed though. They tried to program the keys to find out that the sensor in the antenna must be bad, because the keys were not able to be programmed. I was looking at the rearview mirror and noticed a lil orange residue on the bottom of the housing and remembered that 2 weeks ago when this problem started I was driving back from Denver and in the morning I had water drops running down the windshield but on the inside. I think that somehow water got into the rearview mirror and messed it up.

I just went outside and took off the rearview mirror and sure enough the metal part that clips to the bracket on the roof is rusted. So instead of paying the dealer $100 to diagnose it, I think I am going to buy a new mirror and see if it works, upgrade to the homelink mirror.

I am going to call insurance first though and see if this would be covered under comprehensive since water got in due to the cracked windshield.