I was at an autocross yesterday, got done making my final run and tried to unlock the boot to pack up - nothing. Tried to lock the car from the key - nothing. Drove home, went back out to the car about an hour later - key works fine.

Anyone else experience this?

 

She was mad at you for treating her too roughly?


Seriously, I know that some of the '02 keys had a problem but I have not heard of problems with the newer keys. The symptoms you describe do not sound at all like the '02s problems. Sorry I can't be of more help.

 

Mine did that for a while, and then just stopped. The battery was deader than a doornail. Changed the battery, and it works fine.

 

I had a similar experience (well, with the key not autocrossing ). The remote for my '03 stopped working; it would open the drivers side, but not the hatch or the passenger side. I figured it was the "actuator" - I already have had the actuator changed once.

So, I made an appt at the MINI Center for the following week. However, in a few days, it started working again fine. Now I'm just paranoid that it will stop working again and I'll leave my car unlocked somewhere.

 

According to my SA, the keys require recharging to make the remote functions work if the key has not been used in some time. How long? He did not have an answer for that. He did state it should be fully recharged after about an hour of driving. So now I have another excuse for a road trip-gotta charge the spare key dear. LOL

 

STEVENV2 is correct.

Your key has a rechargeable battery in it that is recharged when you drive the car.

Not a bad idea to rotate your keys every once in a while.

 

Something else may be going on here...

My 05 MCS is my daily driver, I use the same key when I drive... Two weeks ago my key quit on me as well, I hoped that the battery had died and by driving a bit the battery would recharge and everything would be ok... Well like I said it's been two weeks and the key is still dead.

My wife's key works fine... She hasn't driven the MINI in about a month...

 

I have an '03 and those keys are not rechargeable; I think that feature started with the '05s. So, that is not the problem with mine.

 

Exact same thing happened to my key for my '06 this week, and my wife's key works fine too. Did you get this resolved?

 

'06 s did that couple weeks ago. Would not unlock doors. Opened door with the key,drove home,tried remote, it worked. Car was only 1 week old when this happened. Hasn't done it again.

 

Ok, I took my '06 in and they reset/reloaded the one key that was not working. They told me to rotate the keys, but the one that failed was the one I was using every day. The SA had no answer for that.

Anyway, a half an hour there and under warranty. Three hour rt to the dealer.

Peeked in the delivery bay, two Coopers locked 'n loaded. One SB/SB, those do look sinister.

 

One of mine stopped working after it went through the laundry. Washer, dryer and all. It now hangs on the key thingy in the house. It'll probably just have to be tossed.