Anyone have any info on having your MINI rekeyed or at least the engine immobilizer reprogrammed? My house was broken into this weekend and among other things stolen, one set of my '05 MINI keys. Fortunately for me, the car was not home at the time, but now I am unwilling to leave it at the house, I have it parked out of sight right now over at a friend's. Oddly, they left all other keys at my house, including my CRX, which was in the driveway at the time.

So short of it staying in the MINI witness protection program forever, if anyone has any info on how much $$ it would take to rekey the car, or if anyone has been able to just have their immobilizer circuits reprogrammed please let me know.

I'm not sure if the car learns which keys are allowed to start it (programming each key) or if the keys are each programmed for the car once they're cut. I'm assuming the latter, so I imagine there is no (easy) way to disable the stolen key from being able to start the car.

Thanks...

 

and bend over.... But it's small price to pay. Either they thought the key was cool and just wanted a suvinere, or they're planning to come back and drive off with your nice car.

If insurance is covering the stolen stuff, see if the re-key of your car is covered as well. It's pretty much a direct consiquence of the break in.

Matt

 

Sorry to here about this Iggy, The Doc is right check your insurance.
I travel for work and MINI key goes with me, car stored at secret location with spare key in safe... once again sorry to here about this

 

Already had one nice argument with the insurance company (Farmers Insurance) about this (since they insure the car as well, one would think they would see this as a cheaper option in the long run). I get $$ for a replacement key but not rekeying... I intend to keep fighting, but I imagine they'll stick to the argument that insurance is to replace stolen items, not "preventative maintenance"

 

thats totaly suxs

 

If you want to upgrade your car, take everything of value out, let it get stolen, and then show the insurance adjusters your communications about the preventive maintenance. Then a new Mini. And argue that they should pay the deductable. With current resale values, you can get close to what a new one costs.

Matt

 

Be polite. Get the person's name and extenstion. Let them know you will be calling them back within a week for the check for a replacement Mini. See if that changes their mind. If not, see if you can find some one who is actually allowed to think and give something besides the NO answer.

 

It's pretty much true. I think what they mean to say is that they insure real, solid objects, but the security of your car, and it's ability to be protected from this thief have been taken with the key. Use their own vocabulary to box em in a corner.

Matt

 

That really DOES suck!!!

 

I would try to set up a "sting" to catch the jerk that broke into your house. Maybe even set up some cameras and get some friends to help watch the car with 911 ready to go.

 

Thats what I was thinking, but with the cops doing it (although, I know, they probably would not even though they would likely catch people who have commited burglary before and will do it again..)

 

They should replace the key, right? Wonder if you could roll the costs into that line item somehow?

 

let it get stolen and let them replace the whole damn car ...

 

I agree with those that say take everything of value and mods off the car. While your at it. Ask them how much you will get if the car is stolen. Tell them your trying to decide whether to park it out front as is or maybe reprogramming it and keeping it.

Sorry to hear about the situation. It has to be nerve racking knowing someone came into your home and took things and also running around town with a set of keys to your car.

 

Yeah, in the sense of sticking it too them, out of principle I feel like I should let them deal with a stolen car... but really, it'd be more my headache than theirs... and then there's the practical... the car getting stolen, ditched, and found later - and then I still get to keep it...

I only have <5000 on the clock of my odo, so not really too much reason to pick up an '06...

 

That just sounds wacky - for all I know it could actually work .

You might consider running that "option" by your agent. You are the good customer, watching out for the Ins. Co.'s best interest, after all... If your agent thinks that letting the car get stolen is a good plan, I want to hear about that!

I'm going to check with State Farm and see if my own insurance would cover the cost, including "programming", of getting a new key(s)....

Aren't you concerned that, once you do change the keys, the apes could still come back and maybe vandalize the car once they discover the key they appropriated will not function?

Good Luck but be careful,
Tatt

 

Same thing happened to me in 1993 with my 1991 SAAB 9000 - insurance would not cover the hundreds it would have cost to put new locks on the car. Some months later the car was stolen from my driveway and recovered in NYC with many thousands of damage mostly to the interior - paid by the insurance company - big pain in the butt for me for not having the locks done.

 

As a property insurance adjuster, I deal with a LOT of people who feel the same as you guys do about the whole "prevent a loss" thing. Insurance simply will not do it, no matter how much it may seem to make sense. I have seen a few policies on manufactured homes that have an allowance for emergency removal, in the event of a wildfire or some other widespread covered peril, it provides some coverage for the home to be moved. But that is it. If you have a huge tree on your property that is about to fall on your house, your homeowners insurance is not going to pay $2,000 to cut it down and remove it. But it will pay for the huge $$$ after it falls and damages your house. I think the reasoning is, preventing losses is a slippery slope. Should insurance companies pay to re-wire a house so it doesn't burn down? Should insurance pay to replace a worn out roof so it does not leak? I know these are different circumstances, but your insurance companies are bound to do what the policy states, no more, no less, and most insurance policies are not written by your insurance company, but rather are standard policies written by a company called ISO. Also, in regards to just letting the car get stolen (or letting the tree fall, in other instances) most policies contain a set of conditions, which if these are not met, your loss can be denied. These conditions generally state what you must do in case of loss, which is prevent further loss to the best of your ability. Also, if the car is stolen, you will likely get ACV of the car, and the claim will likely not be settled quickly (some companies will not settle any theft claim on a vehicle for 30 days due to chance of recovery) and the whole ordeal probably won't be worth all of the hassle. Also, if the car is recovered before they settle with you, they will then be repairing your car which has been through goodness knows what! And that is a scary thought! Just wanted to provide a little of "the other side". It sucks that the house was broken into and the keys are stolen and I hope whoever did it is caught and justice prevails. I hope it all works out for the best.

 

I am truly sorry to hear the bad news.

I contacted my dealer and asked what can be done. He said you cannot just have the car rekeyed. You have two options:

• get another key (same as what was stolen)
• replace the entire locking system: door, ignition, trunk, and glove box locks (if you have a lock on the gb)

Either way, you must bring your registration /proof of ownership with you before they will do anything.

To replace the entire system would be about $500 (+/-) for the parts plus cost of labor.

If you get no satisfaction from the insurance company at the customer service level, work you way up to the supervisor, and their's if you need to.If you really want to get your message across, try and get an insurance attorney to litigate.

Think with your head, not with your heart...yes, this makes anyone boiling mad to have anything taken that you have worked hard and sweaty for...but don't shoot yourself in the foot and then bite it off at the hip... Good Luck. Mick

 

Sorry about the bad news. So I am wondering if they really though that a Mini in the bush is worth a CRX at hand.

 

Not sure where you live, but try looking for a wreck Mini, and buying the steering column lock, or a whole set and replace the igniton set up,. check out local junk yards,,,

 

I suspect new keys, with new ID chips in them, could be synched to the car
and the old keys rendered unusable in starting the car, but that will not
prevent the old keys from being able to open the driver's door. The culprit
would not be able to start, even though the key would fit and turn in the
ignition, the car but they could walk off with anything that is in it. That is
why the dealer is speccing out new locks.

OBTW, I'm just curious, does anyone actually have a lock on their trunk (boot)?

 

I had my 97 F-150 stolen and returned overnight, But they keeped the keys to all three of my cars. State Farm sat on there asses and one week later they came back and stole the F-150 and our 94 SC2, MY 2000 2.5rs was at work with me that night. Both were recoved the same day. THe F-150 was pushed off a cliff and the Saturn was totaled in the woods.
Cost State Farm over $20,000 the settle. would think that paying for rekeying would be a bit cheaper. The keys were with the Ford when it was recovered so we had no fear of the Subaru getting stolen. That was four years ago.

Upside to this is they did not drag there asses on the settlement, five days later we were in a 2000 Flareside F-150.
I realy have no advice just sharing your pain and then some.
Cheers and good luck

 

Thanks for giving the other side of the coin argument.

So......Maybe you should just leave a note in the car asking the thief to burn it or dump it in the river cuz you dont want it back.

Of course if it was me.....I would be inclined to kep a 24hr watch on the car and catch them! even if that mant a week of vacation time and a couple of friends pulling night shifts. It is the only option in this scenario that gives me satisfaction......short of driving the car into the river myself moments after I reported it stolen ....But of course thats fraud and is not really an option

 

Can't you just have that key deactivated?

It won't stop them getting into the car, but it will stop them from driving it away.

Luke