LOL!!! It's very easy. Just push it in a tiny bit, and boing, it pops out. Don't try to pull it out, push it in to release it.

 

Yes, I know about the halfway on with the clutch out. I have RTFM and it only partially matches what is on my display. I can get to all the options available, but there are no choices to change any of the options.

In the halfway mode, as you describe it, I cannot get to the options at all. I can press and hold at the set info prompt all day long and all I get for the next options is "next", then "home". Unless I start the car.

I know it sounds stupid. I know I sound inept. I am a programmer. And it is frustrating not being able to do what others apparently can do. I have spent hours on this and have not been successful at getting the display to show the choices to change any option.

Of course the other frustrating part is the timeout. I wish I could change that. As I am reading and trying to do exactly what the manual says, the computer resets back to the beginning and I have to start over again.
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On the fob, I have tried the 'push to release'. In the test car, it just looked at me like I was an idiot and refused to come out. If I do not have to insert it, then I am not going to chance it unless I am at the dealership in case it does not come out.

 

Didn't keep up with the entire thread, but...

1. You don't need to have the key in to program the comfort-access fob.
2. You can change some settings with the engine running, but not all of them. If you want to change the others, do what it says in the manual for getting into that "halfway" position where you can program everything.

If it's not giving you everything in #2, it's probably something flaky in the ECU. Don't have Sat/Nav though.

What confused me the first few times was that once I got to the option I wanted to change, I had to press and hold the stalk button again to get it into "edit" mode.

 

The sat/nav thing sounds like the most plausible so far. Along with having to put the fob in the dock.

It does act like it has sat/nav, when the car does not. Hmm.

I'll try inserting the fob into the dock and see if that changes anything. I;ll just make sure I am home if I cannot get the fob out so Mini can come retrieve Romi.

I have tried bumping and holding the stalk button down to sse if could get to any options I could program. The turn signal option just does not show up at all. Niether does the door unlock/lock options.

 

Hey LynnEl, when I first read your post, I went out and check out if I could replicate your situation to no avail, so never posted. I have never used my spare fob and when I did try it way back when you posted, it just stayed with the same settings I had with my original. So, today I pulled the mini out of the garage for a little bath, did my thing, pulled it back in the garage to dry and while I was doing that I set the fob in a cabinet in the garage, never locked the doors. The fob was about 5 feet away form the mini. Once I got done, I went inside for a while, leaving the fob where it lay. Came back out about 30 minutes later to go for a drive, grab the fob, hopped in, and poof, just what you described. I remembered reading your post so just barred with it for the drive to get some lunch. All radio stations and personnel preferences reset. Parked the mini, locked it as usual with the button on the handle and grabbed some lunch. Came back out, unlocked as usual with the button on the handle again, started up, without placing the fob in the slot and poof, everything was back to my everyday settings. Thought it a bit odd, but no harm, no foul. Just thought I would post in for ya

 

Interesting. I never had a repeat, since I moved the spare key.

 

I know this is late, but just wanted to throw in the theory I thought.

When the car started, both keys are in radius but it read the other key's settings, which is default. Then you drove off with your key away from the other key. When you turn off your car, it tries to save your settings but could only find you key so it overwrote what your original settings are.

Voila, you successfully copied the settings from another key to yours!

 

That means a thief can get in the car comfortably when the garage is open, and start the car using the comfort access and drive away comfortably for a joy ride without ever laying her hands on the actual key!

 

Only if you leave your fob in the car. The MINI can distinguish whether the fob is inside or outside of the car.

 

I thought the car read the key behind the wall that had no presettings...

 

That's just a theory. I don't buy it. Other things can cause electronic devices to lose their settings. It would take some experimentation to see if one could replicate the transfer of data from a fob outside the car to one inside.

Try starting with the fob outside the car. I suspect that all you will get is a key symbol on the tach.

My car is torn up at the moment and I'd rather not start it.