I have the comfort access system and I'd like to have some way to get my car started if something happens to my key fob. If I leave the second fob in the car, I won't be able to lock it. I don't want to use some hide-a-key solution for obvious reasons.

What do you suggest? My first thought is to buy a non-comfort access key to keep in the car and keep the metal key part on my key ring, and the fob hidden in the car somewhere. That way if the battery in the fob dies, or something else happens to permenantly damage it, I won't be stranded.

Anyone else consider this issue?

 

yeah i was thinking about this as well.. it will definitely be one of the questions i will be asking when i pick up my car...

maybe instead, you can just keep a spare battery for the key in your car. Much safer to hide a battery then a key that can start the car.

 

1866ASKMINI and they come get you

 

I was imagining getting caught in a downpour, or falling in a lake

 

Use the 'integrated' key inside the fob to unlock the the door the old fashioned way. I'm not sure how wise it would be to put a fob with wet circuitry into the ignition though.

 

well you should have said that to begin with

all joking aside... i see how this could post a problem... maybe the key is sealed against water? i would imagine something like this would be designed in a way that it could withstand some moisture although to what degree makes a pretty big difference. Since the only real moving part is the removeable key, the electronics could be sealed somehow. Since i dont have the car yet, when you take the battery out, does it look like the compartment has any type of o-ring?

 

You could take the battery out of the second fob and hide it somewhere in the car. Then hide a battery somewhere else.

Put your fob in a plastic zip lock bag when you go to the lake or there is threat of a rain storm that you plan to get stuck in.

Carry an umbrella, and don't go near lakes.

 

i would think the key would handle itself alright if it is in your pocket during a rainstorm... falling in the lake is another story. Anyway, i shot an email to MINIusa, lets see what they have to say about these keys.

 

Even the non-comfort access key (with rechargeable battery) will be toasted if submerged in water. This is a problem with all remote fobs. Because the comfort access remote uses a silver oxide non-rechargeable battery, I keep a spare battery in the glove box.

 

don't leave a key in the car, even with the key insert removed, because the fob without the insert in it will still start the car!

a comfort access fob should work the same way as a regular key fob once inserted into the key slot... even if the comfort access battery dies, the remote functions and comfort access won't work but you should still be able to insert the fob and start the car.

 

Just looked and it does have a rubber seal.

I really don't understand why MINI didn't design the system so there would be a way to start the car with just the key and not have to have the fob. My Audi TT came with a thin plastic key, which, to my understanding would sart the car once in an emergency, but then fail in subsequent attempts. Whenever they worked on the electronics of the car you had to give them all 4 keys that came with the car (2 fobs, one fully operational key with no buttons, and the plastic spare) so they could reprogram them. Audi replaced my trip computer once, and only one key would start the car untill I brought the others in for reprogramming.

I believe I was told that hiding a comfort access key in the car even without the battery inserted would still prevent locking the car.

Looking forward to hearing MINI's response to this quandry.

Not planning on jumping in any lakes, but it wouldn't be the first time I threw my jeans in the washer with stuff in the pockets. With my luck it would be an expensive fob.

 

I think Sarafil is right. The battery in the fob is not neccessary to start the car (it would be easy to try). And water should not damage the chip in the fob, only the battery that you need to open the doors with the remote button. So if you fall in the lake and the battery fries you can open the door with the little key thingy, put the fob in the slot, and start the car. That's the way I understand it. I am kind of a key freak, afraid of losing mine. I'm considering taking the battery out of my spare and stashing it in the car, but I'd have no way of opening the door if I lost fob #1. I used to keep a door key in my wallet for my Jeep (no chip in it) just to unlock the door so I could get the spare key inside the car. I don't think I can do that with the Mini.

 

I am interested in the response as well. If the FOB is dead, Comfort access or not, your screwed.

 

Okay, just did a little testing. Removed battery from fob and placed in car. Other one remained in my pocket. The car WILL lock with fob in car (battery removed). Removed key and battery from fob; left other fob outside car. Car won't start without battery removed and fob not inserted in ignition. But will start without battery or key if fob inserted in ignition.

Sorry, but I'm not going to put the fob in a bucket of water and see what effect that has.

So I am going to hide a fob with battery removed inside the car, and maybe hide the key part somewhere on the outside (but not inside a 'steal me' Hide-a-Key box)

Hope this helps other puzzled comfort access owners.

Jas.

 

This makes sense. The ignition recognizes the special ID chip in the FOB similar to the R53. If you take an R53 key (even a remote-less key, i.e. no battery) and hold it near the ignition (not inserting the key) with the door open, the chime will sound. The principle is the same here. The special ID chip does not need the battery to work, it just needs a battery to operate the comfort access. I took apart an R53 key a while back and the ID chip is a completely separate system from the lock remote.

 

Was the circuit encapsulated in any way to prevent water damage? Not the fob, but the circuit itself?

 

No, it wasn't encapsulated in any particular way. It just looked like a silicon chip...no exposed leads or wires at all. If it were to get wet, my impression was that it would not hurt it in any way--but I never tried.

 

If you have comfort access, this means you never really have to take your fob out or put it in contact with the car in any form. So... why not just permanently put it in a ziplock bag then inside your pocket/purse so it's always waterproof?

 

Because I do remove it sometimes to use the key to raise or lower my windows/sunroof. And I'm not crazy about the idea of walking around with a ziplock bag in my pocket, and I don't carry a purse.

 

According to the owner's manual, when you have Comfort Access the convenient open/close features work by holding down the button on the door handle. Thus, you still shouldn't need your key for doing that.

Note that I can't seem to get the convenient open/close feature working on on car at all though.