Hi all,

I searched but could not find answer to my question and I don't see it in the manual. When it comes time to change the battery in the Comfort Access FOB does it remember your settings or do you have to program it again after the battery change?

 

I took my battery out and put it back it. The fob remembered all of my settings.

 

Thanks, just what I wanted to hear. Must be a small capacitor to keep a small charge on while the battery is being changed.

 

You must change your batteries really fast!

Consider this... USB memory sticks, SD cards for your camera, etc. all seem to retain their stored data quite sufficiently.

 

I understand the technologies no problem as I work in the industry. Some use an EEPROM style memory that requires power to retain its memory and when you change the batteries there is a small capacitor to give you a limited amount of time to change the battery. Some leave the capacitor out and you have to reprogram whenever you change the battery. Some use a flash memory like you describe. Just did not know which technology is being used in the FOB.

 

Here is my opinion on this. It is just a guess, I have nothing to back this up. I do not believe the key fob stores that info. I do know it gets info on miles and sevice from the car and stores it. What I do think is that the car keeps the settings you are refering to. I think when you get in the car, the car reads the special signal it gets from that distinct key fob. The car then looks into its memory and changes all the setting to the last time that fob was used. Again, this is just a guess. I have nothing to back this.

 

I believe you are right. Every time you enter the car, it recognises the key and updates/reprograms the fob with the latest info.

 

I also work in the industry (well, the aerospace industry) and understand the technologies involved. My point is that a capacitor solution is rather mickey-mouse when there are other more robust solutions widely used in the marketplace. Solutions where you don't have to race against a clock.

That makes a whole lot more sense, and there's an easy way to test the theory... unplug your car battery.

I've always been astonished that $200 aftermarket car stereos don't have something so simple as memory to store your settings if the 12V car power goes away (or even a watch battery to keep the clock current). I imagine the MINI (or most any other car out there) isn't much different.

 

So how long does the battery last? And does your fob just stop working when the battery's going, or does it just start to get "spotty?"

 

I have the same question...and searched several ways and didn't find an answer.

I would think it would vary as to how much one uses the fob. For example those that use the "roll the windows down as you walk to the car" trick repeatedly will need to replace more quickly than those in the "I don't every use a single button on the fob" crowd.

That being said, I'm coming up on the 1st anniversary and mine seems to be getting weak, as the range at which it works seems shorter. Then again, I accidentally washed it about 4 weeks ago and that might have something to do with it!

I did read in my searches that the car supposedly signals you when the fob battery is getting low. Can anyone confirm?

But I think I'm going to replace mine now anyway and see if the range increases...and maybe just do it annually around the anniversary date anyway.

 

First I washed mine as well twice and nothing has happened. On the first wash it went through the dryer as well. I can tell my Key Fob's battery is dying because sometimes when i hit the button on the handle it will take two tries. And some mornings when i got to auto down the windows on my walk to the car it won't go or will take two tries. I've been meaning to stop at radio shack and get another battery but haven't stopped. I'm lazy when it comes to little stuff like this.

 

I replaced mine after a year, just to be safe. Didn't notice any performance difference with the new battery. It still (on occasion) takes two tries for the door handle button or boot release.

I've not tested the range because I never take the fob out of my pocket. For the windows-up feature, when locking the car, I hold down the door handle buttons until the windows are up.

 

Its says on the Mini Website to change out your FOB with your other one about every 6 months to keep them charged. You shouldn't have to change the battery. So I would take it to the Dealership and just change it out instead of trying to change the battery.

 

Porthos this is mis-information. MINI's with the Comfort Access have a Key Fob with a Battery and must be replaced at some point, they do not re-charge when docked inside the car. MINI's that do not have Comfort Access are 'only' charged by inserting the Fob into the docking station inside the car. Therefore it is important that if you have more than one Key Fob they are both used and kept charged. Hope this clears thing up.

 

This is a little off topic but...
For those of us with comfort access, has anyone considered what might happen if the battery in the fob were to die without having a replacement battery handy? Sure I can use the laser-cut key in the fob to unlock the door, but how would I start the car with a dead fob? I've bought a spare battery that I keep in the glove box, thinking that it should still have some life in it when the battery in the fob dies.

Any thoughts?

 

Can anyone tell me what size battery so I can buy a spare? And are they available at Radio Shack?

 

It uses a pretty common size CR2032. Yeah, Radioshack should have it plus any other retailer with a decent electronics dept like Walmart or Target should have it as well. I bought a pack of 2 last week from Target for about $4 or so to replace a garage opener battery. I need to get around to replacing the fob battery 2 since its still using the same battery since I got the car. Been more than a year and a half since then.

 

I just removed the battery and inserted the key into the slot. The car will still turn on.

 

What slot? The only place the key works is in the drivers side door. There is no slot to start it, just a button.

 

Sorry, I should have clarified....what he said ^


2008 MCS w/ comfort access

 

Key as in the whole fob, into the dock next to the start button.

 

I don't know if this is the case on all the builds. My wife has an early '07 MCS with comfort access and the battery in her remote died several months ago. She never inserted her fob to start her car but just left it her purse all the time. I remembered that the MA told us to insert the fob every so often to keep it charged. With a dead battery, she inserted it the holder and drove 2 hours to charge it and no problems since. Her car is now 2 years old and we have never changed either remote battery.

One thing to consider, if the car does charge the fob battery, is it safe to put in non-rechargable batteries?

 

Confirmed. I wonder how it does that? Maybe those ARE contacts on the bottom of the fob, providing for power when it is plugged in even if there is none for remote access. Thanks!

 

I have a 2007 MCS that was built in April and delivered in May. The Comfort Access fob has a non-rechargeable battery.

Why put the fob in the slot, if it has a non-rechargeable battery, unless the battery is dead? That's the main point of Comfort Access -- leave it in your pocket or purse.

I'd be curious to know what kind of battery your wife's fob has. Can you open the fob and read the number?

 

I agree that it really shouldn't have a rechargable battery. I checked and it is apparently a standard non-rechargable battery. But her battery did die a few months back and when she plugged it in drove for a while and it started working again. Maybe it wasn't really dead, but it just went on the blink for some reason and plugging it in reset it.