I bought a used 07 R 56 about a month ago. It has the little black thumb buttons on each door handle, indicating that it is equipped for 'convenience opening' which also means that the engine can be started without the fob inserted into the dash slot. The car has the 'convenience package' and the bluetooth and other seperate features of this package work fine. Just not the convenience opening/starting.

Question: Is this something that needs to be enabled at the dealership?

Ive been thru the u.m. and all the functions accessed with the b/c button on the end of the turn stalk, no joy.

Any advice or first hand experience would be appreciated.

 

Try replacing the battery first, on the convenience package the key battery does not recharge when you put it in the car. so if the battery is dead or weak it all of that will not work. It takes a standard flat battery you can get just about anywhere. the dealer charges triple of the cost so try to avoid them.

 

Is that different on the '07s?

We just got a new '11 and the manual says that the convenience key does not need to be inserted to start the car but that you should insert it at least 2 or 3 times per year to keep it charged or something to that effect.

 

When i purchased my 2007, it only came with 1 key. The dealer used my VIN to order a second key, and mailed it to me when it came in from the factory. If I placed the key in the tray, car started worked fine. If I tried to open the door, or start the car with the key in my pocket it would not work.

Quick trip to the dealer with both keys, and dealer reprogrammed the car to recognize the keys. Worked fine ever since.

I would try going to dealer, and having them re-match them to the car.

 

The manual for my '11 Clubman says on page 18:

"In vehicles equipped with Comfort Access, the remote control contains a replaceable battery, page 27"

Look on the back side of the key and see if there is a pry-off battery cover.

 

The reason you should put the key in the slot every now and then is so that the car service info is stored on the key.

 

+1 all service info, radio resets, ac controls (auto ac), blinker preferences (1 vs 3 flashes), etc etc are stored to the key. If you make changes they will be captured on the key when inserted, I doubt they will in your pocket.

 

I was able to resolve my original question, thought I would share here cause it will likely come up again.

The key fobs simply need to be re-programmed or 'synced' to the car. They became 'unprogrammed' when Carmax replaced one of them.

Similar to Rockridge's situation.

For many cars this is a user-programmable thing, a sequence of buttons on the fob and in the car, while standing on one foot under the light of a full moon... etc. For the MINI I was not able to find any such info, verified that it is done either by the dealer, or in my case, a contracted locksmith who will re-sync both fobs to my car under Carmax's warranty.

Having this done Thursday, if for some reason this doesn't work I will update, but afaict its resolved.