So my ex wife called me last night after work and said that her 2010 mini cooper base model needed a jump and wouldnt start...So I went to where the car was planning on jjumping it which I thought was kinda strange that it needed a jump because I had replaced the battery about 6 mos ago, so i first used the key fob to unlock it and wanted to try starting it before i connected jumper cables but when I put the fob into the slot no dash lights came on and of course no start....the interior lights were very bright and I could push the power button on the stereo and it would play just like it normally would if the key was not in the ignition....so I started checking fuses and swapping relays back and forth but still could not get any dash to come on....I was reluctant to hook up jumper cables so i first undone the positive lead from the battery and touched it to the negative lead for a few seconds as to reset the ecms....upon hooking up the positive lead again the interi9or lights came on very bright just as before and when i did hook up jumper cables there was no arcing at all typical of when hooking up to a nicely charged battery but still no ignition when fob is inserted into slot....I unlocked and locked with the fob many times and still it would nothing when the fob was put into the slot....It was cold and getting late so I went home for the night but when i returned to the car the next morning put the fob into slot and all the dash lights came on just like normal and it fired right up.... I started it a few more times and it worked every time.....drove car home and turned it off and started it again no issues...the car sat for approximately 1 hour and when i went to start it it waas the same scenereo no dash lights and no crank....so as I was messing with all electrical connects and such I nioticed that the unlock and lock system was not consistent beit from the fob or the central lock switch inside the vehicle and when i was out side of the vehicle the fog lights were on and could not turn them off and some other strange things with the lights was happening when the lock system would work but it was not consistent and the lights that would stay on werent consistent either....many times inserting fob into slot with no luck then all the sudden everything works normal and car starts up... but now it seems to be working I am convinced the problem will resurface.....anyone have similar problems???

 

i have an update if it can help anyone... the car has done the problem twice since my last post, each time I have smacked the fob on something solid a couple times and the car starts right up......