If you have the comfort access system key option can you start the engine without the key in the ignition? I know you can open the doors but wasn't sure about this.

 

Yes, you can and in the 20 months that I have had my MINI I have become incredibly spoiled. I hate to drive other cars and have to dig for the keys. Walk up to car, push rubber door button, sit and push start....nice!! Enjoy your MINI!!

 

I just picked up my Countryman yesterday. It has comfort access, and I have gotten so spoiled in just the one day. I have my key fob in my purse and I don't have to dig it out of my purse to open the car door or start it up.

My MA told me that it's a 3 foot area around the car where it will work.

~Amy

 

About 3 to 6 feet, then the no key icon lights up on the tachometer.

Remember to change the battery or put the key in its slot off and on. Battery is cheap and available at most good stores.

I really like having comfort access in both MINIs.

 

Not wanting to rain on anyone's parade, but have folks been following all the recent articles re how hackers have figured out how to break into these systems?

USAToday just ran an article about this. The gist of the article:

Cars that have keyless entry and the push-button ignition switches becoming more common are in the most jeopardy. The thieves can, in fact, start those vehicles because the same purloined signal that opens the doors also tells the push-button system it's OK to start the car when somebody pushes the button.

Won't stop me from ordering it, but something to be aware of, nonetheless.

 

Well poop...

Still, there's hope:


"David Wagner, a computer science professor at the University of California at Berkeley, said there are probably easier way to steal cars, but the “nasty aspect of high-tech car theft” is that it doesn’t leave any sign of forced entry. That could lead to problems with police and insurance companies in tracking down the criminals or with filing claims.

Right now, the only way to protect yourself is by either shielding your key fob’s radio with a guard or leaving your key fob at home. Srdjan Capkun, an assistant professor at ETH Zurich, says the institute is working on a way to prevent this sort of theft."

 

Generally your average criminals (who are the vast majority) are not high tech enough to do this type of thing. While it is a concern I would bet the high tech criminals will target more expensive cars with this function....but who knows.

Anybody have a pic of the "button" you push on the handle to lock/unlock with the comfort system? Does it stick out like a sore thumb? Haven't seen one yet.

 

The button contours to the handle, you wouldn't know it was there. It's a little rubber button on the handle and doesn't stick out at all.

 

This might be of some interest . . .

http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/lockcode.asp

 

I'm finding the button fairly hard to press - I mean you really have to push directly down on it and pretty hard. Little trouble for my wife.

With our old Audi Q7, all you needed to do was just touch the handle and it would unlock, the button was required only for locking.

 

I don't think they're using rechargeable batteries anymore, so there's no point in putting your key in the ignition from time to time. My wife's 2010 Clubman has a regular non-rechargeable battery, so I assume the Countryman is the same.

 

More than likely correct on the CM. I will pull my key apart and look, only way to know for sure.

 

According to the manual, the standard fob has a rechargeable battery while the comfort access fob's battery is replaceable.

 

It is hard to press and depending on the mood of the MINI there is sometimes a delay of a second or so.

 

I love CA and have been spoiled by it. The one time I've entrusted my MINI to a valet I actually had a hard time finding the key when they gave me back the car--it was in the slot I've never used. Hehe...

 

So if you lose the comfort access key, how much is a replacement? Any guess? Also, if you lose it can you just replace with a standard key and forgo the keyless aspect?
Annette

 

The regular key is around $300, right? if not more. I would say north of that.

 

$300 is about right for either key. There isn't much of a price difference on BMW keys with and without CA so I can't imagine Mini would have a huge disparity either.