I'm a new owner of a 2008 MCS with the convenience (proximity key) option. When I bought the car, only one key fob was with it, and the car dealer (CarMax...good guys) coughed up the $250 to get a second one which was handled by the local Mini dealership (Baltimore County MINI...also good guys). After I got home, I decided to check the key and it worked fine as long as I stuck it in the ignition, but the proximity stuff doesn't work. The original key still works OK, but not the new replacement. I see nothing in the OM and after a brief search around here I'm still in the dark. Anybody know anything?

 

I think you now have to have both keys programmed. IF it was like my VW when you replaced one key you had to reprogram them all together.

 

:Yeah the dealer has to do his magic on the new key. It's nice he supplied it for free though. The retail price is high, but the cost is probably low.

 

Unfortunately you may have to pay to have the key programed...and it could be costly

 

My dealers transport company lost one of my keys on delivery so they ordered me a new key and mailed it to me. Same problems the CA functions did not work. The buttons do work as a normal fob.

The lost key must be de programmed and the new key programmed at a dealer. I had to make a 200+ mile trip one way to my dealer to have it done.

 

Could be that you wound up with a standard key fob and not the one that works with Comfort Access.

Probably the easiest way to tell is to compare the backs of the fobs you have (i.e., the replacement one and the original Comfort Access). The regular fobs are rechargeable; but the Comfort Access fobs are not, and require a battery, so the backs will differ subtly. If the back of the replacement fob has a battery cover (I believe the Owner's Manual has illustrations), it's the correct Comfort Access fob (and the previous comments about the necessity dealer programming probably still apply); otherwise it's probably a standard fob.

It wouldn't surprise me if someone else was "footing the bill" for the replacement fob that they ordered the cheaper of the two...

 

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) the new fob has a battery hatch just like the original. I emailed the dealership to see if they can help, but no answer yet.

 

Looks like klrick has it right. The SA emailed me and said they didn't realize I had the convenience option and that I'll have to come back and have them kill the original and marry the new one to the car. He said it would only take about an hour...An hour? I thought it would take about a minute. It must be a Catholic marriage ceremony