ok so my problem is that I think my 02 mini still thinks the key is in the iginition when I take it out coz it is dinging like it is. this causes me to be unable to lock the car with the remote. It takes about 4 times turning the key manually in door to lock it. anyone have any ideas?

 

I would start with the electrical side of switch, the black box behind the ignition switch in the column.

 

Greetings and welcome

I’m new to the mini world but generally speaking ignition switch problems can be a real pain and often require a professional.

If your electrical system isn’t shutting down (and it’s probably not) one morning you may get up to a dead battery.

Good luck
ab

 

Instead of taking the alarmist stand point as the above posters, I'd suggest attempting to lube the tumbler portion of the ignition.

This happened on another BMW I had, I think my E34.... anyway, the feature that detects key in had gotten worn from being used 500,000 times and was starting to bind. I shot some graphite in there, you can pick it up from a hardware store typically in the lock section it works great now. Puff some of the graphite in there, then work the key in and out 40-50 times, and cycle the ignition on and off a few to work it in.

If it is a matter of mechanical binding due to wear, this will rectify the problem.

 

I'm having the exact same problem on my 03 r53. Please let me know if you figure it out. Thanks!

 

Did anyone find a solution to this problem?

 

I have a 2005 Mini Cooper S (R53) which thought it's key was in the ignition. As mentioned in prior posts, the risk of battery running out is exactly what happened to me. While I was ready to repair/replace the ignition switch, I went with WD40 (vs. Graphite) given that WD40 has some ability to not just lubricate but also dissolve some of the gunk which might be in there. Just a quick spray, worked the key on and off about 5-6 times. Hooked my mini up to a 6-amp charger and was able to immediately see it was repaired.

Hope that helps anyone else who Googles this question as I did, since lubrication is likely enough for the first-time fix.