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Stock Problems/IssuesDiscussions related to warranty related issues and repairs, or other problems with the OEM parts and software for MINI Clubman (R55), Cooper and Cooper S(R56), and Cabrio (R57).
Greetings, I have a 2009 S which stopped working with the key fob that I have been using. Daughter was using my mini while her car was being repaired. The key fob will lock/unlock the doors but when she put it in the cradle to start NOTHING! No engine lights, etc will display. Thinking it was the cars battery I tried jumping it off with no luck.
Was about to call the tow truck for some big $$$$ and another trip to the dealer as it was over 50 miles to the nearest one in Atlanta when my daughter suggested trying the other fob we had. Yeah sure, just knowing that the fob would be the problem! Well she got a free meal at IHOP for her suggestion. Much to my surprise the other fob worked and the car started up fine. Been using that fob with no problems since.
As I have had this car for less than four months wiith multiple issues and the wifey will not even ride in it because it is unreliable and to get rid of it is there any way to get the original fob working short of another trip to the dealer with it? If the first fob failed am I looking at the other failing in the near future
Thanks
Ronnie G
Internal non replaceable battery died ( Only comfort access remote has replaceable battery )
Transaction for new radio remote key fob is easy. Just call them, they will ask to Fax or email copy of your DL and Reg to them. Pay the $150.00 + tax with cc'd ( non comfort access price ) they can fedex the key back to you when it comes in ( usually 24hrs + shipping time ). Someone has to be home to sign for key usually.
When key arrives, put it into docking port for 15 seconds before pressing start button.
Just to clarify the drivers license has to be for the registered owner. The remote is $150-$160 for the non comfort access, $250 if it is plus the coding $$ to the car for comfort access at the dealer only and the key if you want a new one is $40-$50.
Most manufacturers have cracked down on the distribution of replacement keys. I suspect because of car theft/fraud concerns. However, at times they kinda take it a bit far.
A few years back I was restoring an old Mercedes SL. Even though the car was more than 25 years old, the keys were specially cut and no locksmith could repro it. To get the key from Mercedes, I had to go in with my driver's license, and Bill of Sale (car was not registered for use) because they would order the key. Then - like you - once the key arrived, they wouldn't put it in the mail for me. I needed to go down with proper ID to pick it up.
In hindsight, it would have been easier to hotwire the car...
Thanks for all the replays. I pried the fob apart and ordered a battery from eBay. Soldered it in and with a little JB weld it is now working fine. I have another fob
Which is around five years old which could also leave me stranded. Saw in the manual where I should have gotten a low
Battery warning icon for the fob.
Anyone ever seen that icon and should I go ahead and swap out the other fob battery?
Thanks again.
Ronnie G
Thanks for all the replays. I pried the fob apart and ordered a battery from eBay. Soldered it in and with a little JB weld it is now working fine. I have another fob
Which is around five years old which could also leave me stranded. Saw in the manual where I should have gotten a low
Battery warning icon for the fob.
Anyone ever seen that icon and should I go ahead and swap out the other fob battery?
Thanks again.
Ronnie G
If you ever need a new remote fob we have them for 126.73 shipped.
Thanks for all the replays. I pried the fob apart and ordered a battery from eBay. Soldered it in and with a little JB weld it is now working fine. I have another fob
Which is around five years old which could also leave me stranded. Saw in the manual where I should have gotten a low
Battery warning icon for the fob.
Anyone ever seen that icon and should I go ahead and swap out the other fob battery?
Thanks again.
Ronnie G
I'm not sure you would have ever seen the "low battery" indicator for the key. Because you have a rechargeable battery, your key would have charged every time you stuck it in the ignition so the scenario of running the car with a low key battery wouldn't come up. That indicator probably only applies to Comfort Access owners who must replace the CR2032 once in a while. In your case, it sounded like your key battery died and would no longer hold a charge.
The Mini logo on my wife's key became unstuck I glued it back on. However, I must have poked my cleaning tool in the crack between the unlock flap and the body in order to remove excess glue. Subsequently it would lock and unlock doors but engine would not start. Bought a new key from the dealer $200 (Canadian). Took original key apart. Hint: use a paint scraper inserted at the end furthest from the metal key section to separate the two pieces, then a screwdriver as a wedge and it pops apart.
I had damaged the fine wire wrapped around the ferrite core while cleaning the excess glue out. It is toast. Be warned. DO NOT poke anything in it. This thing is vulnerable. A costly cosmetic exercise! All because she didn't like the missing logo!
I just had this happen to me on my '08 MCS Clubman. I dropped the key while standing by the curb at a gas station during a short stop and now the key isn't working... The fob battery is fine and operates the locks but it will not start the car at all. No power or recognition it is in the slot at all.
I have always been suspicious of too much technology in automobiles and this proves me right. Way too many people being stranded by a piece of unecessary tech, poorly applied. I'm hoping my wife gets to this gas station I'm stuck at with my spare fob and THEN I'm PRAYING that the battery is good in that second one to be able to start the car because I virtually never use it, having never known or read or been told by anyone at the dealer or the Indy shop I use that you couldn't replace the batteries (like in all previous types of remotes) and they discharge! Holy smokes! There was NOTHING WRONG with the old mechanical key in a slot staring procedure that this plastic POS does better.
im am VERY ANNOYED at Mini right now because this is a solid, probable use case that points at NOT moving to this kind of key system.
Purchased 2009 Mini Cooper for our daughter in October 2016. Dealer only gave us one key. The last couple days when she attempts to start the car it will not start. Key fob locks and unlocks doors though. So she has called for us to come get her and we have and I get in car to try one more time and it starts just fine. After reading the previous post I am wondering if it is the key fob. Any suggestions. Should I get another key fob as I am sure this is the original. Thanks
We purchased a used 2009 Mini for our daughter in October 2016. No problems or issues until last week. I am posting this because my husband and I spent countless hours googling and reading what the problem could be. Very frustrating!! Anyway last week it just wouldn’t start when placing key in ignition. It was just like it wasn’t recognizing the key. So finally after watching a you tube video we tried appplyimg a little pressure to key when inserting it. Bingo it worked. We had no warning lights come on till a few days later as my daughter and I was on our way to a volleyball tournament 2 hours away. We got this alarm light.
So before leaving tried everything that we had read. Spoke to roadside assistance with no help. Tried taking out battery. Lights worked in interior and headlights. Rode home with friends. Next morning my husband and I went back to Indy to try to figure something out or get it to mini dealership. After speaking with roadside assistance, trying everything they said. Taking battery to autozone and having it tested still nothing. So dealership suggested having it towed in. Had that all set up and shortly before they arrived I was digging in glovebox box and found a speedway key fob. The little cards you scan to get points and free stuff. Don’t know what’s made me do it. But I laid the little plastic card directly on top of the key and what do you know it started right up! So maybe this will help someone when they are in same situation. We drive it to mini dealership to figure out what was going on. Hopefully not a big expense. $100 to hook it up to diagnostic machine and see. I will let everyone know what’s the end result is. As I said it is running fine. Sounds fine just wouldn’t recognize the key. Thank god for the little speedway card!!!
Many manufacturers have remote door unlock services that can get you inside the car if your key fob is disabled, or if you’ve locked your keys inside. If your car doesn’t have an advanced remote unlocking system, roadside assistance can still get you inside. All of these services require that you have set them up ahead of time, and generally require a PIN.
We purchased a used 2009 Mini for our daughter in October 2016. No problems or issues until last week. I am posting this because my husband and I spent countless hours googling and reading what the problem could be. Very frustrating!! Anyway last week it just wouldn’t start when placing key in ignition. It was just like it wasn’t recognizing the key. So finally after watching a you tube video we tried appplyimg a little pressure to key when inserting it. Bingo it worked. We had no warning lights come on till a few days later as my daughter and I was on our way to a volleyball tournament 2 hours away. We got this alarm light.
So before leaving tried everything that we had read. Spoke to roadside assistance with no help. Tried taking out battery. Lights worked in interior and headlights. Rode home with friends. Next morning my husband and I went back to Indy to try to figure something out or get it to mini dealership. After speaking with roadside assistance, trying everything they said. Taking battery to autozone and having it tested still nothing. So dealership suggested having it towed in. Had that all set up and shortly before they arrived I was digging in glovebox box and found a speedway key fob. The little cards you scan to get points and free stuff. Don’t know what’s made me do it. But I laid the little plastic card directly on top of the key and what do you know it started right up! So maybe this will help someone when they are in same situation. We drive it to mini dealership to figure out what was going on. Hopefully not a big expense. $100 to hook it up to diagnostic machine and see. I will let everyone know what’s the end result is. As I said it is running fine. Sounds fine just wouldn’t recognize the key. Thank god for the little speedway card!!!
Old post, I know, but this just started happening to me. I've already established that the key is on it's last legs (comfort controls not reading even with a new battery) and recently the "no key" symbol with no start on inserting the fob. Did you find out what the deal is? My gut is something on the cradle or the fob itself is not catching? Still looking for direction here, any info you can share would be awesome.
