Hey guys.
When i bought my mini it came with one key without guts in it and another key also in the photo that was blank and uncut, which had the guts of the original key in it. So... i have had to carry 2 bulky keys in my pocket sonce ive owned the car. The one without the guts starts the car, the folding blank key unlocks it.

Today, i decided finally to get the blank key cut. Surprise surprise, it doesn't work... heres the thing though. Put the foldy key in the ignition and it turns perfectly even through engine start position but... doesnt engage the starter.. if i take that key OUT, then put the gutless key in, the car starts. Then turn it off and put the foldy key in, and the car will start with the foldy key...

Why??

The key ONLY works if i have started the car with the old key first.

You're going to say it needs to be programmed. I tried 4 different methods that ive found on this and other forums. None seem to work. And furthermore, since the gutless key has no guts in it, and i cant hold any buttons down, im afraid that i will wind up with 1 programmed foldy key that still doesnt start the car, and obe gutless key that will no longer start the car. I dont want to push the car to and from work. Thoughts? (Besides spending a ton of money at the dealer for a new key) ? I just want want to reduce this to 1 key that opens and starts the car. The foldy key takes up less real estate in my pocket. So i prefer that one. Which, as far as i can tellvis highly aftermarket. Even the mini dealership said they couldn't cut it when i asked nearly a year ago. And they had no idea what it was and had never seen anything like it before.



Don't mind the fingernails. Im a mechanic

 

The programming instructions that involve pressing buttons and turning the ignition are only for the remote lock. Nothing to do with starting the car.

Starting the car requires the immobilizer chip, which is in the key. I suspect that the immobilizer chip is still in your gutless key and you need to transfer it to your foldy key. Here is the chip in a newer style key:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3008880



A closeup of the chip:

 

Awesome... that is kind of along the lines of what i was thinking/assuming, (with the chip and the lock/unlock) but i didn't really know if it was able to be removed, and, honestly, i didn't take the time to check lol.

However, i did do things like, hold both keys in the same hand, waved one at the mirror, at the dash, and key switch, and all sorts of things. but i suspect it's gotta be IN the other key to work.

I'll get right on this and let you know! Thanks for the detail.

 

so, last night, i opened my foldey key pod, and lost a screw, a spring, a button, and nearly the chip all the the course of about 5 minutes... and i'm not a clumsy person. so.. still haven't gotten to try this out, but... i am about 90% sure that once i get it all back together after a few hours of sitting on my hands and knees going over every inch of my garage, looking for these things, it should start the car..... -_-

 

Wow. That's a pretty bad looking flip key conversion. I'll include a link to my "Key Refurbishment" thread at the bottom. I do this type of thing on the side and clearly somebody started something that they couldn't finish. They didn't even bother to put the wings on the flip key.

Let me know if you need help, although you seem to have all the pieces there, they are just on your garage floor. Good luck finding them. The "wings" are available on eBay if you choose to add them.

Good job, rkw, for letting him know what was missing from the flip key.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rbishment.html

Val

 

Awesome. Thanks val. I searched around and found all the missing bits. Button was under a toolbox, spring was in a bin that should have been impossible for it to land in, and the screw emerged in the bottom of my shoe of all places... i was fortunate. Lol. And yeah, the last owner of the car wasn't very mechanically inclined. He didnt even change his own oil. Though in fairness, it's not exactly a level 1 task changing the filter lol. So, yeah, the key conversion was unfinished as well. The flip key was blank until yesterday. I was driving around and passed the same key shop / locksmith place twice, so decided to go in and get it cut after a year of having 2 keys in my pocket.

Before i found all of the parts, i found the same flip keys on ebay and was going to buy one if i couldn't find them. They only sell them out of china though. There was one that apparently came with the wings according to the photo but they didnt specifically say they did. All of that is to say, i do actually want the wings so thanks for the tip.

As for the update, i got it all back together and the key works as it should. But it's worth mentioning that when i opened the flip key there was a folded piece of paper behind the battery, which i suppose held the guts in place so i put it back where i found itm. And i also had to wrap a snall cut of thick paper around the other little piece, the name of which is escaping me at the moment. Transcever, transducer, flux capacitor, transistor whatever.... but i had to wrap it in thick paper so it wouldnt dislodge. So, its not exactly the best quality key fob. But it works.... officially.... please ignore cell phone typos.