I am asking this, because I happen to have an extra (and brand new) Valeo remote key. The key was originally programmed by the dealer for use in the '02 MC but since we found the "lost" key that it supposedly replaced for (Long story) is no longer needed.

The key is brand new and only works on '02-'04 MINIs (2005's use a different key and remote). Does anyone know whether the key can be-reprogrammed to be used in another MINI? If so I would like to sell it, but need to make sure before I put it up in Marketplace.

Thanks:smile:

 

It can be reprogrammed but they'll have to have a key cut to fit the locks and then somehow put back in place. Might not be worth the trouble.


I have had MINI dealers tell me it can't be done. But you know how every dealer will tell you something different. Ask yours.

 

Yeah! I forgot about the door locks!


Oh well, let me ask my dealer tomorrow. Worse comes to worse, we'll have an extra remote spare as the '02s originally came with only one remote key.

 

And that darned ignition switch!!

 

I am sure it is "possible" but each key is laser cut so I would think that it would probably be cheaper to just get a new one rather than have one retrofitted to another car.

I was told by my MA that there are something like 8 total keys to my car. I have two and the other 6 are in a vault in Oxford waiting for me to lose one and shell out $125 to get a new one overnighted to me. I don't know if that is really true, but the way he told the story made it sound like you would have to repalce the ignition and the lock if you lost all 8 keys. Plus, you don't really need the lock to be replaced cause you can just use the remote. I don't think I have ever used the key to unlock the car yet.

 

so with about 100,000 MINIs' sold since 02 they have a vault with 800,000

keys in it. . I would love to see a picture of that.
Just something to think about.
Cheers

 

exactly why I qualified that story with "this is what my MA told me." It seems hard to believe, but you never know...

 

OOPs. My bad on the math. 600,000 keys

I wonder if the MA even thought twice about how ridiculas that sounds.
I wonder what would happen if you went through all eight keys, time to
get new car?