1st Gen R53 Cooper S Is the Cooper S central locking/alarm supposed to rearm itself ?

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by pfspeeddemon, Jan 22, 2012.

  1. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

    Nov 28, 2011
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    Hi Folks,

    Is the Cooper S central locking/alarm supposed to rearm itself if one doesn't open any door in a specified amount of time ? I ask this because recently I locked my 2002 MCS using the remote key (and automatically arming the alarm in the process, of course) but after 15 mins I inadvertently hit the unlock button on the remote, unlocking the doors and disarming the alarm. Since I didn't open any doors, I expected the central locking to relock the doors and the alarm to rearm after about 30 secs or so but neither happened. Is this correct or are both the central locking and alarm supposed to rearm if one doesn't open any door in a specified amount of time ?
     
  2. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    Hmmm, I've never seen this on my 06. Many times I've inadvertently unlocked the car without touching it after and I've never seen it lock the doors again after a certain time period.

    What make you think the car does the actions you specified?

    Then again, with all the possible computer options on these cars it may well be something that can be set.
     
  3. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    Thanks for your reply Nathan,

    For starters, I think it should relock and rearm from a security point of view...just imagine if I had walked away from the car without realizing that I inadvertently opened the doors and deactivated the alarm. I have received/seen posts from other sites which are a bit conflicting (i.e. some say it should and some say it shouldn't). I tend to lean towards the camp saying that it should...these persons have stated that this is a dealer activated option...here's a quote from one of them off a MCS owner manual:

    Quote:
    AUTOMATIC LOCKING WHEN STOPPED Page 24
    If the doors are not opened after being unlocked, within 2 minutes, the
    central locking system locks the vehicle automatically.
    Activate/Deactivate
     
  4. rum4

    rum4 Club Coordinator
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    I don't know about 1st gen but in my book for 2nd gen it does state that it will relock and arm after a period of time. However it does not state what that period of time is.
     
  5. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    Thank you rum4, it's appreciated...I wish some Gen 1 owners would chip in
     
  6. Belhaven

    Belhaven Active Member

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    Imagine this : you unlocked the car. you started loading the car for a trip. you left the keys on the driver seat or even in the ignition. you finish loading and shut all the doors. you went away from the car for abit (inside for pit-stop, make a call, whatever). When you come back there's your MINI - all snug and locked up - with the keys inside.

    No - automatically locking the car is NOT a good idea - ever.

    (this happened to me with a non-MINI rental once).
     
  7. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    #7 pfspeeddemon, Jan 25, 2012
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2012
    Belhaven, thanks for your post, yours was an unfortunate incident but the Mini doesn't behave this way. I'm asking to know if after one has locked and armed the alarm and inadvertently unlocks the door and disarms the alarm using the remote (without you physically opening the door), should the car relock the doors and rearm the alarm ? (in such an instance you should still have the keys with you as you wouldn't even have opened the door physically).

    To ALL: BTW 154 views to date and just three persons have replied...am I to take it that all the others who have seen my thread and have not replied have their Minis behaving as mine regarding this feature ? ...a couple of more replies would do wonders in helping me establishing if this feature is supposed to be available to my car or not.
     
  8. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    I think the lack of replies is simply because people do not know.

    I did test this on my own car, an 06 BTW, by unlocking the doors and then waiting about 20 min before going out and checking if they were locked or not.

    They were not locked.
     
  9. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    Tx for your support, Nathan...it would seem logical for it to have such a feature...it really sounds daft not to...even aftermarket alarms rearm themselves if the door is not opened after a stipulated time...I hope we get more replies from other GEN 1Mini owners.

    I have already spoken to the stealership and they are none the wiser but they told me to bring the car over so they do an OBD check and if they find that the feature is available on my car but just deactivated they will reactivate it...and rip me off in the process !! It's an important feature that I really want to have but I want to be 100% certain that my model should have it because the stealership will still charge me just to hook it up for an OBD check regardless of whether they would be succesful or not in activating the feature.

    I don't want to take the car the stealership and be taken for a ride, so as I have said, I'd really appreciate get more replies to this thread.
     
  10. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    To Nathan: have a look at a reply that i got off another site (looks like he has the same YOM model Mini as yours) - Pierre.

    "I have just taken delivery of a 2006 Cooper S so am still 'getting to know' it. At the weekend I unlocked the car using the remote, then stood talking to a friend for a couple of mins without opening the door. While we were stood chatting the lights flashed a couple of times and the car locked and re-armed itself.

    So, I am guessing that it should lock and re-arm itself but this could be configurable by a dealer, so it is possible that a previous owner has had the feature disabled (although I don't know why someone would have that done!).... "
     
  11. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    Sorry, I have a 2nd Gen. They didn't lock either.... Probably figured I was just taking a while to get back in the vehicle and was waiting for me.
     
  12. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    OK, Metalman, thanks just the same...if your is a GEN 2 then it should have the feature and, as I have been led to believe by replies that I've had from another site, you should be able to programme this yourself from the remote key...check your manual...if no info there, then contact the dealership...I wish a couple of GEN 1 owners would chip in...
     
  13. Belhaven

    Belhaven Active Member

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    ok - different scenario. you stop somewhere with a passenger. you get out and close your door, leaving the passenger inside. By habit - you lock the door. Then realizing you still have a passenger inside, you unlock it. While you're in the store the system rearms itself and then the passenger moves...setting off the alarm.

    It's real simple - have the system lock when you lock it and unlock when you unlock it. I see no reason for the car to EVER automatically lock itself.
     
  14. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    LOL ! You are so "anti-automatically locking doors"...but then again, everyone is entitiled to having their own opinion and I respect that...but I still want this feature !:biggrin5:
     
  15. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    Mine doesn't do it.....
     
  16. scf

    scf New Member

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    Mine doesn't do this either, '03.

    What's funny is I thought of this thread on the way into work the other morning. I'm just getting ready to pull into work's parking lot, and I hear the doors unlock.

    What..the..F.. That was odd. Hit the lock, then unlock. Works just fine. Hasn't done it again either.
     
  17. FUEGO

    FUEGO Club Coordinator

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    Both my '05 R53 and my wife's '06 R53 re-lock and re-arm if we unlock/disarm the system with the remote and don't open a door. I think the time-out is something like 3 or 5 minutes IIRC.
     
  18. pfspeeddemon

    pfspeeddemon New Member

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    Hi Folks,

    First of all, thanks to Firebro17, Scf and Fuego (especially Fuego...at last someone agrees with me about the availability of this feature !)...secondly, sorry for my late return to this thread. Here's an update:

    Went to the stealership today to get this function activated and this is what they said:
    1) To do so they need to hook the car up to their computer which loads a 2hr-long program which basically over-writes and reloads all stored info in the car's electronic brain (ECU and all !) and also activates this feature. They said, they cannot just specifically load this feature on its own. They said it can only be done in this way.
    2) The charge would be US $266 !!

    Of course, I gave them a piece of my mind and I told them that if they thought that I was buying what they told me in point (1) they had another thing coming because I have an electronic version of the BMW MINI service manual as used by the BMW MINI technicians themselves which states that it’s just a question of enabling this function. I also told them that there was no way I would be paying that amount indicated in point (2) as it’s a shameful rip-off.

    Can any of you please advise me what this job really entails (especially the duration of the task) and what a realistic cost should be.
     
  19. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    While I can't be certain that your local dealer was hosing you in your efforts to have some factory adjustments made, I do know that I have had my car connected to a reputable shop's $15K computer for similar adjustments. It cost me 80 bucks for the 1 hour's worth of labor. Significantly different to be sure...

    The programme allows for the technician to access a variety of features available to the MINI owner, whether it be adjustments in the entry features, lighting, or otherwise. I stood right next to the guy and watched the process right there in the shop, and I was the one making the decisions regarding what was activated and what was not. Again, I'm not sure you were undergoing the exact same process as me, but I'd venture to guess your better judgement was in perfect working order when deciding against proceeding with a total re-program. Find another shop and see what they have to offer in the way of procedures and compare the two. Best of luck and I'd be curious to know of your outcome. :Thumbsup:
     
  20. Metalman

    Metalman Well-Known Member
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    If you are going to the Dragon this year you might want to check with a few of our vendors (DT, WMW, Helix etc.) beforehand and set up an appointment. If my memory serves me correct, some of these things were able to be programmed with their laptops they brought with them.
     

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