1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Key Fob not unlocking car

1; Close all the doors, with you inside.
2; Turn the key once, and back off and remove within 5 seconds
3; within about 30 seconds, press and hold the unlock button. While holding it down, press the lock button 3 times within 10 seconds.
4; Doors will lock and unlock
5; Turn ignition once again and you're done

 

Likely just the battery. Do you have a second key that DOES work? If so, probably not a programming issue. Have you been using the non-working key recently, or did the car sit for a while without driving? The key battery charges during use. They'll lose their charge if not used for a little while (sometimes weeks, sometimes days if the battery is getting weak).

 

Bowman's instructions are good. Just know that if you reprogram one key, you have to do it at the same time for any other keys, or else they will lose their programming.

 

How long did it sit with the expansion tank issue? If long enough for the battery to die, it may take several drive cycles (several hours of driving) for the battery to recharge.

I've had ones seemingly go dead before, and have revived them with several hours of driving.

 

I heard that if you grab a rechargeable toothbrush platform (you know, the little pad... Thing) and place the fob on it, it'll recharge if it's actually dead.

Unfortunately, my key is also broken so I can't tell you if it works or not...

 

Boxman and Newbie6-

There are two types of keys for the first generation models. The very early cars had a two button key that was meant to be opened and had a user replaceable CR2032 battery. They also had rubber buttons over the switches on the circuit board that rotted away and lead to case and switch failure.

The second type was of a BMW design and was flat with three buttons. The battery inside is a rechargeable style and is not meant to be user replaceable. This type of key is not meant to be opened.

I have experience with fixing both types of keys and can help you get your key back into working order.

The lock cylinder in the doors isn't really meant to be used on a daily basis and these cars really should be locked and unlocked remotely.

Let me know if you'd like me to work on your keys.

Bruce Hart
MINI Key Hospital

"minikeyhospital (at) earthlink (dot) net"