keys lost! Help!

[BazKing69]

Hi all
Crap 1st post but I'm in a bit of a pickle!
The keys to my Cooper were either lost or stolen today, and it was the only keys we had (daft I know but its a part company car that we have just got)
I am currently awaiting the AA to recover the car to my home address as its stuck on the side of a busy town centre road and I'm not risking leaving it their without knowing who has the keys!
I have spoken to the local BMW dealer this afternoon, who have advised me that they can luckily get a new key cut from the chassis number direct from BMW by Sat AM.
They inform me that it will need no coding (as not getting the remote central locking/alarm key)
The car does not have an alarm as far as i'm aware (no LED on the wiper stalk like Cooper S's)
The dealer has assured me that it will not need a code, but surely the key has an immobiliser code in it? Is this supplied already coded from the VIN number?
I dont want to spend £20-£30 on a new key only to get it, get in and the engine wont start, and have to have it recovered to them again to code.
Hopefully it will just be a matter of hiding the car for a few days until the key comes. £30 is also a cheap and lucky way out of what I was expecting to be a costly situation. I will cross the recoding and or new lockset bridge later!
Any help would be greatly appreciated to put my mind at rest!
Many thanks
Baz

[BlackMiniMac]

£30 does sound cheap for a key! The ones for my Clio were £120
If the Mini is the same then your dealer should be able to 'wipe' the other keys from the Minis memory so they dont work, only the new ones so your lil pride and joy should still be safe.

[Scrogg]

The reason they need the VIN is so that they can order you a key pre-programmed to your car, so you'll be able to drive straight away.

Problem is, if someone has stolen your key they will be able to as well, so get it to a dealer quik to get the original code erased and a new one programmed in. It won't be cheap but it's cheaper than getting the car stolen and losing a bundle on the insurance!

[PhilUK]

Quote: Originally Posted by Scrogg (original)

The reason they need the VIN is so that they can order you a key pre-programmed to your car, so you'll be able to drive straight away.

Problem is, if someone has stolen your key they will be able to as well, so get it to a dealer quik to get the original code erased and a new one programmed in. It won't be cheap but it's cheaper than getting the car stolen and losing a bundle on the insurance!

Definitely get the key coded. Whoever finds your key may have physical access to your car but it'll make it impossible for them to start it using the key. Coding keys works something like this (the principle of it): Lets say that the MINI can have 10 different immobilser chips stored at any time that can start the car - so there's 10 slots. Each slot is either erased or the new key is coded in say 10 times to overwrite each slot so that the lost key won't start the car. OK the number of slots may be wrong and maybe the procedure but its the basic principle for a lot of immobiliser systems.

[freshcut]

Sorry to hear about the lost/stolen key. I do know that here in the states, the dealership informed me that a replacement key runs $180 usd. so whatever that converts into gbp or euro might be a starting point for you. As for the LED on the wiper stalk, I have an '06 S and the wiper stalk has an LED to inform me of low washer fluid for my wipers. The alarm LED is located on the dash under the steering wheel just above my "go faster" foot. Of course I believe that my alarm was dealer installed rather than factory but can't be certain without looking at the window sticker that shows the factory options that were installed.

[Scrogg]

Quote: Originally Posted by freshcut (original)

Sorry to hear about the lost/stolen key. I do know that here in the states, the dealership informed me that a replacement key runs $180 usd. so whatever that converts into gbp or euro might be a starting point for you. As for the LED on the wiper stalk, I have an '06 S and the wiper stalk has an LED to inform me of low washer fluid for my wipers. The alarm LED is located on the dash under the steering wheel just above my "go faster" foot. Of course I believe that my alarm was dealer installed rather than factory but can't be certain without looking at the window sticker that shows the factory options that were installed.

UK cars with factory-fit alarms have a red bulb on the indicator stalk (just like your yellow one) but you're right, most dealer-fits have a flashy light thingy installed somewhere!

[dakini]

like everyone says, spend the money to get it recoded. if nothing else, your insurance might have reason not to pay up if it's stolen using a stolen key that you didn't bother to have erased from the car's memory.

good luck getting it all sorted.

[MCZ2047]

At the weekend my car wouldnt open by remote control, so i took it to my local BMW dealer in belfast and they have traced the fault to the unlock button inside the key being broken, they have ordered a new key but at the cost of £77. The dealer said that to reprogram the new key would be free of charge but could take up to an hour to do.

[Claire_S]

might be cheaper get an alarm fitted or if not ceaper better.

[ss24]

Baz, I have a feeling you misplaced your key, if someone has stolen your key, your mini would have been gone by the time you found out. So get a key cut and don't worry too much.
It's just a car.

[BazKing69]

Cheers all for your help
I'll let you know more when its all sorted (you never know WHO is reading public forums..)

[andyferriby]

Aye keys that you order from BMW are coded for your car - i had to get one made for my car - came ready coded apart from remote locks!

[BazKing69]

I know keys and programming can be a very expensive business with some manufacturers, plus a right pain in the **** with coding, given my position!

[BazKing69]

Now two thirds of the way to getting this sorted. At least the car is now mobile.
Key was an extremely reasonable £17 + VAT from the dealer, supplied cut and coded!

[ss24]

That's very good news Baz, and the price they charged you is way too low.
At that price, I would have order two for spare.