[jjn]

Can anyone tell me if the black plastic "reserve" key should be able to start the engine?

The background to this is that I mislaid the spare key for our MCS on Saturday - that's not the reserve one but the second key, without the chromed MINI symbol but with remote control buttons. As it had not turned up by this morning, I paniced as a neighbour of ours dropped their keys outside their house a few years ago and someone round here was dishonest enough to to steal their almost new car.

Just in case I had dropped the spare outside, I decided to get the immobliser chip for that key deprogramed. On our F**d Fo***s this is simple to do yourself if you still have two keys. Not for a MINI, though - no clues in the manual or from a hour long search on the inernet.

I nearby dealer agreed to do this while I waited. I took them the car and the main and reserve keys and they took it to the workshop, returning it 15 mins later - no charge.

The main key worked, but when I tried the plastic reserve it would disable the alarm when placed in the ignition but not start the car. The salesman came out and had a go and the car started, but what I failed to realise at the time was by starting the car with the master, switching off and then immediately using the reserve, the car started before the immobiliser had reset.

My brother has the same plastic reserve key for his 3 series and had told me it was provided because you can lock your keys in the car. I though that might be the rational behind not being able to start the car with the reserve, although I cannot fathom how you can lock your keys in a MINI.

You can guess what happened next - within an hour of getting home I found the missing key - in the last place you look.

Of course I tried the prodical key, and although the remote functions were disabled, I could manually open the car, the alarm switched off when I put the key in the ignition, and the car started :-(

So what I'm guessing is that the reprogramming job was botched - the spare key's alarm was disabled, but it was the reserve keys immobliser chip that was prevented from starting the engine.

Any help or comments much appreciated before I return to the dealer again....

[dietcokeplease]

The reverse key can start the engine. The tiny round blip at the top of the key houses the immobiliser chip.

[NEMINI]

1. My plastic Valet key starts my engine with no problem (just went outside and tested it)
2. to lock keys in car just open the door, hit the lock button, drop keys in car, close door. (this was actually useful on 2 canoeing trips ... leave the electronic key that wouldn't like water in the car and take plastic key with me into the water)

[Paul]

Plastic key does everything a car key should (lets you in, lets you drive)...

[jjn]

Thanks for the replys. It seems they have made a hash of it!

On the F****s, to enable/disable the immobolise function it's just a case of inserting the keys in the right order and turning them the correct number of times. Does anyone know if this is the same with the MINI?

[stryder]

I don't think its anywhere near as simple on BMWs, almost every MINI that's been stolen (which is very few, don't worry) have been stolen with the actual key.

To 'prove' you can start the car because of the chip, (Assuming I got this procedure right) if you sit in the car, and lock the car with the remote key, you can then move any key (including the valet key) near the ignition, and you'll hear the doors unlock when the chip gets close enough to be read.

[jjn]

The point is that I thought that I had lost the *actual* key.

I think it being simple on the Ford is a *good* security feature - the moment I suspect that a key is in the wrong hands I can stop it from being any use to the thief without waiting to make a trip to the dealer. I'm also disappointed that although I spent three hours getting the key disabled, I (along with any potential thief) was still able to start the car with the "disabled" key. This isn't a fault of the car, just the service department of the dealer I took the car to.

With the Focus, you need to have two keys before you can do any programming yourself, so if you only have one key you need to go to the dealer, where with any luck they will spot your mask, striped jersey and bag marked swag and refuse to reprogram the keys :-)

[stryder]

Ahh, Ok, I'll admit I aparently missed the main point, sorry.

It does seem the deprogramming was botched. I tried to search for any of the other threads where people have deprogrammed the key, but couldn't find any. Hopefully someone else can recall one.

[jjn]

Stryder - thanks for searching anyway. On the internet I came across a couple of boxes for sale to overide immoblisers so I guess no car is completely safe. Moral - fit a tracker and/or get vehicle replacement/shortfall insurance.