Hoping you all can help. Recently saved an 07 r56 from salvage yard, it has about 50,000 miles. Everything works great, but we wanted an extra key(teenage daughters car), so I called mini and had them send me a key as well as a fob. When I got the key(shipped to me, there is no local dealer nearby), the key fob did not work. I put it in the hole in dash, and car started fine, and buttons for lock and unlock started to work. The only difference now between it and old keyfob, is the old fob will let you unlock and lock doors with button on handle, and the new keyfob will not. It also will not let me express roll down the windows. Any idea on why it's different?

 

Each fob saves it's own settings, such as radio station presets and door lock behavior. You can program it by following these instructions. http://www.ehow.com/how_7559073_prog...r-options.html

 

Sounds like the new key doesn't have comfort access - can you start the car with the old key without putting it in the hole in the dash? Does the same work with the new one? Take a look at the back of the key too, if the new key doesn't have comfort access it will have "contact points" used for recharging the key, whereas keys with comfort access don't have these points and the battery is replaceable.