Today was the first occasion we had to use the new wheelchair on an excursion to the dentist. It fits into the back of the car just fine.

When we got to the dentist’s office, however, I couldn’t make the wireless remote key unlock the hatchback. I eventually got the chair out and got Mom into the office for her teeth-cleaning appointment, but then I had a heck of a time figuring out how to get the hatchback open. I bought this car from a private party, you’ll remember, and it didn’t have an owner’s manual. I have a .pdf copy on my desktop here at the house, but I have no laptop nor tablet, so I couldn’t access it to find out how to open the back from the interior.

I walked back into the dentist’s office and looked at his two office assistants. “Have either of you got any experience with wireless key remotes,” I asked plaintively? One of them said “Mine doesn’t work.” I laughed and said that was my problem too. She got out of her chair and came out to look at the interior controls. After a few minutes, she pushed something and said “Ha! Try that!” It worked. She’d found the right button.

Now I’m stuck with a remote that won’t work. Supposedly it recharges its internal battery while in the ignition as it’s being driven, but it had just had a fifteen-mile drive and hadn’t done so. The case for the key fob is a single molded piece of plastic; there’s no obvious way to take it apart and replace the battery. I suspect this is BMW/Mini’s way of forcing me to buy a replacement from the dealer at an exorbitant price.

Dammit.