Thanks for the pin info. It all makes sense now.

Regarding the NAV and text and such, I downloaded the two sets of files. One contains tow files: BMW_Text_nothing.mp3 and BMW_Text_to_rad.mp3

The other set contains: BMW_Text_nothing.mp3 and BMW_Text_to_nav.mp3

Seems like there's some sort of NAV support?

Steve

 

An update on what I've learned about the 2.b1 firmware with text from experimentation. You can get to the IceLink menu on the headunit via the CD 6 button, but it offers limited options. Not the same set of options you would get under the old IceLink menu per my instruction manual. For instance, how do I set the IceLink to always play randomly? There is no such menu option that I can find. I have to use my random button on the HU, and I have to repeat that everytime I switch to a new playlist.

You also can't select the iPod UI via the HU menu. But I've found if you just disconnect the iPod, select the artist/album/whatever you want manually and plug the IceLink back in, it will continue to play whatever you've selected. As I understand the old method, per my user manual, you'd have to select iPod UI on the IceLink menu, then disconnect and reconnect the iPod anyway, so the new method actually saves you a step.

Lots of little glitches here and there...songs that start playing then skip to the next song, sporadic success with the "next song" button (sometimes one press works, sometimes it takes two, sometimes even more). Sometimes a song will play and the wrong text will display, then that song will stop playing and the correct song (as indicated by the text) will play. And what's with the "Warning" text always showing up on the HU? Annoying. Perhaps in a future firmware update they can keep the IceLink from sending that particular message to the HU.

Scrolling artists/albums/playlists on the HU is very slow as others have mentioned.

All in all I'm happy with the arrangement. Dock connector in the glovebox, completely stealth, full (well, as full as one can reasonably expect at this point) control of the iPod from the HU. And ID text on the HU to impress the friends. It could get much better, but I think it's acceptably good now. Glad I ended up going with the dock connector rather than a cradle.

Oh, and why did my brother (who bought his IceLink for his VW at Best Buy) get a nice looking user manual with his unit, while I, for the same money, ordered directly from Dension, get basically a pile of photocopied instructions? Not that I really care that much, but Dension could certainly improve the professional appearance of their direct-ship products. Details are everything, Dension.

 

Alright. This didn't work. Can you tell me what I did wrong? I have a Mac, the latest generation 40G Ipod and an '05 MINI with a 10/04 build date.
I downloaded the zip files to my Ipod in your first link. At first, I couldn't figure out how to download the second link this file so I proceeded to do the update anyway in the car. No text was displayed on head unit, just same old numbers. I went into the ice>Link Plus/Setup/Text selector and held down the forward button on my HU to select "Text selector". Nothing changed on the HU display but this message came up on the Ipod display: "follow instructions displayed on car display."

I came back in the house and figured out how to download the this file . Who knew you have to hit "save as" in Safari browser to save an mp3 file? When I hit your link all that came up was Quicktime in the Safari browser and it started "playing". After getting this file onto the Ipod, I went out and plugged the Ipod into the car. Now when I press CD6 the menu won't come up. It just keeps playing the song that was on before.

So per the instructions Steebo posted from Dension's P.O.S. website: http://support.dension.com/support-c...2&root=8&id=55 I deleted all the update files and the start update mp3 and reset the effin' Ipod. Downloaded the Update files and start update mp3 file to the Ipod, followed the rest of the instructions and when I plug the Ipod into the Ice Link the first song on my Ipod starts playing and the display says "CDC6 TR 01" and I still can't hit CD6 and get to the menu.

How do I get back to being able to access the menu on the Ipod?

HELP!

 

I don't know that your car will support text, being built in 10/04. My understanding is only the head units in Jan. 05 builds and later support it?

 

Steebo's is a July '04 build date and it works on his. Unless MINI has a messed up FIFO system and I got an '04 head unit I'd assume it should work.

 

Question, do you guys have the HK HU, or the "boost" HU?

Also, is there really a difference between the trunk mount, and HU mount connection? I was in a store earlier today, the guy said you get better sound quality going direct to the amp. I also looked at my amp a few minutes ago, and I do not see where the icelink would even connect.... looks like I would have to remove the unit, eh?

Also, I have Nav, so I guess I am SOL for now?

Doug

 

My take on differences in trunk/dash mount kits.

Lengh of mounting loom. It will still have plugs to connect to a cd-changer harness, or to the socket on the rear of the HU.

IceLink software interprets commands received from HU in CD Changer control mode, then translates commands for iPod.

Regarding sound quality, I have difficulty accepting his advice, since it won't connect in a different fashion, and an auxiliary audio input is probably, in all cases, a more direct and "clean" connection than the IceLink. There is no direct connection to an amp with the icelink, you gotta go through the HU.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

I have a 2005 with NAV and H/K. The cables for the CD Changer in the boot are in the passenger side access panle in the boot. You'll see the H/K electronics there as well. The CD cables were doubled over and taped to the rest of the wiring loom that runs along the bottom of the opening.

For a while I was using the AUX input with a Belkin iPod adapter (power plus line amp) and had difficulty getting the right gain structure and keeping noise down. The Belkin takes the line output of the ipod (not the headphone amp on the top) passes it through a preamp and then into the AUX input (also with adjustable gain via the radio menu). It was difficult to avoid electrical noise and distortion until I cracked open the Belkin and bypassed the internal pre amp in the adapter. Sounded great after.

The iceLink sounds as good or better. Since its designed specifically for these headunits I would guess that the signal path is well engineered. I did have the engine whine problem mentioned here or in other threads, but after I swapped the ground pin it worked great.

Now I just want NAV display!

Steve

 

I noticed that I have had some engine whine but really not noticeable unless you are between tracks with silence or if a song is really quiet. I noticed on this forum that a number of others having this issue as well. My wiring harness wire colors do not match up with those others have given... I have white/blue (matches red above), white/brown (matches black above) and white/red (matches white above). I looked at my wiring harness and the ground is in the correct position on the cable as is but the other two were swapped. I swapped them to match what other people have above and I still get the engine whine... So I am not sure what these signals are but it seems like it doesn't mater if they are swapped...

So how loud was the engine whine before the fix and was it fixed 100% after swapping wires?

Thanks for the help...

 

I'm an audio engineer, so I'm a bit picky, but before I swapped the pins I would have sent the iceLink straight back. A high pitched whine was obvious even without starting the engine, and certain events (turning the wheel, etc) would exacerbate the problem. It's really quiet now, better even than the AUX.

The pics I posted were for the boot connection harness. Do you have the boot or headunit kit?

Steve

 

My whine only occurs with reving the engine.. ie driving. I have the boot connection... This wiring harness is from the icelink 1.0 days, right before icelink 2 and because of the timing they just sent me the 2.0 module when they "upgraded" me... Not sure why these wires are swapped, but the ground is in the correct location.. But either way things work and I have the same whine...

The aux input definatly has a lot of digital noise on is so I guess I am just beeing a little pickey with the icelink.. If I could just get id3 tags I would be set.. I have the nav and have not had good luck upgrading in the past so I am going to wait...

Thanks

 

Since you have the boot connection, it should be relatively painless to test your ground connection wiring with a reversal of the black pin's location, at low volumes. Lord knows, you can be parked and see what an issue this is, no need to drive it out.

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

I notice a very, very slight whine between songs and my ground is hooked up correctly. I can live with it.

 

What I am wanting to know, is this: I have a 2005 MCSC with the HK radio (not the stock radio) and my car was built in early November 2004. I have the MFSW controls but no phone/bluetooth button on the steering wheel.

Has anyone installed the latest firmware in a car compatible with mine (in terms of the date of build and radio) and get the tags to display on the HU?
I do have the capability to hear MP3 discs on my HU, does that mean that the tags will show?
I would really like to get the iPod now that this latest firmware update is finally available, but I would like to know ahead of time what to expect, so i don't get all my hopes dashed!

 

Well ever since my initial post, the IceLink has been a little quirky, but I have figured how to avoid any oddities with it. I still do not have text on my HU. However, when in iPod UI, I can use the iPod UI itself to select a song, change tracks, etc. AS WELL AS use the HU track skip and the MFSW track control. Amazing. The bug in the software for me allows full control from the HU and the iPod. I'll give up text display for now for this option. It does make it difficult to get back to the Dension menu, but now that I have it set up, I really don't have to get back to that UI. Awesome!!!

Oh MiniMelSF and this page and the next page on the Ice Link PLUS thread under MINI2 should help.

 

Well I've now had the ICELink for a weekend and used it on the drive to/from The Dragon and during my travels through the area.

I'm still very happy with the sound quality...

And still very frustrated by the interface. From what I can tell, I can't seem to browse my playlists on through the Dension interface. I have to switch to Pod UI select the playlist I want, and drop the iPod back in to the cradle. Of course in order to switch to the iPod UI, I have to turn the text display off first.

How about browsing by album or artist? Seems that I can't get the ICELink to burrow down more than 8 albums or artists into my library. After that it dumps out of the menu and just fast forwards through the album its on... I bought some new music for the trip, but trying to scroll through 40 some odd artists/albums to get to The Who was such a PITA (and took forever) that I never heard it.

Pop the iPod out of the cradle and you loose you place in the playlist. Not much of a problem if your listening to music, but if you're 4 hours into an audiobook and get out of the car for lunch etc... this is extremely irritating. And if you're on the second "disk" of a multi-disk audiobook, good luck getting the ICELink to jump to the second disk...

How about pause? I know that's more of a limitation of the MINI HU, but god it's frustrating not to have it.

I'm still not convinced that the sound quality is good enough to overcome the general frustration I have with the ICELink...

 

So I'm a wiring harness newb. What exactly am I supposed to be pushing on to get the black wire out? I've looked all over it, but I can't find anything that lets the wire loose.

 

Dension has a .pdf that should clarify your question. Send me your email via PM and I will forward it to you.

 

PM sent.

 

Ok guys, I'm reading and i seem to be getting contradictory answers. Did they finally get the iceLink able to display ID3 tags on the headunit? Due to an unfortunate series of mishaps (my 2003 being totalled, my new 2005 being destroyed at the dock (dropped in the sea?)) I will have a new 2005 with a very recent build date. I'm going with both the nav and the HK, so I'm wondering, is it worth it to upgrade to the iceLink plus or should I stick with my 1.1 iceLink? If its worth it to upgrade, i need to do it soon as that money's coming out of the down payment (or is it ). Anyway, what's the thought? will it be as effective as the 1.1? The 1.1 had occasional issues with skiping to the next song. But if i can easily mount it on something like a parcel shelf that could work... Suggestions?

 

Yes, the IceLink Plus displays ID tag text on my headunit with the 2.B1 firmware on a Feb. '05 build with H/K (but no nav).

See the pics in my MINI2 gallery:

http://www.mini2.com/gallery/persona...ery_20106.html

 

Just to clarify... when you say no nav, you mean no nav display for the ID3 tags. I'm perfectly happy with that, that would be a useful luxury, but not something I'm loking for. Just so long as the ID3 tags work on the HU, I'll be happy.

 

No, I mean I don't have nav in my car at all, so I have no idea if the tags will display on either the head unit or on the nav unit if one's car has nav.

 

I'm not sure that helps me, but the Nav shouldn't be tied into the radio head unit (with the except of the audio out to the HU) so it shouldn't matter, when I get my car and my iceLink, we'll find out .

 

Check towards the end of the huge thread on MINI2, using the current firmware issues with Nav does in fact cause some issues...