All,

Just installed IceLink Plus in my '05 MCS, with stock HU and OEM Auxiliary Input. First, I'd like to thank Chase at Dension USA, his support has been simply outstanding.

Second, I'd like to offer a word of advice -- wait on ID3 tag firmware updates, if you can..it will disable your Dension UI on the iPod itself.

What does this mean? You will be reading the menu options in the Dension UI menu ONE LINE AT A TIME. Dension's most recent firmware update adds significant improvements to playlist and music access -- now we can browse by artist and album, as well, from the Dension UI. But you'll still be reading this information in the UI ONE LINE AT A TIME.

Brave soul? Bring a notepad, and step through the menu a few times, making note of the UI format. Access is still the same for 2G and up iPods, and other menu options outside of music search have not changed. ID3 information is still mirrored on the iPod's face, as with the old firmware.

Additionally, if you've just recently adopted the IceLink Plus as your iPod-to-MINI connection of choice, be advised that if you get significant electrical noise (just step on your gas pedal, or turn your steering wheel, for a demonstration), then you will need to rewire your cabling where it meets the stock MINI wiring loom. Basically, older shipping harnesses (still with 2.0x Firmware) may have a single ground (black) pin in the six-pin connector that meets your wiring loom. On mine, that pin is next to a white pin in the six-pin connector. I was advised to open the connector tab that covers these pins, press the locking plate over the black pin with a ball-point pen to release, then relocate the pen to the first open position next to the red pin. You'll need to flip the locking tab on the red pin's side as well, to insert. Close, re-connect, and enjoy! FYI, Dension will begin providing a ground in both positions in future harnesses, to simplify this connection.

Feel free to post any questions here regarding my impressions on the IceLink Plus. Again, outstanding tech support from Chase at Dension got my non-electronics-installin' @$$ up and running with a minimum of fuss. Now to lay the cable to it's permanent home.

Oh yeah, one more thing. If you pick up a cradle-type docking IceLink Plus at Best Buy, as I did, you will want to order a mounting adapter from www.proclipusa.com, or else you'll be putting a few holes in your beloved MINI for a dash mount.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

Great writeup. I installed my Ice Link Plus last night and am also getting a substantial amount of alternator whine (electronic noise).


Does Dension have a solution for this problem for the trunk mounted cable setups?

Thanks,
Lester

 

So did Chase have an estimate on the release of a future firmware upgrade that will solve the UI problem?

I'll be installing my IceLink tonight, but after months of forum reading, it's getting tiring to hear that their firmware deficiencies will be solved "soon."

 

I understand where you're coming from, and held out myself for some time, waiting for a solution that offered ID3 tag output to HU. I feel that the IceLink Plus, as it ships, is an excellent solution, and interfaces well with the vehicle. My electrical noise issues were easily remedied, and given the variety of vehicles BMW manufactures that this adapter mates with, not unexpected.

Again, the current 2.0x build is very good. I wanted bleeding-edge goodies, with ID3 tag support, and got enhanced search and play capabilities, at the price of a learning curve. Not an issue for me, I'm still significantly ahead of the game, compared to purchasing an iCruze, or even BMW's adapter.

As it shipped, my IceLink readily accessed my playlists, without any requirement for renaming lists. I browsed by artist and album, with ID3 tag data mirrored on my iPod screen.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

I assume the ID3 tag only works with the 2005 MINI HU?

 

That's correct

 

I don't want to seem dense here but I don't know what you mean and am having a bad day. Are you saying that a firmware update is currently available from Dension for the Ice link Plus that allows display of playlist, artist, and song title on the radio display on '05 head units? If so, where is this on their site - can you send a link? When did this happen? How difficult would it be for Dension to send an e-mail to MINI owners who bought their Ice Link Plus directly from Dension to let them know that the update was available? They had to ask what type of car you have when you order so they could send you the right unit, how hard would it be for a technology company like Dension to create an e-mail list?

What do you mean by "You will be reading the menu options in the Dension UI menu ONE LINE AT A TIME"? There is only one line on the radio display anyway. Do you mean one line at a time on your IPOD display or radio display?

I guess I need to take the Ice Link Plus out to see if my ground wire is in the wrong place. I can hear some light alternator whine between songs. Not too obnoxious but worth checking into.

While after the sale customer service at Dension has not been too bad in my experience, I am very disappointed they couldn't wait until they actually had their product right before putting it on the market.

 

Page link is here. In my case (got a Mac, not PC), I used the .zip file, and expanded file contents to a new folder, then introduced them to iTunes with the "Add to Library" option.

You will also need to download this file. I selected this file before plugging my iPod into cradle, then paused playback immediately. IceLink will automatically begin playing a selected track when the CD Changer is selected, so it automatically initiated the update. You will see a track count advance very quickly on headunit. When it gets to TRK 99, it's done!

I simply cycled modes (Radio, CD, Aux, CD Changer), to test firmware then. Some specific cases may require a config .mp3 file to reset player type (BMW, Dodge, etc), mine did not (05 MCS, stock HU).

My experience was that the new firmware outputs your old Dension UI menus to the HU, so it's like reading through your Dension menu, only one line at a time, i.e.

"WARNING!" <turn unit on> (first line of text from Dension start-up screen on iPod)

Hold down CD6 for menu, tap (don't hold) track advance and you'll come through
"SETUP" (Dension set-up, hold track advance to select next sub-menu)


If you see "ARTISTS" or "Play Albums", then you're in the new browse mode on the UI. First five CD buttons still correspond to Playlists, but I don't believe the Dension reads "smart playlists", so no acty from some of them.
Myself, I'm a bit surprised that this firmware came out without more operating documentation, but I believe that the 2.0x version IceLink Plus is very good. Wish I'd jumped on the bandwagon sooner. Thanks to MBabishkin for getting me started. Even if I am writing a novel here, with all the posts..:-) Good practice for a "real job", once I get out of the military.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

The update is very recent, I discovered it on a thread up on MINI2 http://www.mini2.com/forum/showthrea...&page=63&pp=15 click on the link in post 933. I did discover that this firmware update is completely different than the one available from dension's support website. It appears the one on the support website is still the beta.

As for an e-mail list... possibly, but they wouldn't catch everyone... The ICELink Plus is now available at your local Best Buy, they only carry the cradle version with the connector to the rear CD changer though. These customers wouldn't be in Dension's database.

As for Dension's communications.... You'll notice that thread on MINI2 is now 64 pages long!. It wasn't until they started taking a major beating there that a Dension rep started posting.... and honestly he hasn't been very forthcoming. Heck he wasn't even the one that announced the new firmware...

 

Goin' out for a li'l spin -- will post again once I've got a better feel for the interface. Next up, run the cabling under the rear seats, and under the trim up to the dash. Gotta pull them seats up to get to the rear speaker trim safely. Should be a piece of cake from there..

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

Hey Mathew. I'm jumping over here from MINI2 to help out anyone with ID3 tag Ice-Link PLUS problems on 2005 HUs. As my original post is quoted below, please take note my MCS is a July 2004 build (but still a 2005 model with the 2005 HU).
I installed this into the back of the HU (along with the Aux Input) and behind the HU, underneath the middle console plastic bits and directly through my right cupholder (along with some help from the Dremel). My 60GB iPod Photo w/ iSkin fits like a glove in the cupholder. No need for a holder of any kind, and the passenger and myself still has perfect access to it.

This has been along day just for an iPod connection, I'm going to bed. Hope this helps someone in my situation.

 

Did anyone manage to install this (the headunit IceLink version) without actually removing the head unit? I saw a DIY on MINI2 where a guy was able to install an AUX input just by pulling off the knee bolster and reaching around the back. Is this possible with the IceLink? If I can avoid removing downtubes and headunit, I would love to. Don't want to risk introducing any of those infamous MINI dash rattles.

 

I installed the Aux Input without removing the downtubes, and thought about the same for this. However, it would be too frustrating and take much longer by not removing the HU. It is a very easy process and shouldn't cause any more rattles.

 

First, thanks to Steebo for pitching in and sharing his own experience on this.

Out on my drive, things went much smoother. Differences from this afternoon? A little bit of patience, and R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Successfully picked an album from the iPod to play through, tags displayed correctly, selection went smoothly. Yes!
Next, go to "setup", and change output volume (voltage).
2 for 2!

Last test -- restore iPod UI, for direct control. What's this new item in the menu? Text display? Toggle it "off"? Okay..

Dension UI restored on iPod! Setup and other menus a snap to run through, with Dension's multi-line UI back up on the iPod. Selections mirrored on HU, as well.

Didn't work in iPod UI mode enough to see if ID3 tags played out to HU successfully.

Once I've browsed the tunes modes more with the Dension UI active on iPod, I can outline the order of the entries added to our UI here.

So, a little experimentation goes a long way. Good luck to everyone else with "growing pains. I've got some issues with overall audio quality, but I did go from an aftermarket head unit with iPod line in signal to a stock MINI head unit and speaker setup. Reluctant to screw with HU, though. Just got the integration I wanted set up..

Take care,
Matthew Z.

 

Urg, 2 1/2 hours later and mine is finally installed. Miraculously I didn't get frustrated and pull something too hard and break it, or overtighten something and break it, like I normally would (I'm just not cut out for exasperating detail work like this). The '05 storage tray made things a bit trickier. But all is in and apparently working. I had a bit of static at first, but turned off Bass Boost on the iPod and things seem better now. If I ever have to pull everything apart again to disconnect/reinstall, I shall leap from the nearest bridge.

Haven't tried the beta firmware yet to try text display.

One question: what should my audio level voltage be set to? Or if everything sounds good, should I assume it's already set correctly?

 

If everything sounds fine, just leave it as-is. Mine is at the setting of '2V', which I believe is right behind the loudest setting. I just swapped from CD mode to the iPod to compare (using my ears) the loudness, and that setting seems to be the most balanced.

No problem. I have an email into Dension USA support to see what can happen about this problem. For now though, I'm ready to rock with 55GB of music to the Dragon!

 

Which problem? Not sure what you're encountering now..

Yeah, I hear ya. Have fun stepping through your albums, one per button push. Took me nearly two minutes just to get to the "F's", BTW.

For the curious, "Fantastic Damage", El-P's first album since Company Flow broke up. Classic stuff, can't wait for his next. Steebo, do look at my post about text display in the setup menu. Turn it off, and return to your Dension UI menu on the iPod, with choices mirrored on HU text display!
Turn it off, it's ID3 tags for everyone. Haven't tested any Japanese or Russian tags yet, though.

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

P.S. Anyone with a good link on rear seat and rear speaker trim panel removal, send 'em here. I'm a bit loopy after all this posting, having trouble finding a good file on this.

 

Think I'll wait for 2.b1 to become the final version 2.1 before I update my firmware, just to be sure they get all the kinks ironed out (though it sounds like everything is working fine for you already). Hopefully that will be soon.

 

The problem of selecting text to the HU through the Dension UI. Once I did that, the text wanted to go to the HU, and turned off the Dension UI. The issue with it for pre Jan. 05 2005 models is that the HU does not display the ID3 tag info or the Dension UI through it, but the Dension thinks it is. See what I mean? Once I selected the text option under the Dension UI, BOTH UIs were inactive for me.

 

Ok, well I've got it working with the Siruis. I was a bit suspicious of the cable that I had to order. It didn't look like it would do what it was supposed to do. But that part works.

Just getting ready to run the cabling up front, I'm going to drop it down into the battery compartment like the CD changer wiring and head towards the front from there.

First impressions of the ICELink+... What a kludgy piece of crap! The UI feels extremely counterintuitive and is borderline frustrating to use, not to mention the fact that it's pretty sluggish. I understand that the MINI HU puts some pretty strong limits on the functionality of the device, but still... I'm a gadget person and I'm willing to put up with some tweaking to make a device work... but this is pushing it...

The sound quality however is excellent.

As for the text issues... Either I get all the text on the HU (including the Dension Menus) with nothing on the iPod, or I get no text on the HU and the standard iPod stuff. Doesn't seem to be a happy medium. Plus the interface feels even slower when shooting the text to the HU.

First impressions, I'd give the ICELink+ a C...

 

I've got the 2.b1 version installed - works great on my 05 with text on the HU and all - love it.

I do however notice some distortion at certain frequencies - seems better when I set the voltage to 1.0 instead of 2.0 - but I've noticed that it reverts back to 2 all on it's own the next time I drive - any thoughts?

Also - I have the trunk mount and do get some engine whine - does the ground wire fix work for this version too?

 

Ground wire fix will cure the alternator whine you're getting.

 

Ok, so I'm diving in. I had the old-school iceLink in my Volvo a few years ago - it bought me an AUX in that I didn't previously have, but the track forward - back got confused a lot. I went to BestBuy last night and bought the iceLink Plus after monitoring NAM and Mini2 for awhile. It still doesn't seem perfect, but evolved enough to give it a try.

I was dissapointed that the BestBuy one was the boot connection. I don't look forward to running the cable and I've had the radio out a few times to install a Bluetooth adapter (thanks MikeyTheMini!) and AUX - so I've got it down. But reading here, it seems running the cable won't be so bad. Plus it was easy to plug the thing in in the boot to test out.

I'm seeing one proplem that has been mentioned here before - a lot of background noise (low-level whine) even when the car isn't running. Someone suggested the fix involved moving a wire in one of the connectors. I'm unclear exactly which one specifically was involved.

Can someone tell me if it's this connector:


(Connector 1 at the boot)

This one:

(Connector 2 at the boot)

Or this one:

(Connector at the iceLink wafer)

Also, while the firmware update specifically says NOT FOR NAV, this page:

http://www.densionusa.com/text_display_support.htm

Has specific files for BMW headunits AND for BMW Navigation systems.

I have a support ticket in for the whine issue (waiting for a response) but haven't asked about the NAV display.

Anyone try these?

Steve

 

Hey,

If you're familiar with the basics of those connectors, i.e. how to open/remove/replace the connector pins, you're good then.

First pic is the plug you want, with one red, black, and white wire. Plug is two rows of three pin sockets. Black is currently next to white, you want it next to the red pin.

Flip the cover on the side the black plug is currently on, push down with ball-point pen on small metal plate over current socket for black pin. That's the pin release. Not much slack, but should be no real resistance to removing black pin. Encounter resistance, repeat with the ball-point and try again. Close this side of connector once removed.

Next, open side of connector with red plug, and place black pin in slot next to red plug. Close the plug, re-connect, enjoy!

If that doesn't help, better call Dension. Issue with ground is due to variations in BMW wiring harnesses. Dension is resorting to a ground (black) wire in BOTH locations onl all future harness shipments.

YMMV, but I bet that's all you need to do..

Cheers,
Matthew Z.

 

I believe the not for NAV warning is for folks that expect ID3 tags to run out to their NAV display. I'd stay with current functionality of shipping firmware, and NOT try out the beta, myself. All this, assuming you've got NAV installed.

Good luck,
Matthew Z.