There has not been an update on mobile phones or armrest snap in attachments for the MINI at all, nothing. Where are the armrest snap in attachments, and where are the updates, new phones......??????

Did MINI get flooded out in the flood Oxford had or something??

 

It appears to me that MINI really does not have an interest in approving new phones, or for providing inserts for the few phones that are on the approved list. Proof of this is that there is not one link on MINIUSA'a site about Bluetooth phones/Snap in Adapters. Calling MINI yields the same result...they give you the phone number of a third party phone supplier, and they don't have a clue either.

 

Well, they better get on it, otherwise they will be mailing me a check for the amount I paid for the "bluetooth preparation". If figure I will give them to about end of September to have a solution, or I get my money back.

 

Bluetooth is wireless.....

 

But there is an option to get a cradle in the armrest that is wired to charge the phone. If they don't make enough different cradle adaptors (what I think the original post is complaining about), it will be tough to get a phone in the US to fit.

 

I think they should give us a partial refund on the Bluetooth and (at no charge to us) have the dealers remove the *$%#@ armrest.

 

I Agree!!!

 

I'm actually in the process of working on that right now.

 

Yes it is. BUT, as noted, the "Bluetooth Preparation kit" which is an option I paid ALOT of money for, includes a hard wired external antenna, and a charging connection for the phone.

To me, the most important part of this solution is the charging connection and external antenna, that is why I paid for the option. Currently, I have NO way of using it, with ANY phone.

So I will give them till the end of Sept., at which time I WILL receive (trust me!) a refund for the package.

 

Just bought my mini with all the options, including Blue Tooth. Needless to say the dealer could not get it to pair with my Motorola Q Phone. Then they told me to go buy a Blackberry. I told them to write me a check and I would. I was not happy. I did read a post where someone got their Q Phone to pair with the system, but as of yet have not learnbed how to do it and the dealer cant figure it out either. Where does one find the "approved mobile phone list"?

 

Be careful regarding using "Non-Approved" bluetooth phones with the R56's odd Bluetooth implementation. As I've listed in other posts, my dealer (who shall remain nameless, for the time being) claims that my Treo corrupted the Bluetooth module. This is strange, since it works perfectly with my BMW X5. In any event, Bluetooth is non-functional on my R56. No phone, even "approved" antique phones, will now pair.

If this is indeed true, MINI has a real problem here. The manual, and the disclaimer on the Bluetooth screen on the Nav. suggests that users use MINI Bluetooth approved phones "for best results". Nothing is mentioned about "non-approved" phones destroying the Bluetooth ULF module. This is non-disclosure, if "non-approved" phones have the potential to corrupt the Bluetooth ULF, and render it inoperable.

I've been very nicely appealing to this dealer to replace the corrupted Bluetooth module for over a month now, with no resolution. At this point, I'm tired of begging the dealer & MINI USA to honor the warranty on a vehicle that, like everyone else, I paid MSRP for. If I don't have this resolved by Friday, I've asked my attorney to file a non-disclosure and breach of warranty suit against the dealer, and MINI USA.

I'm hopeful that MINI USA, and the dealer will see that it is much cheaper to replace a $300.00 Bluetooth module, rather than incurring thousands of dollars & time defending a breach of warranty, and non-disclosure suit. BMW will also lose a loyal, 35 year customer in the process.

 

Here's a link to MINI approved wireless devices. The choices are pathetically limited.

http://wireless4mini.com

 

So, what phones have blown up their bluetooth? And what are the details of the failure?

I have an iPhone and connected it with no problem to the demo car. Is the failure a result of repeatedly using a phone or does it just blow up the module on the first attempt?

 

As it was explained to me: The phone will work for a period of time. Then, after repeated phone book loads, the ULF's memory will become full, corrupting the Bluetooth ULF module. Early symptoms of impending failure are random disconnects & re-connects.

I was told (and I don't know if this is true), that the MINI's Bluetooth Module keeps phonebook entries forever, unlike BMW's Bluetooth, which loads and discards on every connection/disconnection.

If all, or any of the above is in fact true, then IMHO, BMW/MINI has reached a new level of electronics ineptitude with the MINI's Bluetooth implementation.

I am so tired of BMW's lack of electronics expertise.

 

Coffee,
I've read you posts on this issue, and I MUST say as an IT guy for 30 years, I do NOT buy it. If what your saying is true, there would be 100's if not 1000's of these type of posts of "memory filling up killing my Bluetooth...". And yet, you are the only one with the problem.

Do yourself a favor, go to a mini service center, and have them replace the Bleutooth module in your vehicle which is broken, period. I can't image them not replacing it if it's not working. The dealer gets paid for the warranty work, so why would they not want to replace it?

Just doesn't make any sense to me.

 

I totally agree, but this is what I'm being told. Also, I start & stop my MINI many, many times in a day, so this may have accelerated the process of corruption.

I have asked on many occassions to have the Bluetooth module replaced, to no avail.

 

By whom? An employee in a music store once 'told' me that the "RMS" in audio system ratings that, for example, say "50 watts RMS" means "Real Music Sound". What I'm told and what is true are (sometimes) two different things. I too am a little perplexed that you are the only person reporting this issue, Coffeeman. You can't be the ONLY person entering and leaving the MINI multiple times a day on NAM. We're all obsessed, and I'm sure I've seen others that have posted how they are sales reps and the MINI is their DD, etc....

Would it help you if those of us that have cellphones that can pair and can state what services the paired system offers post those on here?

 

@Coffeeman,

Can't you try taking it to a different dealer? Just play dumb (saying nothing about the other dealer) and tell them that the BT doesn't work. Allow them to work on it a bit and I bet in the end they'll just stick a new BT module in it and you'll be on your way.

In my area, there is five or six MINI dealers around. However, I do know that they are scarce in other parts of the country.

 

That's what I was thinking. But if it were me, they WOULD BE chaning out the BT module, period. Have you seen the references to me looking like I'm in the MOB???

 

Yes...

MINI really should fix the problems with the Bluetooth and they should make it so that the module is easily upgradeable via software updates (like the 1st gen's nav system is). I doubt that it's a hardware problem. Probably just a firmware issue that could be corrected with an update (assuming it's even possible to flash the BT module that is).

 

Agreed, the bigger question, however, is why did MINI feel it necessary to develop a new (read: inferior) bluetooth module, instead of simply using the BMW latest generation module? Early BMW Bluetooth modules had many of the same compatability problems that MINI now has. Current BMW Bluetooth is pretty stable, but MINI's bluetooth is stone age, just like the "approved phones".

 

Any updates from MINI yet? TI TOC TIC TOC......

Just a reminder, it's now SEPT, and they have tll the end of Sept. May I suggest to MINI, GET A MOVE ON IT???

 

Hi guys,
Im new to the forum. I just picked up my Laser Blue MCS on Monday with the BlueTooth option installed, but without the Navigation.

I have just paired it up with my i-Mate K-JAM running Windows Mobile 5 and I can report that all 247 contacts downloaded into my MINI, and I can browse through them using my radio (kinda weird) and I have yet t really play with th voice command thing. I got a phone call while I was browsing through the menus which was good timing Seemed to work fine and call quality was good. The caller didn't seem to realise I was on a hands free so thats good

Anyhow - I am in Adelaide, Australia and if you want I can record the software version. If you go to the Help menu, it says to me to call a Melbourne number for assistance with BlueTooth and have the following information ready (then has 2 numbers). I recognised one number as my chassis number and the other number I assume to be a software version number. If anyone is interested I can record it.

I am interested in the external antenna adapters, but with the huge number of ever changing phones on the market I guess its hardly worth the effort for them :(

Im just a bit miffed because with the BlueTooth kit the Antenna on the roof no longer appears to be removable .. its bigger than normal and the base a bit like the shark-fin BMW ones. I guess no car washes are in my MINI's future - probably a good thing.

Cheers,
James

 

Jamzb,
Glad you phone is syncing properly. Ya, I have found the sound quality of the BT to be very good, nobody notices that I am hands free, which is great.

Thanks for offering, but the software version # probably won't hep anyone, it's the phones software that is generally the problem (at least in my case).

The antenna DOES come off. Just unscrew it, screws right off. The base stays on the roof but that part should not affect a car wash.

As for the arm-rest antenna / charger connection, I'm wondering why nobody has simply made a "dapter connector" for it. That is, a connector that plugs into the armrest connection inside, and the other side is just loose wires that are labeled (+12v, -12v, +antenna, -Antenna...). That way we could all just make our own connectors for whatever phones we wanted. Buy a cable for you phone, cut off the connector and splice them together.

 

I do have a BMW cradle insert on order for my Razr phone. Another NAM member recently reported having his car fitted with that cradle and that it works perfectly with his phone.