Sealy…thanks for the update…Just remember that as far as I know & the Ct Mini Dealership, there is not a I Phone 4 Cradle that works completely. I've tried three different ones. 1st just charged and looked great in the armrest, the 2nd did nothing and the phone did not even fit correctly and the 3rd worked for about 2/3rds of it's functions. My understanding is we need the cradle ending in 392…I had 390-02 (2nd version of the 390 stamped media & dated 3/28/11) Good Luck

 

I asked one service rep if this was another of BMW's typical make promises, sell the equipment, and worry about how to make it work later. He said he hated to agree, but that's the way it looks.

 

Well…Not that it matters or helps us at this point…My dealership pretty much matched those words a few weeks back. Just wanted to let you know because in your post earlier..you sounded like me a few weeks back…excited to be getting the correct cradle.

 

Good grief!!!! When is MINI going to get it's act together on this. We paid a lot for a product that doesn't have all capabilities if you bought it after 3/11. And, the Service/Sales people aren't being told the whole story either.

I love my MINI and my dealership, but this whole thing is making me a little sour. Just how much are they going to gouge us for?

Ugh!!!!!!!

 

Here is the e-mail address of the person in-charge of corporate communications for MINI.
Nathalie.Bauters@miniusa.com
I am going to write her a letter and ask why this isn't being handled a little better.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease......please do the same if you have the time and inclination. It's free after all and it cannot hurt.

Thanks.

 

Here's what I wrote:
Dear Ms.Bauters,

I am the proud owner of a MINI CountrymanS. I am overall very happy with the car and must say that it brings me a great deal of satisfaction every time I drive it........with one glaring exception. I am writing you to tell you about it and I hope get some resolution.

When I ordered my car I was very intrigued and excited by the connected system, as I am an avid iPhone user. I ordered Connected. I was then told by the dealer that if I ordered Connected I also had to buy the mandatory armrest $250. I asked if this would be where I would dock my iPhone and I was told only if you buy the cradle($200+). This didn't sit well with me, but I figured it was a small price to pay to get one of the first CountrymanS. I also thought that surely there would be enough push back from the customers and hence the dealers that it would get resolved.

I took delivery of my car the first week of January. At this point I had a mandatory Connected arm rest that did nothing. Fast forward to the 3rd week of May and I now have a $255 cradle that doesn't not provide me with all of the functions that a simple Y-cable does with my phone flopping around in the rail. This is unacceptable to me. I have brought this to my dealer's attention on several occasions and get a reluctant agreement that it is not a good situation. She has tried to get answers as has the parts department. All of this is to no avail. They have been told there is a part available in Germany, but that they cannot order it.

At this rate, Apple will release a new phone before this system that I have already paid for is operational. I am not happy with a system that keeps getting more expensive and still does not work the way it was advertised when I ordered my car.

If you can be of help I would greatly appreciate it, if not can please forward this letter to someone who can. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your prompt response.

Best Regards,

 

Excellent Letter. Too bad you dont live near me. The North American BMW / Mini office is just a couple miles from my home. I have an 09 MC. Was thinking of getting a Countryman with Connected/Nav but no rush so I will wait for all this to shake out.
Its a shame that a top tier manufacturer would put profits so far ahead of service...to sell something they know doesnt work and then expect you to keep paying more in hopes of it working in the future. Good Luck!

 

I wrote a similiar e-mail. Thanks for providing the contact information.

 

Interesting stuff here.

I have a 2011 MCS (pre 3/11 production date) and the cable that came with my car was the regular cable (no video like on the Connected cables). My dealership is ordering a new one. The regular cable will not recognize the device. I was in best buy and saw an adaptor for Pioneer units that had the video aux and a usb. I purchased it for $12 and it worked... kinda. I get all the Connected features, but I don't get the video or iPod direct control screen.

Like a previous poster, I listen to a lot of podcasts, and those are much easier to control from an iPod interface than the MINI interface. I haven't tried a cradle yet, but that would be handy. I actually wish there was a cradle for an iPod because that is what I would like to leave in the car hidden and always hooked up. BMWs have it in the armrest, my wife's Audi has it in the glove box... this would be nice.

For reference, I have an iPhone 4 with most recent firmware. Hopefully the cable provided by my dealership (if it ever comes in) will solve the problem.

 

I wonder if a custom, but much longer cable be made so that an ipod could be stashed ou of the way?

 

The provided Y cable is rather short & placing the iPhone on the passenger seat is really the only safe place to put it. (Until you have a passenger) There are extension cables available to add length. That may be a trial & error process as well because not every cable is produced with all of the connecting pins that are necessary for Connected to work. Hopefully someone on this forum has purchased one that works & will pass the info on here.

My issue with this whole cradle debacle is when we finally get the right one the iPhone will only fit in without the protective bumper cover which will prove to be another inconvenience. Unfortunately, IMHO, this will all end up to be one big Expensive broken promise for all of us. It's the same for the center rail & the available accessories for it , The concept is very "Cool" but just not there yet. So hopefully 3rd party manufacturers will come to our rescue

 

Well, I finally gave up, gave out, and gave in. My iPhone 3GS has now been upgraded to an iPhone 4. My cradle has now been bought and returned in various forms and stock numbers 6 times from MINI and BMW dealers - ending with the iPhone 4 with connect model. I now have everything except Mission Control. I'm leaving it as is and will wait for updates as BMW sees fit. Love my Countryman, still peeved at BMW.


Sealy - Who's listening to country music from San Francisco.

 

Sealy, please write a letter. The more the merrier and maybe they'll actually do something!

 

So what does it say when you try to use Mission Control?

 

I'm with you Sealy! Hopefully BMW/MINI will step up with updates at some point, but in the meantime just DRIVING my R60 has been a pleasure
It's the perfect compromise between a larger SUV an an R53/56.

 

"Danger, danger, Will Robinson!"










No, really - it just doesn't show on the screen.

 

Congrats on getting a real-world chuckle out of me for that one. I imagined your Countryman waving its arms around its head and shouting that.

Laaaaaaaaaame. Connected is such a great idea and has so many great little things to it, and the execution is just destroying the whole thing.

I wasn't going to order it but ended up with Connected/no nav. I love having the screen. I love the ability to use voice commands to go from the phone book, to dialed calls, to the trip computer, and back again. I've totally given up on connecting the phone through USB and using any Connected app features. The only ones that work are the ones I'm totally uninterested in (FB posts, for example).

Here's hoping that they get their act together and fix all of our problems with a software update.

 

I love typing "Free Sex" into Google and then hitting "Start Guidance". Of course, in Pure Orange I don't have to search very far.

 

have you downloaded the themes for mission control? Mine didn't show up either until I downloaded the Minimalism and Urban Themes (downloaded within the Mini Connected App on the phone).

 

I'l give that a try when I get out of here. Don't have enough bars in my cube for downloads.

Thanks!

 

I agree, pretty disappointing that this system is so unpolished. I haven't even picked up my CM and I've given up hope of my iPhone 4 and MINI connected playing nice together on day 1.

However, I'm hoping that because it's all software (the iPhone app, and the in-car components) MINI can fix it over time. I don't like the idea of driving a vehicle that's still in "beta" but sometimes thats what we get for wanting to be at the bleeding edge I guess.

 

Sealy - can you confirm the part # for the cradle you're now using with the iPhone 4?

Please and thanks!

 

Not until I get home.

 

84 21 2 218 390

 

Thanks so much for checking. As per other threads on this board, I'm guessing that is the number on the box, but the number on the cradle itself ends with 390-02 (indicating that it's the second edition of this part)?

Thanks again!