I emailed fes-auto and they say their product doesn't work with the countryman. fastmini.net also advertises that their circuit will not work on 2011+ models.

Has anyone successfully got something to get the sport button to engage automatically after the countryman is started?

 

After more research it looks like the newer models like the countryman doesn't use a ground signal to trigger the sport button. It sends some bit of data to the computer.

A simple relay, cap, and resistor should be able to mimic this button.

 

I hope you find a way. This was the first thing I did to our mini. It is great!!!!

 

Any updates on your search?

 

I have a pretty good grasp on how to make this happen. My mini isn't here yet though. It's still at sea somewhere....

 

I look forward to your solution

I wonder if it can be coded ON like the foglights can be.

Cheers

 

It can't be coded from what I understand. It will take hardware to make this happen.

 

Jeeze, how hard is it to just push the button? It's right there!

Dave

 

I told my wife, how hard is it to put the toilet seat down yourself. It's right there! She wasn't amused.

 

A bit late to the party, but as some of you know, I spent 4 months with Matt at FES tearing my car apart and trying anything and everything to make this work.

Keep in mind that I'm an electrical engineer, and Matt has a PhD in physics I believe.

Please believe me when I say that there is absolutely NO way to physically catch the signal leading to the HVAC module to automatically press the button. No coding in the world will fix this.

I could go into greater detail, but there's no need. You'll have to hit the button, plain and simple.

 

I certainly dont have a PHD, I am an engineer though. Its a switch with one or more wires no more no less. If you can get to the wires , most likley 2 and put a small latching relay run from a timer thats logic states : once 12v is sensed from the ignition it waits 10 seconds and then trips the relay to short the wires for 1 second to simulate pushing the switch. What am I missing?

 

Alright... I guess I will go into more detail.

The module with the fogs, sport button, etc. is a digital module with a pigtail - I've physically removed that, which I suggest none of you do...

The signaling between that panel and the BCM passes through the HVAC control, which converts LIN to CAN. The switch is not physically SPST -- the actuation causes a LIN signal to be sent, which is them passed through as a CAN signal.

The ONLY way to do something at the switch level would be to physically de-solder the switch connection (which is epoxied to the board by the way) and physically install a device to the momentary ground before the PIC.

Then you could setup a relay with 12v signaling to ground the circuit, etc. That is way above everybody's pay grade, but you can try if you'd like.

Trust me when I say there's a LOT of frustration in front of you if you'd like to continue with it. We just said screw it...

 

Besides, The sport button is right next to the shift lever.

How lazy can you get!?

Dave

 

Theta,

would it be theorically possible for an ECU remap to duplicate the effects of sport mode being on all the time?

in other words, is the change in the power steering boost mapping in the ECU along with the throttle and (if applicable) the auto trans shift points?

mind you, i personally have no problem pushing the sport button and since i am planning on a renntech tune that is activated/deactivated via the sport button, i want to retain it ... so when at the dealer, sport button OFF means they won't "feel" the tune!

scott

 

Scott, I was about to mention the RENNtech idea of on/off.

Their engineer should be able to address that, but if I'm remembering correctly, they don't like to touch the non-sport profile because of some weird issues.

 

Just came across this thread so had to comment . I took some tac and stuck a small black shirt button right underneath the Sport button. I've now trained myself to turn it on as needed by feeling for the shirt button and pressing the real button right above it, without having to look for it. Certainly saves some time in milliseconds

 

What about programming one of the buttons on the steering wheel, provided you have the controls there? I rarely use the phone buttons seeing how they are duplicated on the radio. Just an idea. But if the digital module is as difficult to get to as you say, maybe not. :-/

 

How about a simple relay that powers a switch when the car is turned on? Grab power from center console cigar lighter - powered only when car is on..?

 

Aww c'mon! The button is only inches from the shifter!

You start the car, turn on the radio, and push the sport button.

It's no big deal.

 

I have a long chopstick mounted to a sweatband around my head. I just lean forward and push the sport button on command. It is a fashionable look, my wife gets jealous when all the lady's stare at me.

or in a pinch, I hit the start button, hit the door lock button and then the sport button all with my finger in a short sequence lasting less than One minute!

 

Debunked a few posts up.

 

Why not wire something up that looks like a small hammer and when you push the start button it activates the hammer to swing around and hit the sport button....

 

Need diagrams.

 

The Countryman (and Paceman) share the same SPEG (fusebox) as the R56 right?

In the coding of the SPEG the sport button is set to nicht_aktiv (not active) because the sport button signal is now in the IHKA module (aircon) where it is set to active. This works via the LIN-bus which is not really accessable.

What would happen if the sportbutton in the SPEG would also be set to active. Would there then be the possibility of using the FES module on the SPEG Fusebox as before ?
food for thought !

 

Any news on this one! Would be of high interest also to me...