My Sirius Sportster 5 Install - 2008 MCS (R56)

I was quoted $1100 ($599 part, $500 labor) from local Mini dealers here in the SF Bay Area to install Sirius, and I simply couldn't justify the cost. So although I'm a noob at installing stuff, I did some searches here and found a wealth of info. Thank you all, awesome info! I decided to take the plunge and install my own Sirius aftermarket unit.

I found really good info scattered around here in a few threads so I personally just wanted to document my step-by-step install process. None of what I'm posting is "new" info at all. But much of it is in multiple threads and took some digging for the various aspects of the install. Thus, I just wanted to document my install from start to finish so that it hopefully may help someone along the way who is as clueless as I am to this stuff.

For my install on my 2008 MCS (R56) without facotry NAV, I decided to buy a Sirius Sirius Sportster 5 unit with the Vehicle Kit for $127 (as of right now) on Amazon:

Item is small, has a nice display and comes with accessories for the car. It, however, does NOT come with a standard AC adapter for home use so you'll need to get the home docking kit for that, but that's another topic. So here's what's in the box:





I'm going to tap into the OEM Mini Antenna already on my car's roof, so in the box I really only needed the 1. Sportster 5, 2. Vehicle docking station and 3. The cigarette lighter power adapter. Set the other junk aside, depending on where/how you want to mount it.

Next up is getting access to the antenna. As Anima pointed out in his excellent thread (thank you!)

You can access the roof antenna's cable from under the passenger seat. The OEM antenna we have doubles as a sat radio antenna as well. You won't need any additional antenna showing, etc. Awesome.

However, you will first need to buy a special cable. It's a Coaxial Cable, SMB 90 degree (right angle) plug (female contact) to SMB jack (male contact), RG174, 5 foot, 50 ohm for $22:

http://www.cdint.com/catalog/model/SB9SBJ-174-5

Looks like this:





Then, just push the seat all forward toward the dash, and you should see a cover underneath. Remove the two standard screws you see here:



If you're lucky, you will not need to remove the seat at all. Just pry up the cover and look for a pink satellite antenna end. This is how it was on mine. If not, you may need to remove the seat completely and if so, as Anima mentioned, do NOT mess with the power or turn on/start your car. Leave your keys inside! You can inadvertently set off the airbag light and need to have this reset at the dealer. Best bet is to disconnect the battery to be safe.

I didn't need to remove the seat. This is what I saw:



Connect the straight end of the SMB end into the pink connector. It just pops in snug. (You won't need to mess with the additional wiring/ports you see under the seat as those are for the factory OEM sirius unit to connect with the radio.



Now that you've connected the two, push the passenger all the back to expose the front of the underseat cover. You will see a little notch that is perfect for fishing the antenna wire through to get to the center console.



Now that you know that exact spot, push the passenger seat all the way forward again, and climb back there, get on your belly and do your best to fish the wire through that hole before your arm cramps up from being in a crazy position.

When you've finally gotten it through that notch, fish it *under* the seat track so that you don't have to worry about the cable getting caught when a passenger moves the seat forward or backwards (you'll eventually fish this cable into the center console):



The next portion really depends on where you want to mount the Sirius device. The easiest way is to simply go through the center console. This is probably recommended rather than going along the passenger door because the cdint.com cable is only 5'. 5 feet of cable works perfectly if you go through the center console.

Next up is to remove the center console. I removed the cover under the steering wheel, and on the left side (driver side) of the center stack.

For the cover under the steering wheel, these are just three T20 screws and a few clips that you pop off.



After you remove this, you can then access the left side (driver side) of cover of the center stack. This is just two T20 screws.



Next up is to remove the center base cover. In order to not scratch the cover, it's probably best to use a plastic putty knife. Just wedge it in there and pull really hard. It's going to feel like you're going to bust it, but just keep pulling and hopefully you won't break anything...hopefully. I got lucky and didn't.



Here is that it looks like when removed:



Next up is to remove the center console itself. You don't really need to remove this, but you just need to free up some access underneath to fish the antenna cable through. You can start by removing the two T20 screws at the bottom of each cup:



Then remove the one T20 screw in the back seat cup holder/ashtray/coin tray.



After that, it just lifts up with ease:



Now you can just fish the antenna cable through the center console into the base of the center stack. From there, it really depends on where you want your Sirius unit mounted.

So next up is the wiring. I hate exposed wires and such, so I wired the Sirius right into the fuse box. In order to do so, you'll need the following item called an Littelfuse FHM200BP Mini Add-A-Circuit Kit from Amazon or from a local auto parts store for about $10.

The Amazon item above says that it's for the ATO and not the "Mini" fuse. It's not ATO, it's correct and this is the one you want. Part number is FHM200BP. These can also be purchased at your local Automotive retail store, etc. It looks like this:



NOTE: Just make sure you get the one that says "MINI" on the front which is the smaller fuse option. There's an "ATO" for larger fuses, but you don't want this.

Next is important. The Sportster 5 that I purchased uses a cigarette lighter that takes the 12V current and coverts it down to 5V. In other words, if I cut off the cigarette lighter plug portion and directly wired it directly into the fuse box, I'd fry the device. So I needed to keep the Sirius cigarette lighter intact. Therefore, you can buy a cigarette lighter socket like this one from Amazon or just from your local auto store:

My shop was out, so I bought a Cigarette Lighter extension cord made by Bell for $6. I didn't need the extension cord, but that's all they had. Looks like this:



Ok, here is the big question. Do you want your device to instantly shut off when you turn off the ignition? Or would you like the device to stay on for about 30 mins even after you turn off the engine? There are pros/cons to each. If it stays on it might be a glowing light to attract thieves. However, if you kill the engine and want to finish that song, or talk show, you have to leave the engine running. Your call. Here is the original fuse box with your options:



FUSE 21
If you would like to have the device to turn off approximately 30 mins after you shut off the ignition. (Highlighted in RED)

FUSE 32
If you would like to have the device instantly turn off when you shut off the ignition. (Highlighted in YELLOW)

With the ease of the Add-A-Circuit, you can always change your mind later. But note that the two selections have different amp fuses, so you need to make sure fuse 21 has the 10A fuse, and fuse 32 has the 7.5A fuse.

I'm going to wire my example so the unit stays on for 30 mins after I shut off the ignition. (Fuse 21).
I figure I can always just top the Sirius device's power button when I want to turn it off manually, etc.

The Add-A-Circuit Kit comes with a variety of fuses. The Sirius Sportster 5 uses a max of 2amps, but there is no 2A fuse. So simply use the 3A fuse for the Sportster. The original Mini Cooper fuse goes in the bottom slot of the add-a-circuit, and the new fuse for the Sirius Sportster 5 goes in the top slot. When connected, it will look like this:



Now I took the cigarette extension cord and cut the male end off of it like this (ouch!):





You will then want to insert the red wire only into the Add-A-Circuit, and crimp down to join the connection. It will look like this:



Now for the proper grounding. Argh. This was a major pain for me. Inside the fuse box area there is really no easy metal contact to use for a ground. I wanted to have a proper ground, so I had to go through the pain of finding a spot for this. Way in the back of the fuse box area there's some painted metal showing. This is actually the back of the wheel well.

I took a file and scraped away some of the paint until I got to bare metal:



Then I used a hammer and a long awl to hit a small sharp dimple in the metal. After I had a dimple, I took a drill with a long drill bit (it's really hard to fit) and drilled a small hole.



After I had a small hole, I screwed in a small tapping screw right into the metal. *gulp*. I then crimped a small C connector to the ground wire, and then covered it with electrical tape for a better connection.





Since there was bare metal exposed, and a hole no less, after tightening the screw around the ground, I covered the entire screw head and surrounding area with silicone sealant to avoid rust, etc.



The end result is a totally covered goo mess, but it should be a solid ground. I'm sure there may have been other ways to do this, but it's completely out of sight and works for me....plus I'm stupid. LOL

Now just plug in the add-a-circuit into Fuse 21, and it's wired and ready.



After that, just plug in the Sirius cigarette lighter into the wired socket:



Wrap some black electrical tape around the connection for a firm fit that isn't going anywhere.



Above the fuse box panel there's actually quite a bit of space. I just jammed the entire collection of cigarette lighter wires into the void. It fit really snug. No need to tie it down, etc.




Next up is getting the sound into the radio. I hate the idea of a FM tuner due to the low quality, so I wired it into the AUX in. Just pickup one of these male-to-male line-in audio cables from Radio Shack for $7.50:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2102949



Now is probably a good time to fire up the Sirius Sportster 5 and check to make sure everything works. Just connect the Aux in, power and antenna and if everything went as planned, you have a mess of wires, but you're fully connected.


Now is the hard part...where to mount it? I'm a glutton for punishment, but I wanted to mount it next to the tach, right behind the steering wheel on the right side. For my particular Mini, I already have the factory Garmin Nuvi mounted on the left side of my tach, so I wanted the Sportster 5 on the right side. This side is actually perfect since the visible display of the Sportster 5 is far left of the device and can be seen through the steering wheel. It's ideal for me, but I don't expect many people to have the need for this exact same install. So now for the fun part...

Remove the tachometer.

There was a great thread/video by war6763 located here. Thank you, awesome info!

So as war6763 showed, you want to first remove the two Torx 30 screws that hold the Tachometer in place. I adjusted the steering wheel all the way down, and pulled it out as far as it would go for clearance. Then removed the screws:





You really want to use a screwdriver with a magnetic tip so that these screws don't fall off into the console. If they do, it'll be a major pain to find, you could have a rattle, and you'll likely need to re-order these screws from the dealer. Not fun. So take it slow and use a magnetic tip!

After you have removed these two screws, the Tach slides out a bit freeing up space. It's obviously still wired in, so it won't go very far, but it helps give you clearance for what's up next.

Remove the plastic cover behind the tach.

Just use a flat head screwdriver and place a few layers of black electrical tape around the tip. This should soften the contact area a bit. Then jam it in there and pull out and down. It will feel like you're going to brake it. You might, but I didn't. Just realize that if you really do break it, the piece is small and can be replaced.






When it's fully removed:




Here is the back of this plate with the plug areas highlighted so you know where to give the most pressure:



Once everything has been removed, it's just a matter of fishing all the wires to the left of the center stack, and up through the steering column. When it's all in place, it will be a good idea to use zip ties to tie this up, but not yet.

Now for my personal dilemma. Since I already have a factory OEM mount, I couldn't buy a standard mounting arm for the Sportster 5 in the area I wanted it. So after toying with the idea for a bit, I decided to have mine fabricated out of 1/8" steel. Simply took off the factory Garmin mount, and traced around the arm to get an idea of the factory holes and drew a template.

Then I scanned my template, traced it again to extend the arm to old the Sportster 5. Then I cut it out and spray mounted it to cardboard and cut it out again. This gave me a cheap and easy prototype for my mount.



The problem is that the air vent on the right side of the tach sticks out a bit and thus, any mounting arm on this side cannot be straight. It needs a bend. So I made the cardboard mounting arm longer than it was supposed to be on purpose, and manually figured out where to bend by folding it after mounting it in place.

When it's straight, it's too far away:



After I found the bend points, the prototype arm looked like this:



Then off to have a metal fabricator create this. I just googled "Waterjet services" and emailed a few placed offering these cutting services. Ending up finding a great place in Wisconsin that could do it for about $40 shipped, completed in 2-3 days and then shipped UPS ground. I got it in about a week to California. Site was http://www.westarmfg.com/waterjet.htm and they were able to just use the design I created as a PDF to come up with a piece of 1/8" steel that originally looked like this in comparison to my cardboard prototype:



It was heavily oxidized, so it needed some polishing with an angle grinder to buff it smooth:



Pretty soon, it was clean on both sides and looked as good as new:



Now it needed to be bent to match my prototype. I wanted to bend it myself since I didn't know the exact angles or spots to explain what I needed. So I just popped it in a vice and had this:



After it was bent perfectly, I spray painted it a flat black paint and let it dry overnight. The end result was a perfect piece that looked like a factory made mounting arm:



All done with the special custom mount!
After mounting it back into the back of the Tach, it worked like a charm. I changed the Sportster 5's display color to match the orange of the Mini and it looks exactly as I had hoped. I love being able to see the band/song info on the display while driving, and it compliments the Garmin on the left nicely:




Here is the view from the passenger's seat:



Then it was just a matter of reversing everything and re-attaching all of the removed interior parts and I was finished.

Driver View:



NOTE ABOUT THE VOLUME LEVEL OF THE AUX INPUT: When I first connected the Sirius to the AUX in, the sound level was really poor. Volume was lower and the levels were flat. It was really annoying. I swapped out aux cables to test, hooked up the audio out from my iPhone to test and it still sounded bad. So it wasn't the source (Sirius unit), it was the AUX input itself. I really thought I hit a major roadblock and thought the AUX in was bad on the Mini. That's when I realized that the R56 has a strange way of setting the unique volume input of the AUX line-in.

When you select the AUX input jack to play your Sirius, the actual display says "AUX-VOL". Push the button under the AUX-VOL from the display, and it brings up a volume adjustment bar.



Sure enough, mine was originally set to the lowest "1" setting. "3" is average and "6" is max. Turn the **** to raise or lower the volume level.



Bingo!

So all in all, it took more time to document this install than it did to actually do it. But then again the end result is a clean install that I'm really happy with, and a portable device that you can also pop out and use at home with the home docking station for about $39 (as of now) on Amazon.

So much cheaper overall cost than the factory option, and if you mount it off the tach, you still have all the options right at your fingertips. If you get the home docking station (I did) you can pop it out and listen at home as well even without the internet option. Win-win. I'm happy.

Hope this info helps someone else who may want to try it themselves.
Cheers & Happy Motoring.

UPDATE: 6-19-10

So I realized that after installing the Sirius into the AUX line in that it's the only thing I listen to now. It's fantastic. Tons of variety, channels, etc. However for my particular setup I have a Garmin GPS too that is somewhat hard to hear. It would be really great if I could have BOTH the Garmin *and* the Sirius installed into the same single AUX in *at the same time*.

...and now I do.

This is not necessarily a cheap option, but it's one that I love since it works for both GPS navigation and for bluetooth phone conversations that will play over the entire speaker system. (No more trying to hear the person speak over the small Garmin GPS built-in speaker!)

Here is what I purchased:

Mix-It2
http://www.mixitproducts.com/

I also purchased some line cables as well and here's what arrived:



I bought another "Add-a-Circuit" and hard wired the power into the fuse box directly.

This device allows you to connect up for four audio devices into the same single AUX line in at the same time. For me I just have the Sirius and the Garmin GPS. So I connect it here:



I then rewired the connections into a maze of wires and then simply jammed it into the void that's at under the padding at the feet of the passenger side.

The wiring looks like this:



After hooking it up, it all just works as planned.

You can have the Garmin GPS either speak at the same time as the Sirius (or whatever music device you have already in your AUX in). Or, you can do what I chose to do. This Mix-It2 has the ability to do a Priority override for one of the inputs, perfect for GPS.

This means that the music plays fine all the time, but then if I need speaking turn-by-turn directions, the Mix-It2 will stop the Sirius music audio, and then slowly fade it back in when the Garmin is done speaking. It also works with phone calls I make since my Garmin device has bluetooth to connect to my cell phone.

Again, this isn't a cheap option, but now it really feels like I have built-in factory navigation and factory bluetooth for a fraction of the cost.

I love it.

 

Awesome write up!!!

 

Good work! My install for my Stiletto 100 was extremely similar. But I used a pro-clip mount just to right of the big speedo. It is a very handy spot, and is not in the way for the passenger. The plug-and-play radio is great, because I take the Stiletto with me and use it as a portable then I move it to my Z3 where I installed the universal dock for it to interface with my Clarion deck.

 

phoenix 1901 I love that song!

 

Yeah, I was looking at the ProClip option as well. Nice choice. I just wanted something to pair the garmin for balance, and it first perfectly behind the wheel.

Yeah, these small modular sat radio devices are great. Way more flexibility than the factory install, and they're roughly $1,000 cheaper!

 

Yeah, with having the Garmin and the Sportster (being rectangular) the tach mount makes way more sense. The Stiletto is super tall in the cradle. It is so nice to be able to pause and rewind the stations, and that is what makes the delayed-off power circuit so nice because running in and out of stores I don't miss anything and then can fast forward through commercials!

 

In case anyone would ever want this same setup, attached is the PDF of the design I made for this specialized Sirius Sportster 5 mount. I had it made out of 1/8" steel.

Worked perfectly using the existing screws even for the factory OEM Garmin mount. Just overlap it on the back.

Enjoy.

 

I mounted my Pionner INNO in my center arm rest. worked out really well. All wires run under the console, tapped into sat antenna under seat, plugged in 12v in console until I can wire into fuse box next week.

If you didn't want to have something made you could probaly order a GPS mount from GoMINI and retro it to work.

Check it our here
http://www.gominigo.com/R55-R56-R57-GPS-Mounts.html

 

I would have probably just bought a pre-made mount if they existed, but none of those would have worked for my particular situation since I already had the factory gamin mount installed.

The mount I needed worked to fit on top of the factory OEM garmin nuvi mount, not replace it.

 

I see that now, didn't even think about it.

Great write up!!

 

tokyomini,

Thanks for this info. I'm thinking about using this mount for a Sportster 5 and not ever planning on getting GPS. I want to just flip it and use it on the left of the Tach. I might keep the bend in it or shorten it, but from your photo it looks like it brings the radio to the same level/distance behind the steering-wheel as the Tach. Any way it looks good, nice clean instal.

 

hey booktrout, the mount I made actually requires the Garmin mount (or another tach mount) to "piggy back" on top of, so to speak. This is because the back of the tack is rounded with recessed screw holes.

If you only tried to attach my mount to the tach with nothing else, it wouldn't work because of the recessed holes in the tach. You'd need some plugs or something to go into the back for stability, and the OEM garmin mount has these. Thus, it's easy to just lay another mount on top.

Just a heads up...

 

For someone who hasn't done this before, it looks great!

Nice work.

 

EXCELLENT write up
Can I use this concept if I want to install a head unit receiver with Ipod interface ? My car doesn't have a AUX/USB port

 

No, not really.

However, you SHOULD have an AUX port. It is in the cubby in front of the ASC/DSC button below the right side power window switch. It is hiding on the top of that compartment. Activate it by pressing the Audio button and selecting AUX (as opposed to Tuner, CD, etc).

You can add Bluetooth, voice command, USB, and iPod interface for around $500-$700.


Also you can add a direct iPod interface as long as you don't have the CD changer for around $300.

 

I'm using the AUX port for my Ipod. However, It won't let me browse the music files through the console. I hate the facts that I have to look at the Ipod to select the songs I want. It's not safe while operating the Mini. That's why I want to install a head unit receiver w/ Ipod adapter because it's more connivence and safer, to me at least.
I don't have a CD changer but how come the ipod interface so expansive ??? Can I browse the music files with the direct iPod interface ?

 

I believe you can browse and choose music from the console.

 

Are you 100% positive or guessing ?

 

If you only have AUX in (like me) and do not have the USB/AUX in combo, then no, you will not be able to select the songs on your iPod via the Mini's controls. It's just taking whatever input it's getting, much the same way the Sportster 5 here is with my install.

Again, if you have the USB/AUX in, then it's a different story and you'll need the special "Y" connector. Then you actually select "iPod" from the input choices.

The Mini iPod interface is a bit expensive, but I have this as well. It's worth it. your iPod shows up under the CD changer audio input, and you can have your iPod neatly tucked away in the secret compartment, completely out of sight. It charges as you drive and you have full controls via the steering wheel, etc. It also requires the dealer to update your car's software.

I agree that it's more $$$, but the convenience is really worth it AND it's hidden so the chances of a potential thief seeing it from the outside are gone.

Either way, it's good to have choices and good luck with either option you select. If you need pics of how the iPod interface looks when selected, just let me know. It's great.


I hope this info helped.

 

I see. Thank you very much

 

Great write up but wrong area to post in .

 

Best DIY explanation ever. If only sat radio were free.....I'm not about to add another bill to my cellphones, internet, cable, newspaper, water, sewer, electric, gas and mortgage. And from what I've heard in rental cars with Sirius, there's still commercials. What's the point? If I want to hear cursing I'll tape myself when I drive then play it back.

 

I guess it's much like your cable bill. There are commercials on cable TV too but you buy it for the programming/variety you can't get anywhere else. To each his own.

I'm on the Sirius $77/year plan which has everything, best of XM, and internet listening via my computer. I also have the home docking kit and have the full lineup at home as well when I pop the radio unit out and dock it. I love it. In fact, before doing this install, I used my iPod adapter almost exclusively to listen to music. The only problem was the lack of variety since all songs were already in my collection. With the Sirius setup, variety is off-the-charts and unlike anything you can get on terrestrial radio. Again, to each his own, but it's well worth the cost to me.

 

Can you tell me more about this? How do I know if I have it in my 2010? Will it work with the Droid? I know I have AUX, but not USB. Picking the car up in 3 hours so I can't go look...

-Jim

 

If you do not have the USB option then iPod will not show up on the dash screen only AUX.

With the Droid you will need an audio cable to go from the headphone output to the AUX input to get it to play music.

If you are installing a aftermarket SAT system then that will take up the AUX input. You could use a splitter so that both can be hooked up at the same time but that can cause other problems as well.