Hey everyone, great site so far with a huge amount of information. however im having trouble trying to find out what to do about my navigation unit

first, its an 03 S, with 45,000 miles. and it came with the original window sticker going over the upgrades list.

Dark Silver Metallic
Black Leatherette w/ Black Interior
Combo #1 Premium:

• Multifunction Steering wheel w/ Cruise & Audio controls
• Duel Pane Panoramic Sunroof
• Automatic AC
• On Board Computer

Combo #2 Sport:

• DSC
• Sport Seats
• Front Fog Lamps
• Rear Spoiler
• 17" Alloy Wheels 205/45R-17 Run flat tires
• Xenon Headlights w/ headlamp

Roof & Mirror caps in black
Park Distance Control
Navigation System

ok now that thats out of the way. the center console screen says i need to insert the nav cd for it to work. i check the owners manual and it says the computer is below the passenger seat, which i see nothing.

so i have a few quesitons about what to do from here.

1

• is it possible to buy the cds/dvds and the underseat unit?
• how much and where at? ive googled it for an hour and got nothing.
• it seems to already work, or atleast i think its showing the right direction and cordinants when i use the split screen display.

2

• what else can i do with the screen? i dont have a huge desire for navigation, my phone has google maps (no position tracking unless i want to pay 10$ per month more)
• the screen is nice to show my milage for a trip, distance to empty, however i wish it could show more. is there anything out there for minis that lets me use more signals from the onboard computer? i have a Scanguage and it lets me see engine temp, and current millage too.

and let me know if im missing anything, im sure i still have alot to learn about what a mini can do.

 

There should be a non-descript "black box" under the passenger seat that has a small black plastic door on it that faces the boot, about the size of a mail slot. It might be covered up by a floor mat. If you have the Nav, that's where it goes (except in the 1st Gen convertibles, where it's under the driver's seat).The map disc SHOULD have been included with the car, but it seems that a previous owner may have removed it. A new set of Nav DVD/CDs will run $199 from NavTeq. Note that there's more than one disc for the CD-based system, but only one disc if you have a DVD-based system. If you have a CD-based system, you could opt to only buy the one for your region at $129... but it would seem to make much more sense to buy the entire NA set for $199.

They actually switched from CD to DVD during the 2003 model year, so it will be important to determine which one you have before you buy anything. The way to find out is to hit the Menu button and go to the Settings screen. There should be a version number in the top right corner that is in the format X-X/XX, for example: 3-1/63 or 4-1/90. Find that out and post it here and we'll help with the details.That just means the hardware is working - it is receiving the GPS signal and knows your coordinates. That's a good thing, because the hardware is definitely more expensive to replace/repair than the software (i.e. the map data). So it sounds like you just need a map disc and you'll be set. There are a number of aftermarket options, but none of them are super cheap. You can buy a video adapter and plug in an external video source, like a PS2 or a video camera. You can buy an iPod setup that displays the song names on the screen. You can buy a BlueTooth adapter that displays the incoming call info on the screen too. You can buy a backup camera to make it much easier to parallel park. Lots of options, but nothing's cheap! The cheapest thing is probably the video adapter to use an external video source.
I don't think there's any product out there to enhance the OBC info beyond what they give you. A shame really, I agree it would be nice to have ALL of the Scangauge information available on the Nav screen.

 

thanks for the help, im gonna look for that box now, i sear there is nothing under there, but ill look again and take some pictures. warning, they will be from a cellphone, so probably ugly small faded pictures lol.

 

Look under the floor mat. The box is mounted almost flush with the floor just under the rear of the passenger seat. Be certain to push that seat all the way forward. There is a little plastic panel that lifts from the right and pivots to the left as you are sitting in the rear seat. It is very unlikely that the previous owner would have removed the NAV box. Also, you wouldn't be reading directions if it was gone..

If you have a CD version, PM me. I have all the updates back to 2003 . The most recent complete set is from 2006 (current version I have is 2008). Things don't change much so the 2006 is still very useful. PM me, I'll make you a great deal.

 

lol i was looking for it from the front, how the hell do people get into the back seat, to play with something under the front seat in a 2dr car. ill be right back

 

found it, along with 2 quarters, thanks guys, now i just need to order the disks

the number is 3-1/63.

 

Yeah I probably should have said "put the seat forward and look from behind." My bad. Glad you found it though. Bad news and good news:

The bad news is that it's the CD-based system, called the MKIII, which isn't as powerful or capable as the DVD-based system (called the MKIV). If you can manage to find an MKIV computer (very expensive to buy separately, but perhaps at a junk yard?), you can swap it out to get the DVD model. If you don't want to bother with that, then just buy the map CD for your region ($129) or the entire North America set ($199) from NavTeq, and you'll be good to go.

The good news is that you already have the latest and final NavOS update for your Nav system (NavOS = Nav Operating System... i.e. the "firmware" of the Nav computer). 3-1/63 was the final update for the MKIII.

 

the CD one will be more than enough, the only time i would travel out of my area is to go to ohio to see family, and i cant get lost taking the same highway there for 8 hours.

 

Let me know if you want a cheap 2006 version.

 

I suggest to go ahead and get it from lhoboy. It often takes Navteq years to update their maps for any particular area. 2006 is not that old and you might not get much benefit spending the big bucks on new discs.

 

sounds good to me, just send a PM.

 

thanks for all the help guys, however there is a different problem now.

it wont accept the cds, as in it dosnt move. the red light is on, and when i press eject nothing happens, i can push the disk in about halfway, then it hits something, and i have no intentions of forcing anything in. its about 20 degrees over here and i figure it was frozen or something, but today its 50 and still not responsive.

is this common, and should i try to take it out and look at it, or just take it strait to a dealership?