why can't i use my indicator to change lanes without wrestling with the fob thingy to get it off again?

sometimes you press it in the same direction again and it turns off - sometimes it stays on; sometimes you press it in the opposite direction it turns off - sometimes you turn the opposite freaking blinker on.. What the heck!?

seriously, i'm USUALLY not so dense.. but why can't i work the darn indicators!?

 

My wife's BMW 530 uses the same system as the MINI. The key is a light touch. For a lane change just a light touch will give you either one or three flashes depending on how you have your settings. Push it just a little more and it will keep flashing until you make a hard turn or cancel it. When I inadvertly push it too hard I just lightly push it in the opposite direction and it cancels it evey time. It took a week or so to get the hang of it but now I like it. Happy Motoring!

 

Same as above. It took me about of week of riding around with constant alternating blinkers before I got the hang of it.

 

Quite frankly, I think the design of the turn signals on the Mini is completely stupid. It's unique, just for the sake of being unique, with no real benefit. There is no reason BMW couldn't just use a regular stalk with physical locking motion, instead, they have to put in the stupid touch, and touch again to de-activate thing.

 

Gawannamini said it right, use a light touch and feel for the "bump" in the movement. If you just touch the bump you will get the 1-3 flashes, if you roll over the bump you get a normal turn signal action that self cancels after the turn. If you inadvertently roll over the bump, I think touching the bump in either direction will cancel the action. I hope this helps, it really only takes a little patience to get used to it, then you will like it.

 

My dads Mitsubishi Lancer had the same system. It's not just BMW/MINI.

 

At this point, I don't care who has it. It has to go.

 

It's really not bad at all, its nice to not have to hold the stalk when I am changing lanes. Or having to turn it off after completing my lane change.

 

That's the thing though, I've never had to hold my stalk when changing. I only have to turn it off when done. (on other cars that is.)

 

And you don't have to hold it now either, nor do you have to turn it off.

 

First 'automatic-lane-change' 3-blink (I saw) was on a Chrysler Rental and I loved it, glad the MINI has it.

You might also notice that if you push too hard and lock the blinker on, you can push it again, in the same direction to cancel.

 

Cool system. It was the same setup as my e36 m3. Most of the newer cars I've owned had a similar system.

 

Thank BMW for this nonsense. Just be glad you're not driving a 5- or 7-series, as they're LOADED with insane crapola like this.. technology for technology's sake, not for any USEFUL purpose, like "driving".

 

They've had these type of dual signals on German cars for years. It comes in handy on the Autobahn where the laws regarding lane changes are actually enforced. You don't see Bozos cruising down the Autobahn with their turn signal blinking for miles and miles.

 

You get used to it, eventually. Nowadays I goof up with the turn signals maybe 5% of the time as opposed to 50% the day I brought her home.

 

It does take time to get use to the two position switches, but I like the ones I have found so far (turn signals, wipers, sunroof), feeling "the bump" in the switches takes a light touch. changing lanes use to mean holding the stalk (takes practice) or engaging the stalk and remembering to turn it off (how many cars did you see today with a blinker on), I prefer the two position switch.

 

Personally, I like the system. Unfortunately for those that don't I am afraid we are going to see more if this. Most manufacturers are going to computer based everything. The MINI and BMW are just a little out front.

Remember when an central unlock button used to have a specific direction to lock or unlock? Note that on the R56 (not sure about 1st gen) it doesn't matter. You hit the lock button (either direction) and it changes the lock to the opposite state.

Like it or not everything is becoming a mere digital input to the computer. Older turn signals had expensive mechanical cancelling mechanisms that worked well for while and then they started to wear. I agree that we are in a phase right now where some of this "progress" seems silly but I don't expect things to go back to more mechanical designs.

 

It took me a little while to get used to it at first too. Now I love the way it works, and the triple flash for lane changes. After this long I now find the options from the MINI that I don't have on my other car!

 

i can't stand that my Mazda CX-9 doesn't have these kinds of indicator controls. love them!

 

I love the 3 blink setting! Works great for all the highway slogging and lane changing I have to do. Took me a couple drives to figure it out. It's not really much different than the old style stalk, not sure why people don't like it so.

Much of the Mini is form over function, but the signals seem like a work of an engineer, not a stylist.