I know this has been discussed many times before. Instead of asking, I decided to be a guinea pick and just go for it.

I've ordered the OEM cluster/LCD and the DVD/nav box and plan to cross my fingers and hope that everything will be more or less plug & play. From what I can gather, the only other part I need is the center console (around the e-brake and shifter) that has the additional nav controls.

I'm searching for this on car-part.com but can't for the life of me think of what to call it when filling out the search form. Does anyone have any pointers?

Here's a visual for what I'm looking for:

 

You many also need a different wiring harness. Good luck with it. Let us know how it turns out.

 

65823449102 = Controller Unit (red)
07147135132 = Mounting screws x 4
61129114920 = monitor harness
there's another wiring harness, and a few grounding straps, i think it was year specific.

51162756157 or 51162756156 = handbrake console (pro) (blue)
there's two, don't know what the difference is, they're both for navigation consoles.

 

The console itself is part# 51162756157
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...88&hg=51&fg=35
But that's only the plastic console piece, without the switches, which is here (you'll probably need almost everything else listed in all 3 of these categories as well):
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/partgrp.d...31&hg=65&fg=45

You'll need some of these harnesses:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...77&hg=61&fg=05
and some of these cables:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...82&hg=61&fg=10

I think it is fair to assume that it isn't plug and play, and even after installing everything, none of it will work until the dealer has programmed the car.

 

Rip and completely redo (not plug n play) all of the dash harnesses and PRAY that the body harness has all the connections needed. If not that will have to be changed as well.

Oh and depending ont he year of your car as to wether the GPS antenna wiring is there or not.

 

Thanks for the help guys - sounds like it's going to be a project, but I love this sort of thing so it should make for a good couple of weekends.

I'm actually planning to pick up that OBD cable/software that can program all of the mini's modules, but was hoping to do that another time. How likely is it I'll be able to talk a dealer shop into activating the nav once I have everything already installed and ready? The car has a salvage title, so I don't have to worry about voiding the warranty...

 

They will not do it for free but about 3-4 hours of time and they should have it done. Off course that means a lot of money in labor hours. My dealer runs at $158.00 per hour so that would be $450+ to get it programed.

 

This is one hell of a project, please keep us posted and take lots of pictures.

 

Yikes, so I may as well just buy the cable and program it myself. From what I've heard, the Bavarian Technics cable/software is capable of programming all modules. Is this the case, and is it reasonable to assume this includes reconfiguring for the nav system?

 

A general tool like the Bavarian Technics may not be sufficient. I think you'll have to connect to BMW to download programming, using software and tool described in this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...2534-tool.html

 

Good luck man!! this was something i really wanted to try but chickened out. i hope you get it to work!

 

rkw is correct you will need to get the actual programing from MINI as it is NOT part of the programing in your car yet.

Whether it is in the retrofit list is a good question as this is not something the dealer would do. SO it may be more difficult.

 

I think you will be better off just trading you car in and getting one with the Nav. This is going to cost you about double the cost of the Nav installed at the factory.

 

@rkw thanks for pointing that out, I'll make a note of that when I'm ready to get everything reprogrammed

@callahan00 I think you're right, but I also enjoy doing this sort of thing, so it won't just be about the cost and result - the process is part of the fun for me

 

Subscribed. This I gotta see.

 

Do you have auto ac? When ordering nav, auto ac is required....

Have you considered doing a carputer with the nav screen?

Good luck!

 

Your either one brave or insane soul...good luck...will be looking forward to how this works out...hope it does!!

 

Any updates?

 

Actually there are! Now that I have acquired almost all the components, I have decided to build a car PC instead. [sigh]

While the general consensus about the OEM nav system isn't negative, what I have heard (something around the mediocre/i-can-deal range) makes me question whether it's worth the time/effort it will take to get this all installed.

Instead I'll be doing something I hope is more interesting, more challenging, and ultimately more worthwhile. I'll keep the nav speedo, but will be replacing the LCD with a custom touchscreen. I'll start a new thread and keep it updated with pics as I progress. I'll update here with a link...

 

Might I suggest that you instead consider a retrofit of the new MINI Connected + Nav system in the 2011 models?
That seems like a pretty cool upgrade over the current Nav system, and I would be very interested in mimicking a working retrofit process if someone were ever able to get one done.

 

Good luck! FWIW when I was connected to the MINI servers a few weeks ago the navigation wasn't on the retrofit list although mines an '07 and the software is VIN specific so maybe the later models have it as a retrofit option.

 

Wilco - I'm curious about your car PC install. I've been looking at doing just that, but I haven't been able to source the speedo WITHOUT the navi screen... or to find a navi screen of the right dimensions. When I looked for my BMW E90, I found a company in Korea that would sell a replacement iDrive unit that would hook up to the OEM harness _and_ also allow a VGA in from a computer - so you could switch inputs and have both running. But they didn't seem to have any Mini products.

Care to cover a bit more detail? Especially - have you been able to locate a fitting screen?

Btw, regarding programming: you need a D+CAN cable (around $100 on eBay) and EDIABAS/NCS Expert software. Then you can add whatever features you want to your car. There's a few people who do this remotely; a friend of mine is one, in fact - he will mail you a cable, log into your laptop and code whatever it is you need. PM me if you want more info on that (but you do NOT need this for a car PC, of course).

 

Wilco, any update on the car-puter? these always interest me. I want to do one when i get the money

 

Looks like this guy put one in:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-system-2.html

I had a car PC mounted at that height in my Impreza and I found it a bit too low. Now in my BMW E90, I have it around the same level as the Mini speedo, and it's SIGNIFICANTLY better (can watch Top Gear now without danger of crashing into someone anymore). So I suspect the "better" choice, though certainly not the easier or cheaper one, is to do the following (assuming it's even possible):

- get a Navi speedo without the navi screen
- retrofit it in place of the existing speedo
- find a screen that fits into the navi opening
- fit it in there and relocate the display from the radio into the center console (like the thread I quoted above said, except just need to cut the opening for the LCD display)

Thinking about it, there's a problem - even if you COULD find a screen that fits, you lose touchscreen ability. Then you'd need something like the Rii mini keyboard to control it........ but it's hardly as good as a touchscreen.

Plus the navi-less navi speedo is probably a million dollars and probably not findable without the navi assembly behind it (and I wonder whether any retrofit coding is required?)

 

Wilco: Thanks for the pioneer work on this thread and the MP3 site. you came up with a slick solution. I'll do a PC computer if my navigation retrofit fails. Drop me a note if you get back online here. I may have a few questions, depending on where I end up with my project here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-to-guide.html