I've had my '06 MCS for less than a year, and I've heard a high pitched beep through the stereo system THREE times now.

It's not the cold weather chime, it's heard when the car is running, the stereo was on, but volume low the last time I heard it which was this week.

The first time I heard it was the day I got the car, from a used car dealer's lot. I was playing with every button and was holding down the phone buttons on the multifunction steering wheel and I thought it was some kind of "No" signal.

The second time I wasn't doing anything unusual, I think I was at a stop light or just driving normally.

The last time was just this week, I had driven for about 10 minutes, and pulled up to the curb to drop my wife off. We were talking with the car idling, emergency brake on, doors unlocked, windows up. I think the auto climate control was on one fan notch. The stereo was either on but the volume was very very low. After about 2 minutes of talking the car beeped.

The sound is a single short high pitched BEEP and it comes through the stereo speakers, both front and rear, no matter what the volume level of the music was set to.

Any ideas what this is?

Thanks!

 

I get this occasionally as well. Music will be playing and it will cut it off completely, blow my eardrum with a beat and resume music

 

Finally, somebody else experienced this too! Do you have the regular stereo or the H/K type?

I forgot to mention, my stereo is the MINI Harmann/Kardon type.

 

3 times in ONE year!!
WOW!! Call the cops!!
On a serious note....since you made it happen once with the Blue-tooth button....have you even thought to check to see if you are equipped...maybe you are bumping the thing into "discoverable mode" (or maybe just turning on some type of test mode for the radio/blue-tooth where the radio responds to the button if not equipped?)...and the beep is to let you know it is ready to pair.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that those buttons ever did ANYTHING on the 2006's, since the first generation MINIs didn't have bluetooth, did they?

 

The MINI kit was VERY late to the game....it only came out about 1 1/2 years ago I think, and was $$$, but there is many aftermarket kits that utilize the buttons....those have been around for many years....and are pretty simple to install, and actually work better then the MINI kit for a fraction of the cost....so maybe the previous owner had one installed. The Parrot kit...several of them are the commonly used ones.

 

....

 

I too get the LOUD Beep infrequently. H/K. It literally blows my ear drums out the window. I have to stop and go find them. It is so loud that I think that it will blow up the speakers.

 

Wow! Another person who gets it! I'm going to ask at my local dealer - assuming they actually know something.

As for the possibility of Bluetooth, I went over the options based on the VIN with a couple of dealers and nobody ever mentioned it. I doubt it has aftermarket, but I'll try prying back the headliner to check for a mic under the little grille.

Is there any DEFINITE way to check for factory bluetooth?

 

See if it will pair with a bluetooth phone, or look for the module...most likly behind the center console, or maybe the drivers knee stopper/parcel shelf. Aftermarket kits usually do not USE the FACTORY mic location...it is in a bad spot.

 

Heck....could be a H/K issue...it is an odd setup...the fact it does not use line level inputs to the AMP...so it could be some RF from something else...
As I pilot, when taxiing close to a rotating radar antenna, I will sometimes here a BEEP from the RF over the inter-com....it is the result of stray radio waves....

 

This is a clear, generated tone. It is something being produced locally, not interference. It has it's own volume level, regardless of the stereo's volume setting.

 

I have the same noise.
I finally realised it happens in conjunction with the fuel gauge being low.

 

You'll get a beep at 37 degrees, when the fuel is low, or when the tire pressure sensor detects a low tire, or (I think) when one of the other gauges goes seriously out of whack (temp, oil pressure, check-engine).

I don't know about the bluetooth (donh't have that enabled) but it was available on the 05's and 06's as part of the technology pack, I believe.

 

Don't worry, the sound will go away soon......


When your POS H/K amplifier finally dies.


happened to me. Start saving

 

Hey Philip, are you serious, is this beep a symptom or an error indicator that my H/K amp is failing? The radio wasn't even playing at volume when this usually occurs.

Also, looks like you have the same paint scheme as me on your MINI.

 

Update??

 

H/K still working. I play it every day, and run it loud.
No further beeps heard.
I've heard lots from the freezing outside temperature warning, and that is certainly not the same sound. This beep is very high pitched.
I'm not sure what that one poster meant about the fuel gauge being low since there is no chime for that, just a red light.

 

If you have Nav, at least, there is indeed a chime in conjunction with red light.

 

have had this sound. Twice as a matter of fact. One was today which is why I am looking online (I don't remember what all I was doing the first time or the settings). But today I was driving normally, not hard, radio was on, not a low low level but a little lower than normal. Fuel was completely full as I filled the night before. Windows up; headlights on (as always)... But this is definitely not the same noise that you hear when it gets cold. I would describe it as a beep from the stereo it seems like that's about a second in duration and sounds to be at max volume! It's pretty loud, actually scared me this morning. Momentarily after the beep the radio sound went away and came back. So I'm thinking it has "something" to do with the radio. I too have h/k sound system and I have an '05 JCW. I would be interested in finding out what this is as well if anyone else has any ideas.

 

Come to think of it, mine's done that once or twice, not recently, very loud, and a definite 'generated tone" sound, somewhat higher in pitch than a backup alarm tone. Single beeeeep, perhaps half a second in duration but definitely loud enough to remember.

I have no clue what it was. It's been over a year.

 

This was discussed at length back when I first bought El Kabong in '05 (he was an '06 MCS). The sound is VERY loud and will make you jump out of your skin!
I don't know if a reason or a fix was ever found, you could try a search. I believe one of the threads had something in the title about the MINI scream.
Mine only did it about 5 times the entire time I had him, so I never bothered to look into it.
Annette

 

We are having a similar issue with our week old chili red hardtop. There is a beep through the speakers every two minutes or so whether the car is on or not....or radio on or not...or bluetooth on or not…or key in or not.
I hate to take it to the dealer (and burn up so much time) for just this!

 

I'm glad I'm not crazy, I have this problem too. H/K system on a 2005 Mini.

This beep has happened maybe 5-6 times over 80k miles, twice this summer, the last time being this morning. It's not 37 degrees beep. This thing is crazy loud!!!!!, and it's painful if you happen to have the windows up.

My stereo powers cycles after it happens and comes back to the default volume level.

When my car was under warranty, I complained and they replaced the amp, but it still happens, granted rarely.

Does anyone know if it's the amp or the stereo for sure? If it was the amp, would my stereo power cycle? I'm tempted to replace the stereo. I'd really love if a Mini engineer chimed in to explain this POS design.

 

I just had this happen to me for the 1st today, and it happened twice! Did anyone figure out what the problem was with theirs? I drive an '05 and have the h/k stereo. I'm afraid to get in my car tomorrow...my ears are still ringing!!!