My fiancée wants to get a remote starter for our 2009 Clubman (automatic, turbo). Has anyone got a remote starter kit installed in their Clubman? If so, can you give me recommendations or thoughts?

thanks...

 

same here.

 

Lots of work to get it to work and you basically have to cannibalize a key to make it work and trick the anti-theft system. It is also my understanding that you may have to do some work/splicing into the fiber optic cable within the car. I was told it was doable but for the convenience it would not be worth it. I had it on my last truck and the box that learned the code of my key (Ford truck) took a dump. The module also took out part of my anti theft system and then fried the brake/abs module. Not worth it anymore. to add that stuff for me aftermarket. If it was offered from the factory I would do it, but that was the last time for me. If you must do it save your pennies and find someone who has done it a few times before. It sure was nice to have my Viper 5901 and 530T window module, but the one day the truck would not start and took me all day to get started and eventually led me to getting the MINI and just trading my problems in.

 

fiber optic cable...

 

Yeah he said it was a green cable that runs around the car. This came from a Master MINI Tech. Who knows, I guess he does, but I know I was perplexed.

 

 

The tech, or master MINI tech said a fusion splicer is needed to access a fiber optic line to install a remote starter ?

 

Anyone here try using the Fortin Modules for this MINI MOD yet ?

I think you have to leave a valet key plugged into the box 24/7 negating the need to hack up a key method as previously described....

 

Yes that is what is done. There is no hacking of keys any more to get remote starters to work.

Now I have done this on my BMW and it worked very well but the BMW does NOT have Convenience Access (CA).

With CA it brings up another problem because the car Can Not locked with any key in the car, even the valet key. Now I have been able to lock the car with a key in it but it was burried under the spare tire in the back end of my clubman. But with it back there if I hit a bump while driving the barn door would open and also if anyone walked up to the car the they could easily open the barn doors. In other words with CA the car is no longer secure (locked) if there is a key left inside.

As for cars without CA it is probably possible. As for splicing into the fiber optic ring. That will not be needed as it is not part of the engine managment system. The fiber optic ring is a MOST Bus or Media Oriented System Transport. I.E. for the audio and navigation systems.

There will be three items needed, Fortin INT-BMW-1, Fortin CAN-SL2, and a remote started that is Fortin Data Bus Compatible.

And this currently only works on Automatic vehicles. Manual Trans cars have another set of problems with clutch switches gear selector switches etc.

So to the OP take it somewhere that has done a few MINI's and late model BMWs and have them give it a shot.

 

FYI - The owners manual recommends against a warm up period.

Quote from page 90 '09 Clubman manual:

"Drive off immediately
Do not wait for the engine to warm up while the
vehicle remains stationary. Start driving right
away, but at moderate engine speeds. This is the
fastest way for the cold engine to reach its operating
temperature."

 

That was my question too? Why do you want this?

What is the attraction? I guess I could see it if the OP lives in a very cold environment, but as the PP wrote, MINI does not recommned a warm up period - rather to get in and Motor.....

 

Thanks everyone for the advice. Here in Minnesota, when you park on the street, the 5-10 below zero days can be trying.

After reading down the posts, i decided to call a local company that specializes in remote starters. They use the Viper systems exclusively. The guy there told me that they've done two mini-coopers in the last year. He said they had to order special parts to complete the installs (don't know if it was BMW special parts or OEM for the remote starter), and it would likely run around $1000. He also thought (but wasn't certain) that they had to cannibalize one of the two keys we have. So add at least $300 dollars for a replacement key.

We decided that $1300 dollars was too much. We'll put it down towards a new garage instead

 

Depends on if you think Central/Northern Minnesota is cold. My friends from Winnipeg think we're wimps

 

Well good news to hear that it can be done properly, but I bet it comes at a good cost.

As for the necessity, if a channel was added to turn on the bum warmers, defrosters, etc too then it would be worthwhile in those cold climate areas. I added remote start to my last truck to get the AC going, in South Florida a car heats up really quick. Also it enabled me to go into a store and keep the truck running while my dogs sat in comfort.

 

Now there's an idea I can get behind!

My MINI lives outside too, and while it's probably not as cold here in KC as it is in MINIsota, Wisconsin or Winnipeg, it can get well below zero......

That said, with the bun warmers on it only takes a few blocks to get comfortable.....but on the rare day when I get to park in the garage instead of the wife, it really makes a big difference, especially on those below zero days!

If I lived in one of those cold northern climes, I'd have a block heater in my cars. That way, not only do you have instant heat, it's a whole lot easier on the car when you start it too. Pennies a day for the electricity, and a whole lot cheaper than a garage!

 

If you look in the passenger side boot access panel you'll find the fiber optic access connection.

 

I'm heading off to search our wonderful search tool, but I'm interested in adding comfort access, though not remote start. I didn't select the option at the time of vehicle config but having now been in it a few weeks, it appeals to me the idea of not having to have the fob int he dash to start the car.

 

here is the thread you are looking for

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-retrofit.html

And BTW with yours being a 2011 there is about a 99% chance the wiring harnesses do not exist in you car for comfort access so that will seriously add to the cost of the project. I.E. about 6K+ to add it to your car.

 

Unless you have the sat radio under the pass seat the fiber in the boot on the right will be "dark". BTW, that is for the IBOC/HD Radio tuner. And there is three fibers back there, the one that is taped off by itself goes directly above the fuse box, then for the two that are in a connector one of those goes to the pass seat SDARS connector. The other one goes back up to above the fuse box. Then under the pass seat, the other fiber goes up to above the fuse box.

Also as stated above the MOST bus (the fiber optics) ring has NOTHING to do with engine and remote starting.

I found references to remote starting capabilities in the car access module when I was looking at the trace file from NCS Expert. Not sure if the R56 supports it, but I bet it does as long as you have the comfort access remote you could enable that function.

 

DOA!

 

Question. Was it really remote start or was it convenience start.

Some Cars in Europe after being started will shut down the engine when you come to a stop and then restart the engine automatically you take you foot off the gas pedal. It is a gas saving measure allowed in some European Countries.

 

I don't think it was Auto start/stop as that is in the engine computer module and not the car access module. But I am not really sure.

Here are the two entries that gave me the impression it could be modified.

KOMFORTSTART
nicht_aktiv
FBD_MOTORSTART
wert_01

 

Just a quick google search on BMW KOMFORTSTART brought up the following

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK5IuPLd9Ww

http://translate.googleusercontent.c...4jfSqm98xO462A

It seems to be a start/stop button option for older BMW's

And from some other translated German to English is seems as if you put the key in the ignition turn to on and then press the start/stop button. No pressing of the brake is neccessary if the car is in park or the clutch if the car is in neutral.

So it may have something to do with the CA option and if it is or not active.

Do you have CA? because it looks to me like that is set to not active.

The other one FBD_MOTORSTART, does not seem to be talked about very much as I can only se about three pages that have it in a listing and they don't talk about that specific coding.

 

It makes sense. The MINI has lots of devices to control and many sensors that provide inputs to its computer. With copper networking cable, noise on the line can be a problem. This can trash signals going out to devices or coming back from sensors. Fiber networking cable uses light to provide signals, so electromagnetic interference doesn't screw things up.

 

A friend of mine does remote starters. He said he can do mine but he needs to do some research. My dealership says not to do it and its too much of a risk, possibly voiding the warranty. While MINI might say get in and drive, Violet says if you don't let me sit here and warm up a bit, I'm going to get very angry at you.