Hi, i am in the uk and about to take delivery of our first MINI Cooper on Monday and have a couple of questions about IPhone 4 use. Complete newbie so Hopefully you can help:

1. I didn't go for in built satnav option so thinking of using satnav app such as Navigon on my Iphone4. I understand there is an expensive BMW cable but presumably there are cheaper alternatives. Does this cable charge and allow music playback and are there any recommendations of an alternate cable from amazon, eBay etc ? Presumably it connects into aux or usb socket ?

2. is there a good mount for use in mini with iphone4 for satnav use and allow cable reach from the aux and/or USB socket?

3. Does the iPhone4 work with the USB/blutooth option to play music and/or take hands free calls?

Any help much appreciated including experiences with iphone4 use in the latest MINI Cooper

Many thanks

Twen

 

Congrats on the new car.

No there is not a substitute cable. The cable has proprietary hardware in it to make it work with the MINI for music functions. You can however charge the iPhone thru the USB with a standard USB to iPhone cable.

There are many different kinds of mounts it is all up to you where and how you want to mount it.

The phone will work with the Bluetooth for call as but there is no A2DP music functions on the MINI so no bluetooth Music with out after market adapters of some kind.

 

I've been having trouble with the Bluetooth in my 2009 Mini. The car won't recognize the phone until I go to "settings" in the iPhone 4, go to "bluetooth" and switch it off. Then I click back to the home screen. After 30 seconds or so, it recognizes the phone.

It's not terrible. But every morning, on the way to work, I have to go through this. It wasn't always this hard. Used to have no trouble.

Any ideas?

 

Seriously?? No Music?? When I go into the cd/multimedia panel it gives an option of bluetooth audio..and I can turn on bluetooth audio on the iPhone prefs...but I get no sound. There has to be a way to get it to work!

A quick side note...if you like to charge while using bluetooth audio, make sure you don't plug it in with the Mini Connected Y Cable...otherwise it will turn off bluetooth audio function.

 

OK, I got it to work. It took a little digging, but I figured it out.

(This is if you have the tech package with the screen.)

Go into CD/Multimedia, turn on bluetooth. Press right to go to bluetooth settings. Select the iPhone you want to listen from, press right to get to the settings. Select Audio option (so phone and audio are checked), go back to the main CD/Multimedia section, select external source. You will see your phone as an option. Now you can play any audio on your phone thru your speakers, and while it doesn't send any album art or anything you do get back and forward buttons.

 

Incorrect. The proprietary enables video functions, but simple music playback will work fine on a 2011 via pretty much any cable - including the white Apple cable that comes with the iPhone.

 

My Apple cable does not allow for music playback through my stereo. I need to use the AUX cord. With only the USB plugged in, the car does not even recognize it. I figured the y-cable would change that. The Apple USB does charge my device and I don't mind having both wires (USB and aux) plugged in but it would be nice to be able to control from my steering wheel.

 

Which, honestly, makes no sense that it works that way. I have the new Y cable so everything works if I plug in my iPod/iPhone....but why should you have to plug in to aux as well? I have a hard drive plugged into the USB and it works just fine.

 

Hmm. Maybe I'll try a different Apple cord and see if that works. It's possible I'm using one from an old ipod.
If a regular USB cable is supposed to work (sound and steering wheel control) what's the point of spending $100 on the y-cable? Is that mainly for video? I don't have nav or MINI connect.

 

I have nav/mini connected...but I don't really use it, because when you plug in the iPhone it disables BT audio...which I use more, and its a pain to re set-up.