I'm having a lot of trouble getting my iPod songs to play in random order in my 2010 MINI's Nav/Audio system.

The only way I've found to play songs randomly is to enter the Entertainment menu, select AUX, select a song to play, press the joystick button, scroll down to Random and press it again. It's a lot of keystrokes. And it's buried down in the individual song menu, rather than as a setting for the iPod itself.

But the real problem is that I have to do that every time I start the car. Otherwise it just goes back to playing consecutively whenever I turn off the ignition.

Am I doing something wrong?

 

I also have a 2010 Mini Cooper S and I have gotten fairly acclimated to the entertainment system. However I dont listen to my songs on random so I cant tell you forsure.. BUT, try and play your ipod on random before you get in the car. (Have it actually playing before you plug it in) Then with the FM radio on, plug it in. Then press the input button on the radio control unit 3 times fast. (the one right next to the AM/FM switcher button) That, in theory, SHOULD have your ipod playing in random order without using your Mini's controls...

Let me know! (but next time I get in my car im gonna check)
Adam

 

I'll give it a try (if it stops snowing for a few hours). But the question is: will that be a permanent fix, or will I have to do all that every time I start the car as I do now?

 

It would be every time you get into the car. however if you leave your phone on random all the time that can be as easy as double tapping the home button and pressing play just before you plug it in. Ill hop in my car and check if it works. Give me 10 mins.

 

okay. So, that didnt work.. The reason why is because the mini overrides the shuffle setting when the ipod is plugged in.

Just so that you can see where my thinking was on that, if I want to listen to a podcast, I have to start it, then plug my iphone in. This is because theres no podcasts list on the minis onscreen ipod interface.

 

Thanks a lot of trying. I guess it just can't be done. Oddly, this is the first car I've had where I've had this problem.

 

Random has never worked on my iPhone or USB stick in my 09 if I use a playlist. It says RND is on...but if I play from a playlist it ALWAYS plays in the same order. If I switch to playing all songs from all artists, that seems to play randomly.

Oh, and Podcasts do appear on the MINI interface, they're under Genre I believe...

 

When I first put the Ipod in my 2011, any track (song) that was longer than maybe 3 minutes would cut off mid song and the Ipod would select another song. I asked around about this and a fellow in the electronics area of Sams Club suggested that it was because of the random play mode. I turned off random and it plays them all the way through now. Also on random play, it was playing some songs often and not playing the majority of the 951 songs at all. Brand new Ipod Classic, is that normal?

 

So has anybody gotten an answer on this problem? My dealer has never heard of this; so if someone can point to some solution we won't be starting from scratch. Thanks.

 

Figured out the problem was a bad adapter. The aux cable line flexible part had cracked and one of the little copper wires also snapped. I taped them up and it works again. Ordered a new one from BMW/MINI parts.

 

on my 2010 clubman with the standard boost radio, random play works on both the ipod (through the "y" cable) or the 32GB USB (which I use most of the time)....