Where is the MOST diagnostic port on a 2009 R56 JCW?

I'm trying to update my dad's car and can't find the diagnostics port or how to get to it. ISTA tells me it's behind the A-Pillar trim in the passenger's footwell but I don't see anything there other than a MOST loop block, but those connectors don't fit into the ICOM head.

Any someone has pictures of it's location and instructions on getting to it, it would be much appreciated.

 

The standard OBD serial port is located underneath the steering wheel, just past the knee / sound pad panel and offset from the hood release.
It's typically covered with a protective cap that removes to access the trapezoid shaped OBD port.

- Erik

 

I was looking for the fibre optic port for programming. We finally found it in the passenger footwell above the fuse box.

 

Hey, could you post a photo please of the plug and approximate location, I've been looking helplessly on my racecar build to program things.
Thanks

 

Hi
Do i need to remove something above the fuse box?
I cant find it? Would you please post a picture? is it the same i guess for the R56>?
thanks!!!

edit: here is a picture of my R56 and i cant see anything just those purple fiber optic at the bottom, but they are attached to the fuse box.

 

Check out the two red circles, those are your MOST cables. If you follow the cable in the bottom red circle, it'll goto a MOST coupler that's attached to a plastic holder. Unclip the coupler from the holder and detach the MOST cable connected to either side of the coupler.

Once detached, you put both the two halves side by side and it'll form a whole MOST diagnostic connector which you connect to the ICOM B. Once done, you put everything back together.

It's VERY tight to work back there, although the R56 does have a bit more room than my mother's Countryman (I hate getting the MOST connector out on that car) because of the way that the panels are designed.

You could technically remove the entire plastic panel on that side to get the connector more easily, but that could a little time consuming.

It's very similar to the MOST connector on the BMW E70 (X5).

 

Update!

I looked at the picture a little closer, the connector is actually exposed in your picture.

Check out the connector in the red circle, that should unclip from the plastic holder holding it to the body of the car. Disconnect the MOST cable from either side and combine them to plug into your ICOM B.

 

Hi
just connected the most ring (as explained before) but somehow ISTA P and the most adapter (ICOM) doesnt show up the light as connected? And only one of the fiber optic has a red light (is that ok?).
please let me know what else to check, i put both of the fiber optic together, and they fit inside the MOST (ICOM B) interface very tight (meaning as in well connected but i can be wrong).
thanks

 

If I remember correctly (I only get to mess with Mini's at my parents house and they are 200 miles away). Only one light should be shown, because you are breaking the MOST loop at that point.

If you connect your ICOM B to the ICOM A via USB, even without connecting the MOST loop to it does the ICOM B power up and light up?

 

hi
this is what i did:
1. Connected ICOM B to ICOM A via USB: System led on ICOM B light up.
2. removed MOST ring (it becomes 2 fo cables), put them together and inserted to ICOM B until it click. Still NO MOST led light up.
3. Connected ICOM A to OBD2 port on R56.
4. Start software, run ISTA P, and it mentions that i am not connected to a MOST port.

So i dont know what im missing.
thanks

 

Do you have another vehicle to test against? Another Mini or BMW? I would rule out faulty equipment (faulty ICOM A/B or ISID) first. Otherwise, you may have some issues with the vehicle itself.

Any missing modules? Anything on the MOST bus been unplugged or removed?

 

I've searched today also for the MOST connector, didn't find it. So this helped a lot! Thanks!

 

am having the same problem any fix to this problem? when am on icom ista P it tells me am not connected to a most port either but its hooked up. totally lost right now first time dealing with this most port

 

I helped a lot for me also.
I'm using autologic, and i even did pay minitech, and they do not explain like you do.
Thanks
Serge

 

Pardon me for asking, but what programming requires using the MOST connection instead of just using the OBD?

 

Anything on the optical bus, like the Navigation System if you have it, TCU/MULF, etc. Some of those control units only reside on the MOST bus and are not accessible via the OBD port. Also the OBD port is too slow to update those modules (Navigation system over OBD would literally take 8-10 hours and probably crash several times).

 

Ah, good point, a slow bus speed would certainly be a hassle for uploading Navigation data to the car.

 

Not so much the Navigation data (that's done with a USB stick and the USB port in the Glovebox on the newer Minis, older Minis just replace a DVD in the DVD slot on the front of the radio) but primarily the Navigation firmware (the core software). It's several hundred megabytes in size and takes forever to transfer over OBD (115.2kbps max speed) where MOST is I think 25mbit (around ~2 MB/s) transfer rate.

 

Is there a X14280 / X14255 Fiber Junction box in the 2010 Mini R56? Like the one used in the BMW for the 'Sirius Satellite Retrofit' ( Instruction P/N 01 29 0 434 197)? If so where do I find it? I am trying to trace down the Fiber cables to make sure the active ones are available under the passenger seat to install the Sirius Module.
Thanks to above I found the MOST Dignostic port, but I'm looking for the place to swap fiber cables to open the loop to include the Fiber cables under the Passenger seat.

THe MULF2 High Basis SVS is under the Drivers seat Each Fiber cable there is the Input is KUPPLING CO-WESCHLER/TELFON TCU and the second is TELEFON TCU / LWL-IN-LINE VB with an additional, capped unused fiber cable that goes to the trunk CD fiber port (unused) and the other side of the CD port goes to the SDARS under the passenger seat, but the 2nd cable under there is labeled LIG OFFEN / 8FO 00867 (LIG = Lightguide / OFFEN = Open), so I am guessing this is the one that goes to the junction box??
Just where do I look for it?
These are all green fiber cables.
I know the radio has 2 on it as well, but did not note the labeling or trace them out.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

This has been a long time project..
Roger

 

After tracing the remaining wires, I have documented the Fiber cable labeling.
It looks like to extend the loop, you make the cable swap at the MOST Ring connectors.( I made a drawing correction, I had the MOST Ring direction incorrect )

You just need to remove KUPPLUNG C-WECHSLER / TELEFON TCU / 8F0 00 999 at each end (under the driver seat MULF2 connector and passenger kick panel MOST connection), add in the spare Green Fiber under the driver seat to the TELEFON MULF2 MOST Fiber connector and connect LIG OFFEN / 8F0 00 867 at the MOST Ring (inplace of the one with the Green Tape).
Finally after adding the SDARS under the passenger seat, Connect a MOST Jumper on the white connector (for the CD Changer or IBOC module) if you dont have anything connected there.




Or you could put the SDARS in the right side of the trunk panel, You still remove TELEFON TCU / LWL-IN-LINE VB / 8F0 00 999 at each end (under the driver seat MULF2 connector and passenger kick panel MOST connection), and add in the spare Green Fiber under the driver seat to the TELEFON MULF2 MOST Fiber connector which comes from the White IBOC/CD Most connector, disconnect the other cable, SAT-RADIO IBOC-TUNER / 8F0 00 623 to bypass the connector under the passenger seat, and connect the spare Yellow fiber cable LIG OFFEN /IBOC / 8F0 863 and connect the other end to the MOST Ring connection in place of the cable with the Green tape (KUPPLUNG C-WECHSLER / TELEFON TCU / 8F0 00 999). There is another antenna connection in the right trunk panel, which you can use for the SDARS satellite module.

I am going to do the first option, since I have already mounted the SDARS under the passenger seat, and i have the MOST jumper installed.
Then I will need to do the coding for the SDARS.