I can confirm (as I just did it) that the BMW CD53 R50 ALPINE CD/FM/AM PLAYER (found in the new MINI's) does not have a code. Additionally, the only thing you can access from the MODE button is to turn the RDS and PTY functions from ON to OFF or OFF to ON. It is truly a plug and play unit. Take the radio out and replace it with another one (CD53 R50) and it will automatically adjust with no codes or adjustments required.

 

I believe the same is also true of the Siemens version, found the GP and later first-gen cars.

 

I can confirm that. I've had three different HUs (1 '04, 2 '05-0) plugged into my car. All worked without issue.

 

I went and checked on my friends MINI, which still has the factory radio (an "almost 2005" MINI) ...

Turn on the radio. Immediately press the "M" button and keep it pressed.
After about 10 seconds, the display will change to show "SN" and a number - the serial number of the unit.
The right hand "configurable" buttons will be labelled + and -; press one to step through each service mode item ... you'll see things like SV (version), RI, GAL, signal strength display, etc.
Eventually you'll see it display "SEC K-BUS".
You can use the <- and -> buttons to toggle between this and "SEC CODE".

If you set it to "SEC CODE", then make certain that you have the four digit radio code!
When power is removed / re-applied to the unit, it will ask for the four digit code to be entered, before it will work. This would allow it to work in a non-MINI, with no bus ...
NOTE: The normal "SEC K-BUS" mode implements security by detecting the bus communications that occur in the MINI. That's how most owners would want it to be!

 

Ian, how do you come up with this stuff??!

This would be a solution for the problem COOPSTR posted here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=120929

 

Ian:

I think the key in your answer is that the MINI you checked is an "almost 2005". I have two units, the one I bought (05') and the one that is in my O6'. I just tried your instructions and each of the unitis, and the other displays came up. But when it got to what I would guess would be to SEC-K-BUS, it just shows a string of boxes. I suspect that the newer units have been changed, so as not to allow me to select CES CODE. When I called the dealer yesterday and gave him the serial number, he confirmed that the number was valid and then told me that there is no CODE # associated with the unit! I will gladly give you the serial # if it can be of use in this quest!

Thanks to you and rkw,

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...m/DSCN3296.JPG

GBMINI and rkw:


Hope this works...I took a picture of the unit with what I think is the SEC-K-Bus screen on.

 

Yes - that's one of the service displays ... the display test mode I'd guess
The "SEC" screen is later than that one.
You can keep going round and round by pressing the same +/- button - you'll know when you get back to the start because the "SN" serial number will be shown again.

Possibly they have changed it now. My GP has a Alpine HU so I can't check on that car. But anyway, if you can't locate the four digit code then the ability to select "SEC CODE" would not be much use to you!

My '03 HU in GBMINI#2 definitely had it - I used to use that HU on my work bench regularly, by entering the CODE.

Sorry I wasn't able to help you more.

 

Ian:

Does the 03' have the same capabilities.... display the artist and name of the song? If so I can get my hands on one of those and avoid the problems...hopefully!!!! I received a suggestion from mike@newministuff.co.uk saying:
"You could add an icelink to it for ipod as this will supply an ibus signal"
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Roy

 

I checked an '07 head unit when I was at MINI of Peabody today. It definitely does NOT have the "SEC" mode in it - it's also the redesigned layout where the "M" button is towards the right of the head unit. So clearly they did make a change.

Unfortunately I don't think the '03 is capable of displaying artist/song info. Long ago, David Broome showed that it could be done but I believe the Dension product didn't support pre-'05s ... maybe the newer products from EAS do now?

As for Mike's comment ... interesting.
I actually plan to connect my GPMINI head unit up on a bench, and see what it does. I know what iBus messages get sent and I planned to see if a simple message sequence would clear the security lock. Sadly I'm home suffering from sniffles(!) just now, but I will get to it ... unless you can't wait

 

Only headunits built from around mid-2005 (don't remember the exact month) have capability to display text -- and only from an external accessory (for example, DICE iPod adapter). Even when playing an MP3 CD, the headunit itself will display only track number, not artist/title.

 

GBMINI:

Let me know if it works.....

Thanks

 

Wasn't able to test much today. Unfortunately I don't seem to have some of the bus communication info I used to have.

But I did find that the HU initially said "DISABLED" when connected - and sending a single valid bus message apparently was sufficient to persuade it that it was connected to a MINI!
[in case it's significant, I sent it one of the MFSW button press codes]


So it's probably possible to get some electronic gadget that sends a message to get the HU running without needing a complete MINI - and it looks like Mikey might be correct that the ICElink would work, since it's likely to send bus messages to the HU ...

 

Ian, I thought that all the GP's had the HU with the large flat volume ****? If you have that radio, it is a Siemens VDO radio capable of TMC (here in Europe). For the USA folks, I think that the GP was the only MINI that got this radio. I swapped my Alpine boost out (small tall vol ****) for this radio so that I could get TMC reports on my NAV here in Germany. Works like a champ!

 

My September 2006 build, US-delivered 2006 MINI has the Siemens flat-**** "Euro Boost" radio as well. I think sometime in mid-to-late 2006, MINI started using it for all of the cars.

I'm also assuming that all of the 2007 cabrios use it as well, but I've never had the opportunity to check.

 

It is nice because it has the tuner and decoder in it for TMC. I sold my Alpine unit to get one for use here in Germany.

 

Honestly, I didn't know anything about the different versions of the Boost radio until I noticed that my car and my wife's car had different head units. Both cars are 2006 MCS convertibles with the H/K system. The only difference is that hers was a May '06 build and mine was a September '06 build. It wasn't until I saw JimRay's GP that I realized the GPs had the "Euro Boost" radios as well.

 

When I first got the MINI I found out that they had TMC in Germany and wanted to know how I could get it. Well, most of the techs that I spoke to had no clue as to why it wouldn't work after the NAV was recoded to European mode. That was when I started to notice the different HU and started asking questions here and on other forums (MINI2.info). I found out that the Siemens VDO unit had the decoder I needed to pull the information from the airwaves. I swapped it out and it worked like a champ. Other than that, I don't think there is a difference in power or anything else for that matter. Just a different vendor.

 

GBMINI

IAN:

What did you use to send the signal? Which wire (pin #9 - white/red/wellow)? What code? How do I duplicate it?

But I did find that the HU initially said "DISABLED" when connected - and sending a single valid bus message apparently was sufficient to persuade it that it was connected to a MINI!
[in case it's significant, I sent it one of the MFSW button press codes]

 

I have a serial-to-iBus interface and a PC program, see the HackTheiBus forum or this weblog entry for more:
http://www.gbmini.net/wp/2003/08/hacking_the_mini_ibus/


A circuit very similar to my HKenabler would be useful to you - just different programming. And yes, the iBus is pin 9.

 

Any suggestions as to who I could get to make the circuit and approx. cost?

 

Hmmm ...

Well I'm no longer a vendor on NAM, so I think I'm banned from "advertising".

 

If anyone's interested in the results of COOPSTR's work ...
http://www.gbmini.net/wp/2007/12/min...eo_in_porsche/

 

Cool!

 

Thanks for the input on the disable message, pressing the "M" didn't work. Any other ideas? 02 mini