Thanks for the responce, but unlike the case with the rear fog I don't really want the overhead switch to do anything other then "be there". I was thinking that if it were as easy to add as the lower one I might do it merely to have two complete sets. That is why I said it might be considered "over kill", but what the heck. Us Mini owners are suppose to be strange.

Do you know if it is east to add?

Jim

 

I don't think he is looking for a functionally working switch. Just aesthetically wants to fill the missing switch position -- note he said he didn't have a sunroof.

The answer is yes, a switch could be put up there to fill the hole.

If you decide to do it, PM me and I can email you instructions from the electronic service manual.

 

Did that this afternoon to my Clubman and will try tomorrow to see any difference. I also notice something...I have an E90 330i and I took off that sunroof switch penal and find out why the bluetooth sound much better in that car (not only because it's quieter). I found 2 mics on each side of grille slots, that is why it sound more clear...from both side inside the car. I guess that's why BMW is more $$ then MINI

 

MINI drivers are having to much fun driving to be yacking on the phone. So, why waste the money on a mic?

Besides, driving while phoning is driving drunk.

 

Just replaced mine in five minutes sitting outside my friends house.

Used a credit card to pop off the panel cover, easy as pie.

I actually didn't even end up disconnecting the mike from the wire. It's small enough to feed the entire microphone through the top to the other side if you're careful.

One important note though, as mentioned in earlier posts, is that the microphone snaps back in backwards on the other side.
I spent a bit of time wondering why it wouldn't fit the other way until I remembered reading about that.

Excellent information from this post though! People noticed the difference in sound quality immediately!

 

Thank you!!! Not only did it make communication better, I fixed a REALLY annoying rattle in the process!

Bump for an awesome 5 min fix!

 

Man, how could I make something so simple so complicated??

Pulled the cover down after prying with a credit card. Fine. From there, everything went to hell!

Had a HELLUVA time prying the mic out of its holder. Finally had to use a small flat-blade screwdriver and got the bugger out. Then I had an even worse time getting the connector out of the mic. Absolutely, positively would NOT come out by hand, no matter how patient I was. Finally started in very gently with a pair of needlenose, rocking it slightly. The damn connector started to come apart! I FINALLY got it out with only cosmetic damage to the connector. Then I determined that the wire wasn't long enough to fish through to the other side, and I don't have any torx driver to pull the base piece down, so with mission failed, I attempted to replace the mic into the cover in the original position, and just could NOT get it to snap back into place.. it was as if it was too big for the thing. After about 10 minutes of fiddling I managed to get it back in. SHEESH!!! And I accomplished nothing for all of my frustration.

Someday I'll have torx in hand and do it over again, but right now I'd rather just MOTOR!

 

If you have OEM tools in the rear of the car (jack, tire wrench etc.) there should be torx driver insert for the screw driver handle. Unless of course they decided to drop the tools for cost reasons. If there is a torx bit there one side should fit the screws that need removing for the project.

 

I hear you on the mic. For me, it was jammed in there real tight. Once I got it free, I pushed the mic back up in through the hole in the roof, routed it to the other hole on the left side, pulled it down, reconnected, and I was good to go. In other words, I did not need to use a torx to take anything down. All I needed to take down was the plastic cover the mic is attached to. If you have fat fingers, this may be more difficult, and following the video's instructions would work better. Good luck!

 

In some cars the wiring harness is tied up tight above the headliner and the inner piece needs to be removed and the wiring harness cover removed a little to make the wire long enough to reach to the other side.

 

thanks to this post, i have moved mine too...ppl say they can hear me better but i still kinda have to yell when i'm on freeway...

 

I find it also helps to not have he climate control blowing out of the top vent.

 

I recently got my Clubman and was looking forward to this very helpful thread assisting me when or if I had to move my bluetooth to the driver side. So thanks in advance to all those for the info/ advice/videos/pics etc... This is a great community!!

Happily it's info i won't be needing after all.

Just for the record, my microphone is on the right passenger side and none of my callers using bluetooth have reported that I sound far away or bad at all. In fact every caller was surprised to hear that I was on the car speaker/bluetooth system and said i sounded like I was talking through the cell phone itself. No complaints at any speed.

I am using a Palm Pre for the record. I have also been able to use my contacts list as well through bluetooth on the stereo so that is pretty cool!

Just an observation, I have noticed a tremendous dif in the bluetooth call quality with various cell phones and also various bluetooth ear pieces as well over the years. Some are great and some not so much when it comes to bluetooth quality and price doesn't always seem to matter. Sometimes my cheaper phones or ear pieces have been better than much more expensive models. Not always though. Software seems to make a dif as well.

I wonder if the bluetooth unit now being used in the 2010 models is the same as in past years? I wonder if some phones just plain work better? Are folks still having bluetooth issues with 2010 models?

Any way, this is a just for the record post. Thanks again for all the hard work here.

 

This has been my experience as well.

People don't realise I'm using the handsfree mode in the car.

For the record, I'm using a iPhone 3GS in my 2010 Clubman Cooper S.

 

My better-half's 2010 Cooper was terrible. She had to lean forward and to the right, and yell for me to hear her at all when she'd use her Bluetooth feature. She finally gave up and disabled the Bluetooth on her phone, and called used it "the old fashioned way".

I went and did the mod to her MINI -- five minutes, and the only tool required was a small screwdriver to pop the plug off the mic. She just called me from the highway, and the sound quality is MUCH better. Still quite a bit of background noise at highway speeds, but no more leaning and yelling.

A big thanks to the OP and other contributors.

 

I don't understand how moving the microphone can make much difference. Try this - sit in the driver's seat, face straight ahead, and look over to the 2 microphone locations. Then guesstimate the difference in distance from your mouth. It's MINIscule.

 

There is an inverse square rule when it comes to sound. Cut the distance from the source in half, and the sound level received is increased by four times. You don't have to make much of a distance change to get a big result. And the closer the mic is to the speaker, the more background noise that is eliminated.

 

not to mention the fact that there's a little bulge that obscures the path between your mouth and the mic when it's on the passenger side. I did this mod and people I call from the car have noticed a substantial increase in cloud quality.

 

Somebody could make a great accessory that would really improve voice quality by installing a swing down boom of some sort that would put a microphone directly in front of the driver's mouth.

 

I really should have done it then, although when I put the V1 power cylinder thing in there, I should have planned some padding; I think I hear it rattle a tiny bit sometimes.

Why would the MIC be there? They know very well these cars are built for the US; odd. I was wondering if maybe they planned it that way, but OTOH I agree I keep repeating sentences over and over to people.

 

BTW, if it wasn't obvious, people should try calling yourself and recording a voicemail:
before/after mode
of yourself talking at a normal voice
with AC/Fan going, and without
and a few different speeds

 

I did it in less than five minutes waiting in my car for some takeout from a local Pho place.

 

What about the microphone on the steering column of the 2010? Any way to adjust that to be closer to me?

 

I have a 2010 MCCS and the mic is up by the mirror where everyone else's is.

 

Don't worry, I think bcatquail is confused.