I have had continual issues with iPods in my 2007 R56 using the factory iPod adapter and the problems differ depending upon what sort of iPod I'm using (all tested iPods are current with their firmware).

I have tried 2 different older Nanos (the tall skinny original Nano as opposed to the newer shorter/larger screen version they now sell). In both cases, the Nano will work fine for a random period of time and then it will stop responding to any attempt to control it via the joystick or steering wheel controls and then shortly after this happens, it cuts out and stops playing. It will still show it on the Mini center console, but it's totally dead. If you turn the car off and wait until the timeout for all things cached in the Mini (I think it's 15 minutes), the car will once again recognize it and it works okay until the next time it craps out. Once on a several hour car trip, I had it reattach after an hour or so, after I tried again by changing back to it from the radio. This particular behavior happens on both Nanos that I have tested. These Nanos, by the way, work flawlessly in our X3 with a DICE interface (obviously a different type of adapter, but the Nanos have never cut out in that car).

Now, with a brand new iPod Touch (also with latest firmware), this one does not cut out ever, but it frequently will get confused as to what song it is on after I restart the car. It will be reporting on the screen that it is on song X but really playing song Y. If I scroll ahead and select something, then scroll back to the song it thought it was playing and select it again, 99% of the time it will right itself and be in sync. It also will not restart a song if you press the left arrow button on the steering wheel. It will zero out the time on the song on the screen, but continue on from where it started. On a whole, this is better behavior than the Nanos we have, but still not perfect.

I took my Mini to the dealer because they said they had gotten a newly updated version of the iPod adapter in, but they refused to replace it because they could only make my Nano misbehave and not their shop iPods. I have no idea if they even attempted to swap out the adapter, even for a test, to see if it made any difference. But they won't swap something out under warranty unless they can prove it's a problem that exists with more than just the customer's iPod. I can understand their perspective, but I'm also stuck with a car that doesn't work correctly with multiple iPods. I'm sure that the iPod adapter and the car's electronics are extremely sensitive to the firmware of the iPod attached (just look at all the Bluetooth phone problems that the car has with multiple sorts of phones...I had to get rid of my Treo because of that "little" issue). But I would expect that it would work fine with the newer generation of iPods and it still has some issues, however slight.

Has anyone out there also had similar sorts of issues with their R56 and a factory adaptor? Has anyone had any problems with the newer iPod Classics with a hard drive? I'm tempted to buy one of those for the large storage capacity and don't need a fancy iPod Touch to live in the secret compartment of my car. But I'd hate to buy the thing and find that my Mini hates that one too. I can live with the iPod Touch; the Nano is totally frustrating. I suspect that dealing with these iPod adaptors and customers' iPods is a real pain in the kazoo for the dealerships. But I paid a lot of money for an iPod adaptor that doesn't work right with 3 different Nanos and my dealership is clueless as to what to do about it (except blame my iPods). I'm not sure what recourse I have here...

Thanks --

Kathy

 

Just to clarify for all that might offer suggestions - since this is a 2007 it would be the $330 glovebox iPod adapter.

 

Oops, sorry! I forgot about the fact that people now have the USB option. Yes, it is the $330 glovebox adapter.

Kathy

 

Hey Kathy,

Just a total shot in the dark, but have you tried a hard reset of the nano? Or... you could just have Pat follow nearby in the X3 with the volume up?

 

Heh heh. Yer a funny guy, Nick. Somehow I don't think Pat will go along with that!

But yeah, I did try the hard reset. Multiple times. I think the firmware on that version of Nano is just too old and there aren't any updates for them anymore. I'm really really surprised that no one else has responded with similar problems. I have a hard time believing I'm the only one with this issue.

I currently have a borrowed 80G Classic in the car right now and it works great. So last night I actually ordered one for myself. Since engraving is free online, I had it engraved "Pigwidgin's iPod". Maybe if Pigwidgin knows I'm buying this especially for him, he'll play with it nicely.

Kathy

 

I was wondering if it was having problems with a particular playlist or folder? Perhaps it has more tracks than the MINI software can handle? Have you tried it with playlists having fewer than 200 entries?

 

Hi Robin --

Actually, the Nanos I tried have way fewer than 200 entries in either a playlist or folder. And the borrowed iPod Classic I'm now using has an unbelievable amount of songs on it. So much, in fact, that I was really worried it might exceed what the car could handle. It takes awhile for it to index, but it works fine. I really am thinking it has something to do with that particular vintage of Nanos. The Classic I'm using now is a 30G iPod. I just ordered an 80G, so hoping it will perform just as well.

Kathy

 

Here's hoping! Sucks that you're solving the problem the long way around though.

 

Not that anyone cares anymore about this post I made so long ago, but I just had to come on and say that after asking multiple times to get my iPod adapter replaced under warranty to no avail, I finally gave up on one dealership and then asked once at Northwest Mini. They replaced it no problem, and now all my iPods work perfectly and no longer have any issues. Such a simple solution to such an aggravating problem, that should have been resolved long ago. I want to say a big public thank you to Northwest Mini (especially Steve and Terry) for taking me seriously and replacing the part. Needless to say, they won huge bunny points from me for having done that.

Kathy

 

Glad to hear that all your iPods are now working the way they should.

It is also great to hear that some dealers so actually listen to customers. And IMHO those that do not should have their contracts taken away. It was not going to cause the original dealer any thing as BMW/MINI payes them to take care of this. Now they have just thrown away a good customer.

 

Yes, I am a happy camper for sure and they have definitely gained me as a customer. The other dealership is filled with very nice people, but they obviously aren't as willing to go out on a limb as much as NW Mini.