It is mentioned many times here in the forums, but I have not seen anything definitive.

Has anyone replaced the OEM head unit and retained the steering wheel controls? If you have, what did you use? PAC or Axxess? How is it working? I have read that the PAC is very slow to respond to inputs. Axxess says they don't know if their adapter will work with a Mini.

For the record, I have an '04 without Nav or HK. I really want to change out the head unit to get HD radio and mp3 playback.

I like the JVC and the Pioneer that have both HD and USB and the ability to change the lighting to match the orange. I am not sure I want to give up the steering wheel controls. I have gotten too used to them.

 

You can find the correct adapter at newministuff.com

 

I took a look at the site. Found the interfaces. Don't understand how they are installed or where. How do I chose between boost and wave? What does that even mean?

I will email Mike and see what he has to say.

 

Mike will get back with you but he does get busy.
Boost and Wave are the US/Euro radio solutions. Never recall which one is which.

The wire harness for the car looks like this http://flic.kr/p/aEoViB and this http://flic.kr/p/aEsKM5. You need to get a head unit that can handle this or a interface to convert over.

Good luck.

 

All US head units are 'boost' units. I believe they were more powerful than the 'wave' option in europe.
For the plug and play options, you basically remove the connector from the OEM head unit and plug it into the adapter. Then connect the adapter to your new head unit, thus everything stays behind the head unit.

 

Guess I will take the plunge and buy one. Does it come preprogrammed? Is is it really plug and play? Anyone actually used one?

 

Once you get it, and install it, would you report back on this post? Good to hear people's first hand accounts. Mike wasn't too helpful when I asked the same question. He just replied "here" and pasted a web link to the entire line of both Boost and Wave interface kits. They do seem like a much simpler install.

 

If you search enough, you'll find posts here about them. As far as I recall, there were no complaints. No programming, just plug and play.

 

I just installed a new system in my 2004 Mini Cooper S and used the Axxess system. I had to send it back to them to get it programed with the latest firware ( vs 305 I beleive ) but it worked fine the first time. I had to press the Vol up button a few times to initially program it but it works well.

Reb

 

Got it today. There were no instructions in the box. :( I don't know the pin out of ISO to be able to connect it to the JVC wiring harness. I have emailed Mike about this.

It comes from www.connects2.com. Their site does not really have any info either.

If I would have seen Robertearl's post before I would have gotten it.

Will try to get some pics as I figure this out.

 

Ok, just got done with the stereo install. Works great! Steering wheel controls and all. So far, very happy with it.

Bought a JVC head unit from Crutchfield. I like that they send all the adapters and very clear instructions on how to get the radio out.

Bought an interface unit from NewMiniStuff.com. I need a JVC boost interface. Also bought an ISO connector set.

Once everything arrived I took a look at the wiring. At first I was confused because the interface did not come with any instructions. One email to Mike at NewMiniStuff and I was ready. The ISO connector is pretty straight forward. Match up the colors and you are good. The wire on the JVC for the steering wheel controls goes to the wire on the output of the NewMiniStuff interface unit.

Make sure you have a good T15 screwdriver or ratchet.

Follow the instructions from Crutchfield on how to get to the radio. It is very easy. The hardest part for me was the driver panel that had to be removed.

Once everything is out, start installing the new unit. There is not a lot of room to bend the DIN locking tabs. At first I bent them before I installed. That does not work. Install and then bend what you can. The ones on top were the only ones that worked for me.

Plug in the massive wiring harness. Install the radio. I pulled the wires so that they will be behind the driver panel that was removed. Seems to work well there.

Overall, probably took a bit over an hour. I bet I could do it again in half that time.

The steering wheel controls work well. The volume works great, no delay. The tuning up and down is "interesting". I have not figured out exactly what it is doing. Seems sometimes it is in manual mode and sometimes it tunes the presets. Still playing with it.

Bottom line. If you want to change out the OEM stereo with an aftermarket one and want to keep the steering wheel controls, I would recommend the interface units at NewMiniStuff.com. No programming, no mess, no fuss. Works right out of the box. I did not even have to splice into any wiring harnesses. I could remove all of this in 30 minutes and you would not know it was ever there.

 

Here is the ISO pin out for the stereo and a picture of all the cables hiding behind the driver panel.

 

I have this same head unit, and am about to send it back because the radio reception is fairly poor with lots of static. What is the boost interface?

 

The Boost part has something to do with North America. Not really sure what it means, just that the US has it.

Did you connect the power antenna wire from the radio to the same color wire on the wiring harness? I think I read that the Mini has a radio signal booster somewhere and that is what powers it or turns it on. I think it is also shown as remote turn on.

I get great reception. More channels than I knew were out there. I am very happy with that part of the radio.

 

I received mine this week. Just installed it in to my GP today. Aside from the signal wire being different on my GP - yes they are literally plug and play, come pre-programmed for your specific head unit (based on your order) and are super simple.

Don't bother with the PC or Axxess crap. I tried both and they failed. Might just be a GP thing though.

Newministuff.com FTW!

 

Hi!

I'm from Perú and here the MINI store only have the models without audio and bluetooth controls on the steering wheel. I want to know if I replace the steering wheel for another with the audio and bluetooth would it work with ok?

Thanks for the answer

 

Just bought new head unit and PAC SWI Jack for the steering wheel. Nice pic of the wires. The Pac unit says hook up their yellow wire to the steering wheel audio control wire. Where do I find it? Is it in that little white extra harness coming out of the stock unit or closer to the steering column itself?

 

I realize this thread is from 4 years ago, but it left off with a request for a picture of the wire behind the steering wheel. This is the wire you need to hook up to the SWI-RC interface so you can keep the use of the steering wheel controls with your new aftermarket radio.

In this case, I used PAC's SWI-RC interface with a new JVC head unit. I had a hell of a time figuring this out and there doesn't seem to be any photos of this wire online, so hopefully this will eliminate some frustration for the group out there.

You are looking for the white/red wire with yellow dots that is coming out of the white wiring harness located on the inside bottom of your steering column. This connects to the YELLOW wire you your SWI-RC interface.

Let me know if you have any questions on this one.

 

Thanks for posting the photos.

I bought a SWI-RC too, but after reading the instruction I was rather discouraged that I have to go hunt for this wire at the steering column. I was just not motivated. I bought one from Newministuff in the hay days of gen 1 minute and that worked great and simple. No programming and just tap into the radio harness. Alas that worked for the Sony unit I long since obsoleted. I don't feel like paying an arm for shipping from UK for one again for my current Alpine HU.

If I understand the instruction correctly, you have to sever this white/red with yellow dot wire (from the Mini bus) and connect the yellow wire of the SWI-RC to it. This is done so the module can learn the audio commands and not to be confused with other traffics on the bus.

There are reports that the adapter can forget what it learned. Have you experience that?

 

I always like to read further into something. If the purpose of severing this wire from the Mini CAN (or whatever) bus is to facility SWI-RC to learn the commands, I would think I should be able to restore the severed connection once it has learned, so all the connections are done at the factory HU audio connector.

Of course if this thing has dementia the idea goes into the toilet.

 

Actually it's only been a few days - so thankfully, I haven't experienced any issues with the adapter "forgetting" the programming. I'll definitely report back if I do.

I agree that the instructions are intimidating. Very intimidating. However, once you know what wire it is, it's actually not that bad. Unscrew the two screws at the bottom of the steering column, pop the plastic shroud off, and it's visible - fairly easy to get to.

 

I think I get what you're saying - yes, you do program it (it took me a few tries to get it right, but it was my fault). To clarify: the signal from the buttons on the wheel goes through the red/white/yellow wire to the SWI-RC and then, there's a wire from the SWI-RC that goes to a special input on the back of the new head unit that is separate from the main wiring harness behind the radio. If you sever that red/white/yellow wire connection behind the steering wheel once it has learned, the SWI-RC will not receive a signal when you press any audio buttons on the steering wheel.

Crossing my fingers that my particular SWI-RC does not get dementia.

 

The two wires that you connect the SWI-RC to the stock HU connector are power and ground. The red/white with yellow dot is the command bus from the MFSW audio control. It joins into a multi-function multiplexed bus which includes other functionality. Unlike the Newministuff module that comes purpose-design for the Mini's MFSW it need to learn in a "clean" environment. This is why you have to sever this wire from the bus so the SWI-RC can learn in the absence of other data payload that we have no control of. Thus is the price of cheaper general purpose MFSW like SWI-RC.

Your photos help me as I didn't care to dive into the foot well to find a specific wire to cut and splice into. Hell, I might just break up an oscilloscope to see what stuffs are on the bus.

The rain forest rain has stop for a few days here in the soggy PNW before it returns with a vengeance.

 

It just dawned on me that the standard issued Wave HU in Gen 1 Mini is made by Alps, which Alpine is a division of the company. I wonder what is the odd that the bus just work for aftermarket Alpine HUs. An electronics class experiment, anyone?

 

For what's worth, here is an update of my failure.

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours trying to outsmart the SWI-RC. I broke out an oscilloscope to monitor the audio control CAN bus. I want to avoid having to get to the steering column and sever the wht/red/yel wire, as the SWI-RC instructs you to. I was able to see there are a furry of traffic upon the first switch to ACC position of the key. But if I wait long enough the traffic stops. Then only the pushing of the MFSW buttons triggers the command as it should.

My plan was to see if I can get the SWI-RC to learn, and hope it can deal with the Mini CAN bus at the HU connector. Unfortunately the the rigid timings on how you have to initiate the learning process, I was unsuccessful.

I am still not keen on dropping the lower steering cover to access that wire. While I failed, what didn't kill me made me stronger.