I've not experienced that to speak of. The only app that really takes a bit to load is Torque Pro but that is waiting for the BT to connect. It does take 20-30 seconds to boot up when you 1st start the car. Like I say, I have been very happy with mine. Mine is a PX5 running Android 10, I forget memory etc. stats.

 

Just installed this same unit in my 09. Not the easiest job, and actually still not done lol. Anyway, a few things...

Positives:

Sounds GREAT. Like, wow, insanely better than stock. Keep in mind I have the base audio package. Will be upgrading the speakers shortly.

Screen is bright and clear.

System is pretty easy to navigate.

Connected immediately to my phone, though Car Play took a minute.

Gauges all work, as do the steering wheel controls, out of the box. Impressive.


Negatives:

This unit comes with zero instructions, and there's no manual available online that I could find. And it's not a simple job, as I said. One video from the manufacturer has you unnecessarily remove the glove box. Don't do that. Remove enough of the trim to be able to fold out the vertical center console.

If you use their DVD player (mine came with it), you have to carve up the console to make it fit. That was no simple task. Did it with as much patience as I could muster, using a Milwaukee-type Dremel tool and cutoff wheel. It's not pretty, but not terrible. I will probably buy the right console at some point. In any event, could they maybe include a template?! Did it all by eye and feel. Tried to measure, but that was pretty pointless. Basically take it down to the tabs that support the old CD plater. Would not recommend this for your average DIYer, especially doing it with the console still in the car.

The goofy little speaker... it sounds, well, goofy. Debating removing it, but it's good to have the signal clicker sound, so, not sure.

The GPS unit is probably unnecessary, since it's a Car Play unit. And regarding Car Play, it took a very long time to get it to connect, but it eventually did.

The FM antenna cable is absurdly short and nothing I could do made it any longer. That's what she said. For those curious, our connectors are a Fakra Z - type connector. Extension:
Bottom line, pretty happy so far. Great solution and upgrade for the Mini.

 

I followed a YouTube video to tear the dash apart.
The wiring is labelled didn't have any issue with plugging in

Mine came with the DVD as well but fit the console fine. You must have the other console.

YES, the blinker speaker is funky sounding. I prefer to have it so I am not driving with a blinker on all the time. Once in a while, about every other month, I get a BEEP noise while driving. No codes, no issues just a "What the hell was that" beep.

I installed the GPS puck, I turn on my hotspot on my phone and have Google maps installed on the head unit. If I ran Android Auto, I wouldn't do this. I am not a fan of Android Auto. I don't know how to make the screen look the way I want and some of the apps I use don't work in it, Torque Pro being the big one. I have a ODBII port passthrough that has a cheap ELM 327 BT device stashed up under the dash to run Torque Pro with. I also have my K+DCAN cable in the glovebox so if I need to run BimmerLink I can at anytime from the head unit. The cheap ELM doesn't work with BimmerLink and my Veepeak doesn't work with Torque Pro.

Sorry, I forgot I extended both the FM and Sirius Radio antenna cables. Used the same as you.

I also purchased a USB/AUX in port that had a normal USB A plug and AUX pin that I used a AUX to RCA adapter to plug into the head unit. Similar to this one couldn't find the one I actually used. It fit in the existing hole but wasn't quite as long as the stock plug. I have a Sirius/XM tuner plugged into the AUX as I purchased a lifetime subscription back in 2010.

I also installed a backup camera. In the Coupe, that is nice. You have very little visibility out the back.

 

Nice! Is the camera wired? Wondering if this supports a wireless camera. Seems like it would.

 

Mine is wired. I looked at some wireless which I think would work as most have a USB receiver for the camera. I will have to dig up another thread. In order to make it work I had to use a relay to power the camera. If you use just the backup light lead, the screen flickers.

 

I've recently installed a similar head unit and haven't been able to get a backup camera to work. Can you explain how your hooked up a relay for the camera?

Thanks.

 

I bought this relay

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...0&goto=newpost

You can get one about anywhere. Here is the wiring
Black to a good ground
Red to the power source (I used the hot wire off my accessory plug "cigarette lighter plug" in the trunk using a 5 amp inline fuse also)
White to the reverse light positive wire
Blue to the camera's power lead.

Basically this makes your backup light lead act like a switch, When you put it in reverse, it actuates the relay which powers on your backup camera from the accessory plugs hot wire. No more flickering.

 

Just thinking of doing this upgrade - I have a 2009 with base stereo. So this unit ( I believe I saw it is '55x4' in dash head unti ), speakers and back up cam, plus a usb port. Any links for buying the unit you trust ? That I can verify I get the right one for my options ?

 

Im thinking of doing this too, but has anyone found an alternative to the goofy sounding little speaker that plays the car warning and indicator sounds?

 

Not really that I have found. It really isn't that bad other than the turn signal indicator isn't "timed" correctly. Every now and then it does like a skip beat. If you have the stereo up that corrects the issue.

 

Do you have a link to the unit you bought ? Are these all the same units - just thru different distribution ?

Agree on stereo

 

Most have bought theirs through carnaviplayer.com

Yes they are the same unit unless older or newer with differences being chip/memory/Android version.

 

I found my mini dash in the 'green' highlights

 

A word of warning, I got my Android from AliExpress. Great price. I did have a problem not being able to get a backup camera to work with it. I tried different wiring configurations, had a back and forth with the techs at AliExpress, even different cameras, nada. Other people that I communicated with in the MiniTorque.com forum bought the same unit from them w/o that issue. After going through all the hassle of installing it, I decided to just keep it and abandon the camera idea. YMMV.

 

Just got my 8835 Android Setup from carnaviplayer.com. Basically loaded order except for getting my own backup camera. Arrived from Hong Kong to Olympia WA in 4 business days, well packed and the order is correct.

Will be installing later this week. Car is an R59 with HK. To start I'm just going to run the stock amp and make sure everything works as expected for a month or so after that I have options but I have some good equipment to choose from:
Zapco DC1100.1 850x1 @ 4 ohm + DSP
Zapco DC 1000.4 150x4 @ 4 ohm + DSP
Zapco DC752 175x2 @ 4ohm + DSP
ADS P450 4x50 @ 4 ohm Clean A/F old school
DD Audio M3b 1300x1 @ 4 ohm Clean AF high efficiency
DD T2 1" Silk Tweeters
Big LiFePo4 battery for system buffer
DD Supercharged 9512i dual 4 ohm

Depending on how the HK fronts sound after upgrading I may do the below. I'm a programmer so I might be able to do some DSP work in the head unit and clean up the front stage signaling.

Considering Buying:
JBL 4086
Kappa 603CF + 3" Kappa Mids
Kappa 6x9s

Front Stage
JBL 4086 channels 1-6 to a actively run:
Kappa 603CF + 3" midrange for front stage

Rears
JBL 4086 7/8 DSP high pass of 100hz to Bridged ADS (150x2) to using a 3khz filter to the T2s and low pass filter of 500hz to 6x9s. With level control I should be able to have invisible rear fill.
Kappa 6x9 woofers + DD T2s.

Sub:
Head unit sub out to DC1100.1 using Built in DSP
Dayton 8" Ultimax + Dayton 12" passive Radiator in 1cf box.

​​​Will report when done

 

Just to clarify: do the car warning "bongs" and such play through this unit, or do you lose those with the upgrade?

I don't mind if they sound like crap, but I want my wife to be able to hear any warnings if they come up while she's driving.

 

I like the look of these compared to the Metra conversion - which looses some of the OEM look. Specifically, would like to see how it is before installing an aftermarket amp. I do need to install an amp, I would want to go to go with one of these - and stuff behind the head unit: https://www.crutchfield.com/p_20647K...7KEY200-4.html

 

See below

 

It's in, and it sounds amazing! Truly plug and play, use the black antenna connector.

Rocking out to Metallica One atm....fsck it sounds so good, just need to a sub installed now....

Told them I have HK and wheel buttons and they pre wired the HK amp remote wire. Sound worked right away.

Murdered the stupid warning noises box, sounds like *** and the chimes it uses are garbagio.

The HK front stage is no joke when you pull out 100hz and below. It gets LOUD and clear with the bass pulled out. Hearing damage loud easily, ears are ringing still after being out of the car for 10 minutes. I see no point is replacing the stock drivers, at all.

I ran 3 RCA for FR/FL/Sub for the DSP4086 which arrives in a few days DSP will replace stock amp under driver's seat. I'll get the fronts setup for 110hz high pass to the 6.5s, then pass 110hz low pass to the 6x9s via SUB RCA for now. Mids/tweeter cross points will depend on how they sound with a better amp on them. Rear tweeters will be disabled for now.

Honestly, the 8835 + HK sounds better than probably 9/10 stock car setups (reminder, R59, smaller interior with less sound reflection than other R series). The EQ is what the stock setup desperately needs to bring out the mids and highs. Throw in a moderate sub and it will be a kick *** setup. I now have to disassemble the door panels because, the leather arm rests vibrate and make noise at high volume.

Put the provided mic on the steering column, just ahead of the speedo and phone calls are good. Voice activation via steering button and "OK Google" works great and has no issues understanding me at a normal indoor speaking voice.

Real test will be with top down, but it's raining for the next week so....

10/10 would buy again. Expectations met 100% with 1 small quirk. Wheel button left arrow radio button is next, and right button is previous. They're backwards, but I can totally live with that.

8835

 

Wanted to add separately:
R59
RPM Stage 3+ w/popcorn machine noises
Decat DP
JCW tuner kit muffler.

I can't hear the car at all, in any way with the stereo up. It's that loud now.

@gauss66 There's not enough room behind the head unit for that amp, however, there is enough room tucked up and behind the steering wheel. Just pull the beauty cover knee panel off, and the panel behind it, then you'll have full access, like 7 screws. With a little creativity a JBL 4086 could probably be hidden back there.

 

This looks good ! Very clean install

 

Was these added features during the purchase of the radio unit........

 

Will have more info later but for now, I've confirmed the the HK amp can be removed and the JBL DSP 4086 can be wired in-place of it to provide amplification for the speakers. I haven't check codes yet to see if it throws a code doing so.

The 8835 RCA outputs are low voltage, like 500mv, too low for the JBL to match stock volume level, even with the gain turned all the way up which causes a slight hiss in the system.

To get good sound it requires a line driver to boost the RCA voltage or to use high-level input for the amp.

Once I switched to high-level input I was able to turn the gains down significantly and get a lot more volume out of the system, at least as much raw volume as stock with flat head unit eq and flat amp eq.

 

Amp fits nicely in the stock location:

Amp in the floor


Head unit eq

Front mids and highs

Rear Tweeters

Front Woofers

6x9s

Best input volume results from using all 4 high level inputs. For whatever reason, the JBL amp performs better when it's using all 4 inputs. With all 4 inputs split the correct quadrants, the JBL is much louder than the HK amp.

Regardless of color, the 4 input wire pairs are easy to spot. They're the same gauge as the black remote wire (and the CAN wires which are orange/green twisted pair). The output speaker wires are larger gauge.

Try this as a baseline and adjust to taste, holy smokes is it good vs stock. 6x9s are rowdy AF for stock drivers (thanks IB). You can actually feel them kick with a good kick drum, like the intro part of One, Metallica. It punches nicely

Once it's all buttoned up and I have some free time to play with the DSP EQ I'll run a analyzer and get everything set flat, for now this is enough to drive around and enjoy loud clear music.

​​​​​

 

No. Torque Pro is a purchased app as is Agama Car Launcher. Each one was like $5 so no big deal. I like it better than the stock launcher and is customizable.