What does "disabled" mean on the radio?
 

I turn the power on and the word "disabled" displays. How can I get past this message and input the code?

Thanks.

Helder

Did you lose power to the radio... sounds like an anti-theft message

It means you have to take it to the dealer to have the security lock turned off.

Dealer is the only option?
 

There is no other way but the dealer? I bought the car with the radio like this. I suspect the power was off for a while.

Oh well, one more thing for the dealer to do.

TNX

H

Ther emay be a card in the owners manual stuff that has the code on it. I seem to vaguely remember somethign like that from delivery. I guess I should go check mine.

I have the code
 

Problem is that I can't input it. Seems the radio is "disabled". In other words, I don't get the "code" message in order to input the code.

H

The code is only good for a few attempts, then...see my first reply.

That's what I figured!
 

Thanks! It's on it's way to the dealer for this and a couple of other BC1 related gremlins.

Regards

Helder

Have to wait until the 15th of August
 

Mine of Mt. View, CA is so busy that one has to wait forever to get an appointment. Really sucks!

Is there no other way to overide this "Disable" code on the radio? Really sucks not having tunes until the 15th. The other "gremlins" I can live with.

TNX

Helder

No, it's has something to do with the anti-theft features of the radio.

What causes this to happen? I've had the battery cable pulled many times on my MCS's and I've never had to unlock the radio. My previous VW and Audi cars would lock the radio every time the battery cable was pulled.

MINI radios have two security 'locks', one is 'code', which requires the proper code to be entered to unlock it, and 'k-bus' which locks the radio to a code stored within the ECU/BCM computers (in other words, it locks it to a particular car; moving it to another will 'disable' it and the 'code' code would need to be entered to unlock it).

The dealer should be able to unlock the radio with no problems.

Thanks for the explanation!
 

I guess I'll just have to wait until the 15th. I bought the car like this form a 3rd party so I'm not sure what caused it but someone indicated that a lot of erroneous "code" inputs might have caused it.

Regards

Helder

The better question might be what did they do to cause them to be prompted to input that code... As several people have mentioned they've disconnected their batteries on multiple occasions and never been prompted to input the code. I've disconnected the battery a few times in both an '03 Cooper and an '05 Cooper S and never been prompted for the code. I'm positive Greatbear (aka Mr Wizard of DIY MINI mechanics, hmm maybe I should change his user title :sly::razz::grin:) has disconnected his battery significantly more times than I have....

In addition the code that the owner can enter to unlock the radio should have been provided with the car (probably in the book) so why were they having problems entering it, especially to the point of completely locking it out?:confused:

Don't know the answers!
 

I bough the car "as is" from someone who clearly didn't take good care of it and the car has several "gremelins" due to water in the BC1 which right now cause:

1-Passenger window not to open
2-Sunroof not to open (actualy works after you reconnect the battery and then stops working due to a stored code).
3-left side front/rear blinker not working
4-radio not working

First three all run through the BC1 thus I suspect that will have to be replaced but the radio is a mistery to me and I do have the code for it but I can't enter it since the "disable" mesage won't allow any action/input into the radio.

On the 15th I'll find out.

Regards

Helder

Maybe they had an aftermarket radio in there that they removed for the sale. Once they put the stock head unit in, all the capacitors had totally discharged over the months on the shelf, making the radio ask for the code, which they had long forgotten about.

Bumping this thread back to the top -- I just recently started having my own bout of "electrical gremlins" attack my 2003 MINI Cooper S. Door locks functioning oddly, fog lights working intermittently, and today she just completely came unhinged: the HVAC is no longer working and the H/K stereo wasn't responding to the controls on the steering wheel (although I could change channels and work the CD player). I thought perhaps the battery was at fault (original OEM battery in a 5-year-old car with 69k miles) so I had that changed this morning.

Of course I do some research and it sounds like my BC1 unit is corroded. Great. Well, I'll tackle that next week but in the meantime my H/K head until is displaying "- DISABLE -". My suspicion is that either the battery swap or my dying BC1 triggered the anti-theft guards on the head unit, and that now replacing the BC1 by itself is not necessarily going to unlock the stereo.

So, question: is there no way to re-enable the head unit other than to "take it to the dealer"??

Radio Code
 

I HAVE MINI COOPER 2002 WHEN RADIO PUT ON MESSAGE COMING DISABLE AND I DO NOT KNOW THE CODE OF RADIO, WHAT THIS MEANS AND HOW TO SOLVE THE ISSUE

...
 

Same problem. Is there anyway for this to be fixed?
Or it's a must go to deal for the cure?

For me after a mini tech checked everything out, it was the CD changer I had added (mini, bought from a person used) that caused the code. Once unplugged all was well.

There are many things that need to be checked according to the mini troubleshoot guide, even the SRS system. He used the VIN to check my cars features and of course it wasn't listed there.

Check all of your connections for a loose one. The MINI does not use codes, the radio registers itself on the BUS.

The radio shows DISABLED when the power is on but the iBus is not active. The radio unlocks on receipt of any iBus message, of which there are thousands during the chatter between modules. The iBus idles at 12V.

The CDC installation for HRM had obviously disabled the normal operation of the iBus somehow, possibly a faulty unit, possibly a damaged wire during installation.

If the mini is similar to the E46, other symptoms of a fault on iBus might be a loss of some dash instruments, including the turn signal indicators and cluster illumination.

In the case of a radio-only fault, try reseating the 40 way connector on the back of the radio.

Hi guys...
right I have a similar problem but on my 2002 mini cooper where my odometer is it's just says code nothing eles shows no mileage nothing could it be a fuse or isit because I have a after market stereo
any help appreciated.
thanks :)