Hello all, I finally registered to this site!!! Ive been reading posts about 2 mos now and you all have been a godsend. I bought my first mini 2 mos ago, wanted one for 5 yrs. Anyway, my question has to do with the Nav. I took the mini to the dealership in Winston and they told me that my nav system was the old cd version. (mini is an 03) They said Id have to buy the cd set if I wanted maps of the midwest. Thank God they didnt have them in stock as I drove on to Iowa, I had maps the entire way. Could someone please explain this to me? Also, my system didnt tell me about resturants or any info at all. I dont understand this. I love the Nav system but id like other info too.
Thankyou for helping to explain this to me.

 

Unfortunetly it sounds like you have an MK3 in your car which is only CD based. Because of this, there is a limit to the amount of data that can be stored on the CD thus leaving you with primarily roads. On the newer models it is an MK4 which is DVD based. This allowed BMW to include a Falk guide with restrauants and such. I believe they started with the MK4 in MINI around late 04.

 

Thankyou for answering but i still dont understand and perhaps you would clarify for me.. the dealer told me i couldnt use my nav after i left nc as i had a cd system and would need the other cds, yet mine worked.
I appreciate your patience.

 

I believe there are 7 CDs (aka 'regions') with the Mk3 system. Don't know what States are in what regions though. If you eject the CD (accessed under the rear of the passenger seat) the CD should tell you which region you have.
As daflake said, there are 'base maps' included for the nation. I've yet to discover how much detail the 'base maps' have. Did you try using the POI information on your trip? I'd assume the POI info would not exist outside of your region.

The DVD version began with model year '04.

 

I dont know what POI is, but outside of my region it directed me wonderfully. It never did tell me to put in a new cd

 

POI - Point Of Interest - shows restaurants, hotels, etc.
You can test it by doing a search in Iowa for a hotel or similar.
I haven't seen any reports of how much detail is in the 'base map'.

If you go into the Settings option, the software version is in the upper right 3-X/XX means it's a CD version, 4-X/XX means DVD.

Here is the breakdown from Navteq. FWIW, looks like they are selling the entire US for $149, a relatively good deal.

http://www.navteq.com/ProductFinder?...stem=18%2F1@CD


1.Map 2: Northwest / Southwest U.S.
This map CD includes the entire states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and 2 counties in Texas (El Paso and Hudspeth).
CD$ 129[Buy]
2.Map 3: North Central U.S.
This Map CD includes the entire states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and parts of Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.
CD$ 129[Buy]
3.Map 4: South Central U.S.
This Map CD includes the entire states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and parts of Tennessee and Texas.
CD$ 129[Buy]
4.Map 5: Midwest and Ohio Valley
This Map CD includes the entire states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and parts of Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
CD$ 129[Buy]
5.Map 6: New England and Mid-Atlantic
This Map CD includes the entire states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C. and parts of Maryland, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.
CD$ 129[Buy]
6.Map 7: South East U.S.
This Map CD includes the entire states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of North Carolina.
CD$ 129[Buy]
7.Map 8: Canada
This Map CD includes full coverage of Canada.
CD$ 129[Buy]

 

It won't ever tell you to put in a new CD... However once you get off the Interstate and US Highway system you'll find that coverage is quite lacking...

You're going to have problems getting the car to route you to many addresses and many smaller towns in Iowa.

In addition when you try and lookup varous businesses (gas stations, malls, banks etc...) the information for where you are will be dated at best, and completely missing at worst... That is until you return to the area that the CD covers, then you'll just be dealing with dated info...

It is within your best interest to purchase the CDs that cover the regions that you drive to... Don't plan on heading to the Pacific Northwest anytime soon, then don't worry about a disk that covers that region for now... etc

 

You guys are the best!!! Now I understand. Thankyou so much.

 

Good info, thanks ,as I have the 2003 Nav and it can't find most roads! I ordered the $149 set ,hope that helps. I'm having a hard time with thier price structure, $129 times 8 or $149 for all? Thats better than a deal

 

That's not necessarily true. I had an April '03 build MCS with DVD nav.

 

Willing to bet it was a late model 03... That is when they started to appear.

 

Willing to bet it was a late model 03... That is when they started to appear.

 

First DVD Navs went into mid-March build '03s with delivery's in Feb...

 

Our car is a 2003 ,so how do I know? DVD or CD? The Nav unit # is SW3-1/63. I ordered CD's

 

First, was the car built? Check the tag on the drivers side door, you should be able to find the build date there. That will be your first help. If your build date is post March 03 then you have a DVD Nav.

If your build date is prior to Feb 03, you have a CD Nav.

Take a look at the nav unit itself as well... I believe on the drive you'll also find either the CD or DVD logo, which would tell you which you have.

Now don't be concerned if you have a DVD nav and ordered CDs, they'll still work. You'll still have to swap out CDs when you leave the area covered by the CD but other than that you won't have any issues. While the DVD Navs start showing up until late March early April, they were all delivered with the nav data on CD not DVD...

Wow, in looking at the post you quoted there, I made absolutely no sense! That would have been quite a feat to build cars in March and deliver them in February!

 

Hi, Thanks, I just recieved the CD's today,nice little leatherette pack. Navteq .
Now don't be concerned if you have a DVD nav and ordered CDs, they'll still work. You'll still have to swap out CDs when you leave the area covered by the CD but other than that you won't have any issues. While the DVD Navs start showing up until late March early April, they were all delivered with the nav data on CD not DVD...
:impatientBoy that is confusing ,why would they have a DVD system and use CD's? Was there a DVD I should have ordered?
I can't look at our car at the moment ,my wife has it .

 

The MINI DVD systems were VERY delayed. Dealers were expecting them in November '02 builds and at least one was surprised when Jan '03 builds didn't have them either... (I know, I was promised one with a Jan '03 build Cooper)

Nobody truely knows why the DVDs didn't ship with the cars, but the DVD nav disks didn't start to arrive until July '03 I believe...

Better to have ordered the CDs when you're unsure if you have a CD or DVD based system. With the CDs you can still use the system if really had the DVD based system, on the other hand if you had ordered the DVD and you had a CD based system you would have been out of luck....

 

Hi, Just finding the Nav computer was a bear, they have it pretty well concealed.I put the # 3 disc in and it zeros down to our drive way, I think I can see myself waving out the window . Thanks for the help.