I think I know what it is.. an FM Modulator. Since you have an early (03) MINI, you don't have the standard AUX input later model MINI's received (which are popular with the iPod/MP3 player crowd). However, there is a way to create them with a device called an FM Modulator. It's not an FM Transmitter. The modulator is actually wired to your antenna. When you want to use the AUX ports, there is a switch that disconnects the cars antenna and switches it to the AUX RCA ports, so there is no outside interference. No static or cutting in and out of other radio stations that you get with an FM Transmitter.

 

LoJack is mentioned on the bike forum

 

That's what I was thinking, but the round antenna doesn't make sense in that scenario. Usually, to wire up an FM modulator, you disconnect the factory antenna cable from the back of the radio, plug the modulator in its place, and then plug the factory antenna cable into the modulator. Lastly, you run an audio output cable from your satellite radio receiver into the modulator. The modulator acts as a switch - if the satellite radio receiver is turned on, the modulator takes the audio output from the receiver, modulates it into an FM signal and feeds it into the car's radio. If the satellite radio receiver is off, the modulator just routes the signal from the factory antenna cable into the car's radio so you can listen to regular AM/FM broadcasts.

In this kind of setup, the satellite antenna (which is what I'm pretty sure the round thing is) shouldn't be connected directly to the modulator, because the modulator can't convert the satellite antenna output directly into music - you need the satellite radio receiver between the antenna and modulator for that.

The setup pictured above looks more like a generic antenna booster. If you look at the wire connecting the round antenna to the black box, there's a quick-disconnect fitting that will accept *any* standard 50Ω antenna.

I guess the next step is finding out where the other wires from the "black box" go to.

 

Now that you mention it, I forgot to point out that the wiring with the "Quick Connect" was labeled as a 50Ω Coaxial cable (if that is important at all).

The other wires that the black box connects to have been spliced into pre-existing wiring from the vehicle's harness. The ones that it was pulling from were bright red, I'm guessing that it must be tapping into some power source.

It doesn't appear to have any other sort of wiring that would have been run to some other input/output source that wasn't originally part of the car.

-Chase

 

I'm assuming you don't have any kind of satellite radio setup or AUX input that you know of?

Try this - unscrew your car's factory antenna and see if your FM reception gets worse. You might have to try several different stations, since some stronger stations will continue to come in fine, even with the factory antenna unscrewed.

Then, disconnect the round antenna from the "black box" and check out your reception.

It almost seems like one of the previous owners disconnected the factory radio antenna in favour of a disc antenna and signal booster, although I have no idea why they'd think it would be an improvement, since disc antennas aren't very good for FM reception (especially when they're buried up under the dashboard).

 

I am thinking its a lojack device.

 

Yes, it is a LoJack transmitter.

Here is the FCC's ID Lookup search engine. If you put in "IDI" for the Grantee Code, and LJU-03U for the Product Code and hit "search", it tells you that the FCC ID of the "black box" is registered to LoJack.

I guess the guy selling them on eBay as "modulator/boosters" doesn't know what he has.

 

Aren't LoJacks supposed to be super hidden?

I say it's a garage door opener. But it's too beefy for that. LoJack sounds good.

Isn't that a battery hooked up to the board? Maybe an alarm or door locking device.

Heck, I'm back to the LoJack idea.

 

LoJack. I believe I win.

 

I just found the same box with a round antenna attached to it while working on my Mustang a few days ago. Found this site by typing in the numbers from the box into Google search.

Mine was installed underneath the center console. I knew it had to be some aftermarket part installed by the previous owner, because there was no mention of it in my shop service manual.

I just cut the thing out - it was only tapped into the console power cables. Lo-jack was also my initial guess, confirmed by a few friends.

What did people do before the Internets?

 

 

Hi everyone, The little black box isn't a lojack,GPS or the Gov. It's a keyless entry reciever. 315 mhz and it's factory installed. The battery is a 6 volt panosonic, in case you disconnect your car battery you don't have to reprogram your remote. It's manufactured by Antennas America in CO.


Hope this helps you sleep better at night.

JW

 

You may be working on a different part, but I'm positive that what chaseabryant found in his car is a LoJack transmitter:

1) It's obviously aftermarket wiring, spliced (not very neatly) into the car's factory wiring, including ragged holes drilled into the car's plastic panels to route the wires.

2) The antenna was mounted with double-sided tape, which the factory generally doesn't use.

3) The exact same device has been found in other people's vehicles (including motorcycles) that don't have remote locks, remote start, or any other RF-controlled features.

4) The FCC ID on the "black box" (IDI LJU-03U) is registered to the LoJack Corporation.

 

Hi, I know you it looks like something done after market but trust me it was done at the factory. I know becuase I worked for Land Rover back in 1997 when LR made this units for the Disco 2, BMW also bought this units from us. Tese where installed on all Mini's,Land Rovers, BMW and Jags. The transmitter was made by Valeo in France. Only Transmitters have to have a FCC ID application for interference there for it's easy to find remote transmitters by doing a fcc search. But Recievers do not have to file for the same fcc test, as for the LOJack ? That fcc ID # was used for LoJack pre 1995 it was retired and reissued to Antennas America, "IDILJU-03U". I can proved you with all the doc's from the application to the FCC from Valeo and Antennas America if you would like.


Best of luck

 

i thought the remote receiver for the r53 is in the rear view mirror

 

bingo, we have a winner. that is where I was told by MINI where it is located.

 

As I mentioned earlier, I found the same part in my Mustang, so it has to be more than just keyless entry, because my car comes standard with remote, that opens doors, and trunk. The keyless entry, still works after me taking the part out.

The part was definitely aftermarket - ugly splices, and double-back tape (same as the other poster). And no mention in factory service manual, which details every single screw.

If it's not lo-jack, then the only other thing I can think of is remote start (which would make sense, since my car doesn't come with remote start). And quite frankly it could very well be that it's remote start kit that also comes with remote entry.

 

The remote receiver wasn't moved to the rearview mirror area until the 2005 model, but the junk pictured in this thread is *not* the pre-2005 receiver.

Here's a link to the actual receiver from realoem:


Slightly different shape to the box, and only one cable connection rather than two. In fact, they don't have much in common other than both being black rectangles.

Also, if you read Eternal's post, he just cut it out of his car after realizing what it was. Don't you think he would have noticed if his remote locks stopped working? (EDIT - I just noticed he said the same thing in his post immediately prior to mine.)

And I'm fairly sure the FCC doesn't re-use ID numbers and reissue them to different companies, just because of the potential for confusion (especially if you're talking about two devices meant to be used in vehicles). Also, getting an FCC grantee code only requires a one-time registration/payment, so it's not as if they have to be periodically renewed. As such, there would be no reason to take "IDI" away from LoJack once it had been assigned.

Further, if you go to the FCC site I linked to in my earlier post, the grantee code "IDI" has *always* been assigned to LoJack, and it's continued to be used to identify LoJack products up until as recently as 2007, so "IDI" hasn't been reassigned to anyone else.

EDIT - "Antennas America" *has* been granted an FCC code, but it's "LUI", not "IDI". Likewise, there are three companies with "Valeo" in the name that have been granted FCC codes, but those codes are "N5F", "UR8" and "VE2".

 

Hahaha, I had totally forgotten about this thread! Good to hear that it is just LoJack...

-Chase

 

'googled it......it's a Lojack transmitter