I stumbled across a bunch of info that can be accessed from the odo display. Anyone familiar with this and know how to interpret it?

To see what I'm talking about, do this:

1. Put key in position 2
2. As soon as the "Number of miles till next service" info comes up, hold down the odo reset button
3. Your odo reading will appear, keep holding down that button
4. In a few seconds some strange characters appear, along with a number on the left. You can release the odo button and tap it to cycle through the numbers on the left.
5. Pick a number on the left and then wait a few more seconds.
6. Soon you will get some info that might look something like this:

1.0 81209

6. Tap the odo button to cycle through more info.

I found that the car won't start while this stuff is displayed. If you cycle to 19 in the strange character display you'll see "L" on the left and the words On and Off flashing on the right. Strange stuff. Anyone know what all this means?

 

Wow, what a stumble!

These are probably ECU diagnostic parameters of some kind. Plus, programmers love to create a "back door" like this to gain access to their software.

I've always thought they should do something like this to let owners make changes to the "convenience options" whenever they want. You could easily try out the various options and keep the ones you like. That would save a lot of hassles for both owners and dealers.

 

Yeah, I want to experiment with it, but I figured I'd see if someone knew exactly how those settings worked before I go and screw up my car.

 

There was a thread on MINI2 about the various options you can display in the odometer. Here is the link DIY.
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I went ahead and created a word document with this DIY and saved it too my computer. For ease of viewing I copied and pasted the DIY from the linked site on the above post:

Seeing as I mentioned this in another thread elsewhere on MINI2, here's a quick how-to on getting a bit more information from your MINI's computer.
The information displays in place of your mileometer, so you DO NOT have to have the MINI OBC/Trip Computer option to see this.
A complete list of functions is below, this example is how to get into the menu number '7'.
1. With the key in the ignition, but in the off position, press and hold down the odometer reset button, while holding the button down, switch the key in the ignition to position 1.
2. The screen will say 'Test' and a number.
3. Scroll through, (pressing reset button) through to test 19 and wait a moment.
4. Wait and the message will say "log i-off" then "log i-on" and back to "log i-off" again. When "log i-off" appears, press again. You are now in the system. (Woooo)
5. You can (if you wish) start the ignition any time from now.
6. Scroll through to test 7.0 (or whichever from the list below) and wait a moment, after a pause you will enter the test 7.* range of information.
7. You can scroll through now (7.1,7.2,7.3 etc.) using the reset button.
8. You can exit each menu by pressing, holding for a few seconds, then releasing the reset button.
9. To leave the system scroll to 19 and leave it for a few moments.
Switching off the ignition also exits the system.
Test:
1.0 Chassis number
1.1 Kilometer count
1.2 Parts number
1.3 Coding-, Diagnostic- and Bus-index
1.4 Production Date (Calender week/year)
1.5 Hard- and Software status
1.6 Injectorstatus, Cylinder count, Engine factor.
2.0 Combisystem Test

3.0 Service intervall counter
4.0 Actual fuel consumption in l/100km. eg.0154 = 15,4 liters/100kms.
4.1 Consumption in liters/100kms.
5.0 Distance consumption in l/100kms.
5.1 Actual rest distance with available fuel in Kms.
6.0 Actual amount of fuel in tank. eg. 123321 =12,3liters left 32,1 liters right
6.1 Total amount of fuel in tank.
6.2 Show value of Fuel guage. 1= both senders OK, 2= sender failure, 3=ti signal unplausible (no reading)
7.0 Actual coolant temp.
7.1 Actual outside temp.
7.2 Actual engine revs.
7.3 Actual speed
8.0 Hexadecimal readings of menu 7.0 to 7.3
9.0 Actual on board voltage (Battery)
10.0 Land codes
11.0 Unit codes
12.0 No funktion
13.0 Gong test
14.0 - 14.4 On board diagnostic codes. eg 000000 = no failures
15.0 - 18.0 No funktion
19.0 On/Off for Test menu.
20.0 Correction factor for Fuel consumption
Formula for correction:
Shown consumption x 1000 / user defined consumption
Push the trip reset button to begin the correction. Numbers count up from 0-9, when correct number shows push trip reset button.
20.1 Sets 10ths. for consumption factor
20.2 Sets 100ths. and 1000ths. for consumption factor
20.3 Saves the new consumption factor and shows new value

21.0 Software reset. (Same as disconnecting battery)
Notes:
I have not been able to get speed into MPH, if you can update me with how to do this (if it's possible), then feel free to do so.
Your MINI's computer may give more or less information than stated above.

 

Thanks npartist. I search on MINI2, but didn't come up with anything.

Do you know if the readings for stuff like coolant temp is all in celcius?

 

I went and played with it earlier and it seems that most of the readings are in metric. Like the gas tank is measured in liters, speed in kmh, but the coolant temp showed 42 on cold startup (it was 50 something outside) and I doubt that the coolant stays at 100+ farinheight over night! So i don't know, the read outs are imposible to understand unless you have someone tell you their meaning (like you have to add decimals and sometimes split the readout, half and half, etc). Now all we need is someone to make a user friendly display to display this info whenever we want! Cause my car (has NAV) doesn't have engine temp (would use coolant as indication), voltage, and it sure would be cool to have the other info easily available. :smile:

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With all the mileage and speed data in there, is this stuff only available if you have the computer?

 

according to npartist, you don't have to hacve the OBC. try it out, it's really easy.

npartist's directions are slightly different than what I did to get it to work, so you might have better luck with one or the other.

 

there is no option 20 on my car. It jumps from 19 to 21 right away :(