Just got my circuit from Ian this weekend and installed it this evening in about half an hour. All I can say is WOW! This is how MINI should have made the car in the first place.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you iancull!!!!

You are a genius!!!

 

>>This is how MINI should have made the car in the first place.

I think they already do, just not for the US.

 

I can't install mine until my car's back from the bodyshop! Ack! Mine came in this Sat. I must say, tho its a VERY professional piece of work - thanks, Ian!

Hey, Robyn - we have to stop meeting like this - another group buy of custom made MINI-bits! HeHe! Do luv the white sunroof, thanks again for that!

BCNU,
Rob in Dago

 

THAT SOUNDS COOL, HOW CAN I ORDER ONE.

THANKS

JEREMY

 

>>THAT SOUNDS COOL, HOW CAN I ORDER ONE.


Check this thread! :smile:

 

>> Hey, Robyn - we have to stop meeting like this - another group buy of custom made MINI-bits! HeHe! Do luv the white sunroof, thanks again for that!
>>

Hey Rob, glad you like the decal. I'm still waiting for the weather to warm up here so I can put that or my US flag back on my sunroof.

 

Woohoo, my circuit from Ian just arrived! I'll be taking off those downtubes tonight!!!

 

i would love to have auto up windows as well. Where do we order this????

 

> i would love to have auto up windows as well. Where do we order this????

Start here for Ian's auto up window circuit

Ian's email is IanCull and the domain name is usa.net. The sooner you get your check to him (or PayPal, etc), the faster you'll be on his list.

I paid extra and received mine via Priority Mail. I suggest doing that.

 

I intalled the mini circuit and lovin' it! :smile:

 

David,
Glad it is all working for you. Any comments on the ease of installation? Anything I need to do differently to make things better?

Dan,
Ditto once you have installed ...

I want to maintain a "feedback" web page for a while from "satisfied customers", so if either of you have something (good or not so good) to say, I will add to the page.

Thanks.

 

IAN IS A SUPER GENIUS! IT WORKED ON THE FIRST TRY!

I was scared off from the instructions for removing the downtubes, so I just removed the panel to access the toggle switch from behind.

It took a while to realize that I just press the little button, then rotate the clip on the plug to disconnect the plug from the toggle switch.

Then plugging in the circuit was easy. The LED test worked the first time.

Then the hard part, putting the ribbon cable from Ian's circuit into the toggle switch. I found that when I put my head on the passenger floor mat, I could see up into the cavity. Then I placed the plug on the end of the ribbon cable into the "box". Then I reached in and, blindly, gently (gently!) pushed the plug onto the pins.

I didn't really know if I did it right, but it felt firm. Then the second LED test passed. Then I was able to program the windows, and THEY WORKED!

Then I found a spare garage door opener, opened it up, and found that it had a flying lead. I used electrical tape to jam the opener's switch into the closed position. Then I mated the flying lead on the opener to the flying lead on Ian's circuit.

AND NOW MY GARAGE DOOR OPENS AND SHUTS BY HOLDING THE LOCK TOGGLE UP OR DOWN FOR A 1/2 SECOND! YAY!

All I can say is, WOW!

I've been playing with everything for the last 10 minutes. Showed it off to my wife and her friend. My wife was even amazed that I did it right, given I am simply anti-mechanical. I surprised even myself, especially since I didn't remove the downtubes.

The only "catch" that I had to get used to was that when the window was closing in auto up mode, then finished, and then I immediately clicked down on the window toggle, nothing happened. If I waited a moment, the window went down.

Then I noticed the light on Ian's circuit was on when the window was closing up. So I realized that when the circuit is holding the window toggle up for the 5 seconds, my pressing down on the toggle has no effect. So that was something I had to learn.

I'll tidy up with some velcro after a couple days once I know all is well.

By the way, when I initially removed the plug from the toggle switch, I heard a noise, and I think the interior lights switched off. I hope that's normal. Also, I never noticed this before -- probably because I never turned the key to position 2 with my head down in the passenger footwell -- when you turn to position 2, I can hear a couple mechanical noises, like something is initializing in the Mini. Is that normal? Maybe I just never heard it before. Does anyone else hear that? I'll have to check my brother-in-law's non-Ian Mini to be sure.

After having this mod for 30 minutes, I can't recommend it enough. It's awesome! It's so cool to have the garage door opener hidden from sight. And I no longer have to hold the window up toggles to close my windows!

THANKS IAN!!!

 

Thank you :smile:
Great write-up ... interesting about the possible "door lock" trigger when you disconnected the cable. The MINIs "BC1" computer is very sensitive to inputs (which is why I had to redesign twice, so it might just have detected something it thought was you clicking the door lock toggle.

By the way, the auto-up cannot detect when the window finishes, so just runs "up" for a fixed six seconds - when you press the down switch the circuit will cancel, then a second press gives you down again
It seems that sometimes the "BC1" will register the down click and drive the window down, and sometimes a second down click is needed ...


I added this excellent commentary to my feedback page

 

First observations: auto-up windows continue to work great. Just remember that when you double-click up on the window toggle, Ian's circuit continues to hold the toggle up for 6 seconds. Sometimes I forget, which makes for a little confusion.

Also, I seem to have a flaky garage door opener. Twice now I've had to re-seat the flying lead connector from the circuit to the garage door opener after my garage door would not respond.

I could see the light on the circuit coming on at the appropriate time, indicating that power was being sent to the garage door opener.

After a re-seat, it works again.

Any ideas?

 

>>Also, I seem to have a flaky garage door opener. Twice now I've had to re-seat the flying lead connector from the circuit to the garage door opener after my garage door would not respond.
>>
>>I could see the light on the circuit coming on at the appropriate time, indicating that power was being sent to the garage door opener.
>>
>>After a re-seat, it works again.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>

We ran into an issue where the electrical tape holding the switch down stretched and released the switch. It's been reinforced with some duct tape. All better. Once again, life made better through duct tape.

 

I also am waiting for the word when I can get one from Ian. Let me know, Ian! I am needing just the window function. Unless you can figure a way to do TWO garage doors.

 

> Unless you can figure a way to do TWO garage doors.

Actually, my brother-in-law wants exactly that, support for two garage doors on his IanCircuit.

IanF, I think you're right. Tonight I had the flaky problem again. I finally removed the electrical tape and just held it shut with my fingers. After that, no matter what I did, I couldn't duplicate the flaky problem. So here's hoping it was a stretching problem.

Like you, I will try to make my life better through duct tape. :smile:

 

Brad, if you have emailed me and have a "number" then you are in my list. If not, I will not know to contact you.

Two garage openers - you could always buy two circuits :smile:

DS - hope the duct tape works well for you !

 

>Two garage openers - you could always buy two circuits :smile:

Serious? I know where to send the check. Uhhhh, install the two circuits in series? (no laughing please :smile: , you're talking to non-mechanical/non-electrical man)

>DS - hope the duct tape works well for you !

So far, so good. I re-taped the electrical tape, then wrapped it all in duct tape. Then drove around the neighborhood, turned the engine off and on, did everything I could do to duplicate the problem, and all appears to be well so far.

But it's only been one night. I'll consider it a success if it stays good for a week, but so far, so good.

 

>>So far, so good. I re-taped the electrical tape, then wrapped it all in duct tape. Then drove around the neighborhood, turned the engine off and on, did everything I could do to duplicate the problem, and all appears to be well so far.

Lucky you.

 

IanF, good point on both garage doors opening. Ohhh, but in my brother-in-law's case, it wouldn't matter, because the garage doors in question are 5 miles apart.

Regarding the duct tape issues, one thing that ran through my mind was to drill a little hole thorugh the metal switch on my opener, so I could run a wire to jam the switch in the pressed position, then solder the wire at either end so the electrical connection stays good.

Just a thought, but here's hoping the duct tape holds.

 

IanF,
Presumably related to Robyn!?
Sounds like the soldering iron might need to come out anyway. These garage door opener glitches make me think I should drop that option ...

As for two openers (which makes no sense to discuss if I am dropping the option, but anyway) ...
Someone had me program an opener to trigger off the rear fog toggle instead of the door toggle - so that is one way to select which garage opens.

If (when?) I make another batch, I plan to alter the design to allow two openers off one circuit ... but only if you guys get reliable connectivity with what you have (I don't even own a garage!)

 

>>IanF,
>>Presumably related to Robyn!?
>>Sounds like the soldering iron might need to come out anyway. These garage door opener glitches make me think I should drop that option ...

Yes, it's her MINI I'm referring to. I'm the "b/f" she occasionally refers to.

Hopefully no soldering iron... At this point I tend to believe it's an "installation issue" rather than design related. I wouldn't drop the option just yet as it's a really good idea and a cool feature. We'll let you know.

 

iancull - I have emailed you - just waiting for my "number" :smile: auto-up windows is all I want. Thanks! Looking forward to hopefully getting one of these nifty devices!

haf :smile:

 

Ian, please don't drop support for the garage door openers!

It's just an installation issue. Your circuit is fantabulolo.